Insane damage, a bow rehair and more.... another day at Olaf's Violin Workshop

Master Violin Maker and Restorer Olaf Grawert shares a day in his workshop. Doing a Bow rehair, optimising a violin that isn't working the way it should, lunchtime bike ride, setting up instruments and more!

00:00 Introduction
03:00 Button Graft
06:45 Polishing
08:00 Bow Rehair
10:33 More Polishing
11:30 Lunch!
12:00 Setting up an Instrument
16:00 Planing some Fingerboards
21:45 Conclusion

#myviolinmaker , #olafgrawertviolin #violin

[shubus]

I always get that warm fuzzy feeling when I see Olaf in his shop with a hot cuppa and know we're going to see some serious craftsmanship.

[AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Thanks for watching everyone! Have a wonderful day!

[rossthefiddler]

Olaf, watching you get through the various jobs, I can't help thinking, "How do you work out charging rate for each job?", because I use a diary & write down all start & stop times on each job so I don't lose or the client doesn't lose (I may discount at the end). I guess we all (any maintenance worker) have our own methods of costing.

[yoo-xh]

Your workshop is such a ghibli vibe i love it

[williamsavage]

I always watching people who are masters of their crafts at work.

[peggysmith-pu]

A day in the life of Olaf...I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode. I would imagine you never get bored as there are so many challenging things you have to deal with! Love to watch a master craftsman doing such fine and precise work. It's not done right until he is satisfied!

[kennethtape]

A bit late commenting but this really is fantastic, thank you for the video !

[Creationhorse]

I'm looking forward to seeing how the English violin turns out, and the violin with the button repair. The cracking in that upper back area looks like it would be difficult to fix and disguise. Looking forward to seeing how you address that 😊

[edmiller]

Watching my fave luthier while having my coffee too!

[michaelfrank]

Hoping we get to hear the French violin when you're done : D

[tephe]

I’ve always wanted to see how a bow repair. Awesome!

[BrianTimmonsTX]

Olaf! Yet another subscriber from Texas here.

So glad to see you making a brand new instrument! Your repairs and restorations are fun to watch, but making something all new is extra special. Can’t wait to see how it sounds and looks.

[highmountaingee]

Great video. Maybe it is just me, but I would like for you to show more of the fine repair work you do. Also you mentioned Julian Emery. You called him an amateur violin maker. When does an amateur villain maker graduate to a professional? I kind of feel sorry for the man. I wonder if he considered himself a professional? He died in 2022 at the age of 82. I couldn't find a biography, so I don't know how long he made violins. If you made violins for 30 40 or 50 years, is he still an amateur? I'm just curious. Thank you for your videos

[TheUncleRuckus]

Great video as always Olaf, thank you for uploading! 👍👍

[nyalwalker]

That was very interesting seeing how you rehair the bow.

[donnarn]

Wish I had direct access to the local violin maker who does repairs in my area. I live in central California and may go back to one of the places in southern California that I took them when I lived down there. I miss being able to discuss what is wrong with the person who will do the repairs/maintenance rather than send it back multiple times to get everything fixed. Last summer, I sent my viola and one of my violins out for maintenance. The violin came back looking better and sounding the same. However, when I played my viola, it did not sound like my instrument!!! If the repair person had played the instrument like I see you do afterwards, they should have heard the buzz, one of the seams had separated. I think I will have better peace of mind taking my violins/viola to Weisshaar's in LA or Newport, CA.

[grantmagnuson]

Please make a video of the violin you are making from scratch until now. Thank you from Omaha Nebraska. And I have two violins one made in 1894 and Cyrus Minnesota from a Swedish trunk and a 1926 German violin that I brought from my neighbor for $75 about 40 years ago. My daughter just had the German violin serviced by the graduates of the Chicago School Inn violin, making in Skokie Illinois. They told her it was a really nice violin and she should get it appraised for insurance value.

[YenZenBamboo]

G’day Olaf, could I ask if you are lucky enough to still have your dad alive? To work on instruments that you know your dad has repaired is awesome. Love your love of the relationship that your clients have with their instruments, it shows a deeper bond between yourself and the instrument you are repairing. Well done. Thankyou for sharing your life ambitions and the approach to this inclusive of your wife. So a special 🤗 hay to Mrs Olaf and your son. 🫡✨☮️🇦🇺 Joel

[guusvanbeelen]

What is the powder at 9:30 where the hairs are dipped in and what is it's function?

[BeastOfSoda]

Hey Olaf, thanks for always letting us into your shop and watch you work your craft. I'm curious about one thing: I always like to see novel approaches to established problems, like making the countermold with automotive putty, but what would the historical way to create one have been? Clay, hand carving...? Or would the plate simply have been remade from scratch at the time?