Fantastic violin bow made by one of the best bow makers in history, Pierre (Paul) Simon. Vuillaume model, stamped on the audience side Vuillaume a Paris, 61 grams. 

Medium chestnut brown pernambuco with very even tight grain, head in the personal model style with elegant bell shape. Original in all of its main parts with a JF Raffin Certificate of Authenticity. 

Powerful, silky, soloistic tone, with a nimble, modulable, brilliant and sonorous response.

Pierre Simon (1808-1881), also known as Paul Simon (Pronounced See-Moan), was a French archetier or bowmaker.
Simon became one of the most important bowmakers of his time. He worked in Paris for Peccatte, Vuillaume and Gand Frères. In 1847 he purchased Dominique Peccatte's business partnering with Joseph Henry until 1851. His bows have two distinct head models, one of his own and the other based on a Peccatte model. He arrived in Paris in 1838. According to experts[Simon started making bows at least as early as 1827. Simon entered a partnership with Joseph Henry from 1848-1851.

Simon made bows on several patterns and of varying weights. Sometimes he used a model similar to the Peccatte interpretation of François Tourte, and these heavier Simon bows play similarly to Peccatte bows. On the other hand, the classic, bell-shaped Simon head is derived from an earlier Tourte model. These tend to be lighter and more flexible than the classic Peccatte model. The finest Simon bows have are highly attractive, smooth, strong, lithe flexibility and a genuine beauty of tone.

Some of his bows bear the stamp: "Simon a Paris." His best bows are strong, finely balanced sticks which produce a smooth and velvety tone.