papawhisky - Posted - 01/29/2024:  18:17:17

I’m looking at a Wilkanowski on Craigslist. This one has the W purfling around the button. Other than that, is there anything I can look for to try to ensure it is actually a Wilkanowski? Appreciate the help!

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 01/30/2024:  06:09:31

Look for signatures inside. Not all his instruments have one, but some do. There are some features that distinguish Wilkanowski violins, but it’s easier to look at pictures than to try to put it into words. Can you post any? I don't claim to be an expert on Wilkanowski, but I've seen a number of them over the years. 

Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 01/30/2024 06:10:52

papawhisky - Posted - 01/31/2024:  04:41:09

Good point. Here are the pics, 3 at a time.

DougD - Posted - 01/31/2024:  05:13:10

Where are the pictures? You need to attach them.
I'm also no expert on these instruments, but I saw one that turned up at an auction. It had the "W" purfling, which caught my eye, but I didn't buy it because I'd never heard of Wilkanowski. I've also seen one guitar, which are much rarer.
Anyway, there are lots of pictures online, which are generally similar to the one I handled. They have very attractive wood, neatly made, and have an oil varnish, which has a soft lustre and usually a dark red brown color. Remember his instruments are now 75 to 100 years old and should look it, with nice patina if they haven't been refinished, and the feel of a quality instrument.
If the photos on you homepage here are of the violin you're looking at, I'd have to be cautious. For one thing, why does it have someone else's signature and a date of 1900? But I'm no expert.

Edited by - DougD on 01/31/2024 05:14:02

papawhisky - Posted - 01/31/2024:  05:22:54

Ok. I was bested by this site’s photo upload system. I put the photos on a photo share site. Here is the link.
imgur.com/a/yKB43Pk

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 01/31/2024:  06:11:01

The violin does look like other Wilkanowski violins I’ve seen. I met a luthier from Long Island who knew the maker personally and considered himself the foremost expert. I don’t know if he’s still alive anymore.

jdove - Posted - 01/31/2024:  07:43:15

I have a Wilkanowski. The label looks like the same one you posted. My violin is Serial #2969, 1952, It has #727 written where the posted picture has #206. My violin looks as if it could be 70 plus years old.

DougD - Posted - 01/31/2024:  10:28:04

Yes, that looks more like it - nice wood, neat work on the purfling - the color may be a bit atypical, but I'm no expert.
Will you be able to handle and play this before you decide, and does the seller know anything about its history?
Have these even been faked? I have no idea.

papawhisky - Posted - 01/31/2024:  11:33:07

I appreciate the inputs. If I were to buy, it would be blind. No seeing it or playing it first. One of my concerns is fakes. But I haven’t heard of any. I’m not sure these are worth enough to justify creating fakes.

DougD - Posted - 01/31/2024:  12:19:33

Oh I think they're worth enough, but the quality is good enough that it would take a lot of skilled work to make a convincing one.

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 01/31/2024:  17:12:16

There are occasional fakes, but Wilkanowski was a quirky maker, so he’d be a little harder to copy in some ways because a conventionally trained maker would have to make an effort to unlearn a lot of practices to look convincing. There is a certain niche market for his instruments, particularly among collectors of American violins.



I don’t recommend buying a violin without being able to try or return it as a player. It’s different when I buy violins as a luthier because I buy based on what I think I can get out of them with work and I don’t pay much attention to how they sound if I know the setup is bad or there are other problems I can rectify. If the price is low enough, maybe it’s worth the risk. Are you ok with spending more to get it into good playing condition?

As far as the question of what's worth faking, unfortunately the answer is whatever can successfully fool at least one potential buyer. Fakery has been a problem for hundreds of years, and there are all kinds of cons, from the laughable to the unbelievably complex. 

Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 01/31/2024 17:19:36