Heinrich Knopf


Heinrich Carl Knopf was a German bowmaker or bogenmacher.
Knopf came from a dynasty of bow makers. He studied bow making in Markneukirchen under his uncle, Christian Knopf.
He was a journeyman in Leipzig working for Ludwig Bausch. Upon the death of his father, Karl Wilhelm, he returned to Markneukirchen where he became his successor.
He also supplied bows to German shops such as Bausch, R. Weichold and the Russian Nicolaus Kittel.
"The bows made for Kittel are quite different in style from the ones he supplied to the German shops." — Kenway Lee
"His bows are exquisite, showing mastery in technical as well as stylistic aspects. His son, Heinrich Richard gen. Knopf became an excellent bow & violin maker who established what was to become a very important and successful shop in New York City." Gennady Filimonov