Vegan Bow “Makeover”
Animal welfare has always been a priority at Cardiff Violins. For many years we have taken donations to SPANA (a charity supporting working animals and their owners in some of the poorest countries in the world) as payment for small repairs. We also source products that are as ethically produced as possible, whilst requesting suppliers and makers abandon cruel practices that are unfortunately common in the industry, such as harvesting skin from live reptiles for bows.
Over the years, there has been an increasing demand from customers for items free from animal products. Some are concerned about animal welfare and would prefer ethically sourced items, others are vegan and refuse to purchase any animal derived materials. To meet this demand we have introduced a bow “makeover” that will replace all animal sourced parts with alternative replacements.
A synthetic tip replaces elephant or mammoth ivory
The devastation inflicted upon the African elephant population by poachers has led to many countries banning the importation of ivory. Tens of thousands of elephants are brutally slaughtered by poachers each year. Even more tragic, is the fact that the ivory is used often for purely decorative purposes. The synthetic tips used on our bows match ivory aesthetically and are extremely durable.
Coruss synthetic hair replaces horse hair
This award-winning hair used by professional musicians around the world is the first synthetic hair we’ve found that rivals horse hair in playability. Coruss is also available in a range of beautiful colours and has the added benefit of far greater resistance to fluctuation in ambient temperature and humidity than horse hair…resulting in less money spent on rehairs! For more information about Coruss please visit our Coruss Synthetic Bow Hair page.
Order Coruss hair here
A synthetic leather or foam lap replaces reptile skin
Reptile skin is harvested brutally from live animals. Reptile skin is often only selected for use due to its appearance and texture, despite the fact that many synthetic alternatives can be used in its place. The material used for lapping has no effect whatsoever on sound production, and is as comfortable as reptile skin lapping.
Full ebony frog
Mother of pearl is harvested from the shells of oysters and abalones. If you wish to remove it from your frog, we offer ebony as an alternative.
As for all instruments and bows, a vegan bow should be insured against loss, theft and damage.
