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Rudolf Neudörfer: guardian of a lineage

2026-04-10T09:21:00

Poss lead - Rudi at Nakazawas in Tokyo 1986

The German bow maker Rudolf Neudörfer celebrates his 90th birthday next month. Gennady Filimonov looks back at his life and career, exploring the Neudörfer dynasty of makers and examining his bows

Now in his 90th year, Rudolf Neudörfer (‘Rudi’) is considered one of the finest – and most prolific – bow makers of Bubenreuth, Germany. Over the past six decades he has made well over 13,000 bows and has always been admired for his manual dexterity and exceptional speed. Even today he continues to make bows for selected clients while still indulging in his passion for tennis…

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