For the first time, a violin has been built that is completely free of animal products and it has now received certification from The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark.
Traditionally, violin parts are made with products derived from animals such as skin, bones, and tendons. Further, violin strings and bows can contain ivory, horse tail hair, and animal intestines, and more.
This new creation, however, used for example wild berries and spring water from behind Padraig’s studio, among other cruelty-free ingredients, to develop the purfling decoration that wraps around the instrument’s edges.
In a statement written to Plant Based News, Irish musician Padraig ó Dubhlaoidh writes that not only is this an ethical act but he assures readers that this is an acoustic improvement:
“…it has become very clear that animal-based glues have harmful effects on violins, inducing powerful tensions on wooden components. The adhesive used in my vegan violins however, has no such effect. Irrespective of ethics, this is an acoustic improvement.”
“With our planet facing crises on almost every front, the collective voice of people wanting a fairer future grows stronger every day. Ethical musicians are part of this movement and have long wished for a violin that is fully vegan yet retains all the qualities of the classic instrument.”
– Padraig ó Dubhlaoidh