Christian Wanka
~Message~
We would like to congratulate you on your company's centenary. We express our deep respect for your long-standing leadership in the industry, the unwavering trust you have built, and your outstanding achievements.
It is a great honour for me to have my bow displayed on this memorable occasion.
We sincerely wish you continued success and prosperity for the years to come.
The Wanka Masterbow workshop was founded in 1971 by Herbert Wanka.
Herbert Wanka learned the craft of bow making from 1952 to 1955 at the Bubenreuth School of Musical Instrument Making (Bavaria/Germany) under the guidance of master craftsman Emanuel Buchner. After completing his apprenticeship, he joined as a journeyman the workshop of master Gotthard Schuster. Schuster was considered as one of the most respected German bowmaker of his time. Herbert remained there for several years.
In 1968, he passed his master craftsman's examination at the Nuremberg Chamber of Crafts. In 1971 he opened his own workshop in Bubenreuth. In 1977, he moved the workshop to the nearby city Baiersdorf.
Stylistically influenced by his old master Gotthard Schuster and the classic French bows of Eugene Sartory and Alfred Lamy, he developed his personal model ideal of a Wanka-bow. The continuity in the execution and the quality of his work has enabled him to steadily build up his reputation among musicians and colleagues over many years.
As second generation bowmaker his son Christian Wanka began his training with his father Herbert Wanka in 1992, which he completed in 1995 as the national winner in the bowmaking craft. He then worked as a journeyman in his father's workshop.
In the year 2000 he joined the Canadian Violin Shop “The Sound Post” in Toronto where he build up the shops bow repair service. He gained further valuable experience for his work in a seminar with the famed American bow maker William Salchow of New York. In 2002 he took his master's exam in bow making at Westsächsische Hochschule Markneukirchen. Since 2004, he has directed his father's workshop and continues the tradition
Christian Wanka produces the classic Wanka bow models known under the HERBERT WANKA brand as well as his own bow models “Archet d'Artiste”. All bows are hand manufactured by Christian Wanka in Germany.
Wankabows are made of legal certified pernambuc wood. It is only used carefully selected, seasoned pernambuco wood and the finest ebony from their wood stock, which has been in existence for over forty years.
Wanka-bows combine exquisite materials with masterly precision and traditional craftsmanship.
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