Charles Louis Bazin

1881 – 1953

 

Charles Louis Bazin was born in 1881 to famous bow maker, Charles-Nicolas Bazin II. By the time he was 12, he was training in his family’s Mirecourt workshop. He went on to train with several luthiers in Paris and developed an impressive reputation for his abilities throughout France. In 1907, when he was 26, Bazin took over the family workshop.

Bazin focused exclusively on bow making during his career, and ultimately he had the greatest impact on the trade out of his family members. He produced bows not only for his own workshop but also for many Parisian firms. Bazin worked in a very traditional style. His bows often have a pronounced curve and a more robust appearance than those made by his father. As his career progressed, his bows became thicker and sturdier.

His work is praised for being “perfectly made”, often with Pernambuco wood and ivory or silver mounts with pearl eyes. When Bazin retired in 1952, he passed down the family workshop to his son, Charles Alfred Bazin.