Christian Wilhelm Knopf

One of the earliest known bow makers in Germany was Christian Wilhelm Knopf (1767–1837) from Markneukirchen. In his day, violin makers crafted the bows as an accessory to the instrument, but after the success of violin making in Markneukirchen exploded, a division of labor emerged around 1790, giving rise to independent bow makers. Christian Wilhelm’s father had greatly encouraged this development by bringing the craft of bow making to the attention of the local authorities.