Martin Otto Beilke (b. 1897, d. 1979) moved to Minneapolis in 1916 after having grown up in rural Wisconsin.  He developed an astounding aptitude for industrial arts including blacksmithing, welding, and automotive repair.  He was very much a self-taught, self-reliant individual and tenacious in developing his skills.  So, when his son Melvin desired to play the violin during the Great Depression, Beilke began attempts to construct a violin for his son.  Predictably he did succeed and made 30 violins in total.  However, in 1942 Beilke turned his attention to bow making.  Mostly self-taught, he is considered an important pioneer of American archetier.  He did receive invaluable advice from Rembert Wurlitzer and Simone Sacconi on his frequent visits to New York.  His bows are inspired by the work of Francois Xavier Tourte and Dominque Peccatte .  Of note, he trained or mentored two excellent luthiers, William Scott and Roger Zabinski.

The Beilke bow will pull a focused, golden, lush, and satisfying sound from your viola.  The superbly balanced octagonal stick will allow you to explore well-balanced bariolage, colorful tonal response at all dynamic levels, and yield easeful, crisp, reliable off the string playing.  We think the Beilke bow is a treasure waiting to be discovered by violists who want to take their playing to the stars!