John Dodd

Who was John Dodd?

John Dodd was the greatest English bowmaker before and until Tubbs.

He was a gunlock fitter and then a money-scale maker before turning to bow making. John Dodd was a contemporary of François Tourte and worked in London. He arrived at a similar bow design to Tourte, though entirely through independent means.

He made fine bows, but his measurements and quality of bows are never entirely consistent. For example, some bows were made slightly shorter than the norm. His later bows are particularly fine, though judged to be a little short.

Though Dodd was often in dire need of funds, it was recounted that he was very secretive about his art, and once turned down an offer of 1000 pounds sterling for a copy of his pattern. He also refused to teach pupils for the same reason. Dodd used 2 forms for the head ; the slender "swan" type and the squat " hammer " head type, more common in Italy and France.

An excellent choice of Pernambuco wood was available to Dodd and much of this came to England in the form of Barrels. This explains the numerous traces of nail holes which sometimes run right through his sticks.