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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;all_fakes, post: 401579, member: 55&quot;]At one time (maybe around 1900-1950) there was a craze for snakewood bows - they were thought to be fancy.&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, it is understood that pernambuco is preferable for bows, and most snakewood bows aren&#039;t especially valuable. - snakewood is simply not a good bow-making wood for current playing styles, though it looks interesting.&nbsp;&nbsp; (During the baroque period many bows were made of snakewood; it is more suited to that playing style.)&nbsp;&nbsp; There are expensive bows made from a variety of woods of course, and a good snakewood bow may be more valuable than a bad pernambuco one. </p><p>Cheap bows were sometimes painted to imitate snakewood, and that is probably the case with this one, though it is hard to say from photos.&nbsp;&nbsp; A good violin shop could tell you instantly if this was real or painted, and what it was worth.&nbsp; </p><p>Anyone who sells a violin or bow without taking it to a reputable shop first is probably taking a risk - one could sell a $10,000 instrument for hundreds.&nbsp; </p><p>Violins are among the hardest instruments to evaluate via internet research, IMHO.&nbsp; I certainly can&#039;t tell from photos.</p><p>And bows - if I posted a photo of my own bows, I doubt anyone could tell which was the $75 one, and which the $750 one.&nbsp; I do have an old painted &quot;snakewood&quot; bow also, appraised at around $75.&nbsp; It is quite dark, and wouldn&#039;t photograph at all well.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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