Charles Nicolas Bazin

1847 – 1915

 

Charles Nicolas Bazin was born in 1847. His father, François Xavier Bazin, was a successful bow maker in Mirecourt and he trained Charles Nicolas from an early age in craftsmanship and business. François died in 1865, and Charles Nicolas was put in charge of the workshop at the age of 18. He was initially assisted by Claude Charles Nicolas Husson, but after a few years he handled the business alone. Bazin was trained in the Peccatte style, so his work was initially very strong and angular. As he progressed as a maker, his bows became softer. He also studied for a time under estemmed bowmaker François Nicolas Voirin. Voirin’s influnece is clearly evident in the more slender heads of Bazin’s bows.

Bazin was a talented luthier and businessman. In addition to producing his own bows, he trained many makers who went on to remarkable success, including Jules and Victor Fetique, Louis Morizot, Louis Piernot, Alfred Lamy, and Emile Auguste Ouchard.

By the early 1900s, the Bazin Workshop was the center of bow production in Mirecourt. At this point the workshop was producing 2,000-3,000 bows per year. He had three sons – Emile-Joseph, Gustave, and Charles-Louis Bazin, whom he trained to take over the family business. He officially retired in 1907, but he continued to work in some capacity until his death in 1915.