Chipped Bow Ivory

[sirero]

To make a long story very short: Today I accidentally chipped off a large chunk of the tip ivory on my bow, It chipped right on the corner where the Ivory wraps around the wooden tip. No cracking, just a straight up chip like if you hit a piece of shale with a more solid rock. is this a get fixed immediately problem, or a fix as soon as able to problem?

Also what is the point of that part of the tip where it has extended past the end of the wood of the bow? is it purely decorative?

[Roger Mouton]

You asked "is this a get fixed immediately problem, or a fix as soon as able to problem?" I would say neither although some might value the bow less with a chip on the tip. This chip doesn't affect the way the bow sounds or plays does it?

[uprightben]

That piece of ivory protects the wood of the bow. a ding in the wood will make it harder to fix, and another bad fall could possibly cause a split. It's not a fix immediatly, but a fix soon kind of thing.

[Maxvla]

I believe you are speaking of what we call the 'beak' of the tip, the little piece that is at a right angle to the main portion of the bone. It isn't a crucial thing to get repaired. Most of the time our customers opt to simply smooth the break off to be even with the tip of the wood.

Replacing the bone tip will not drastically effect the value of the bow, so you can feel free to replace it at will as long as it is done well. I would time the repair with a rehair as it is much easier on the luthier because removing the plug without damaging or twisting any of the hair can be quite a hassle.