Johannes Finkel

Johannes Finkel is a Swiss maker of bows for violins, violas, cellos, and basses. He is considered one of the most important contemporary bow makers.

The Finkel workshop is located in Brienz, Switzerland. Finkel is a fourth generation bow maker. His great-grandfather Ewald Weidhaas, was a craftsman from the workshop of famous bow maker Victor Fetique. His grandfather, Paul Weidhaas, and father Siegfried Finkel were also highly regarded bow makers.

Finkel’s bows are typically made of pernambuco wood — an endangered hardwood — with an octagonal stick shape, and tend be closer in style to the German tradition of bow making. The bows display a “Swiss made” or “J.S. Finkel” stamp.

The Finkel workshop has also pioneered development in hybrid bows made from carbon fiber and pernambuco.