Chris Apps wants to train the next reed maker
Are you the next reedmaker?
The time has come for me to teach someone else all I know
so that I might retire and relax a little
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Why am I retiring? In 1991 I sat myself down in the only room of my tiny cottage – in front of the fire as we had no central heating - and taught myself how to make bagpipe reeds. It was 1991 and the recession had hit Britain. I was one of many who had been made redundant. I was 29. I’m now 63. I’m tired, my spinal stenosis has progressed, and things just hurt. I am making great reeds, but I can no longer get out and about for workshops and highland games. And so, the time has come for me to teach someone else all I know so that I might retire and relax for a bit. |
Thinking of becoming a reed-maker?
Now is a good time to start
Are you interested in becoming a full time bagpipe reed maker? There is and will always be, a market for well made bagpipe chanter reeds. And not just for the highland bagpipe but for specialist reeds as well.
The global market for Great Highland Bagpipes was estimated at million in 2021, with North America holding a significant portion (roughly of the market). The market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% (2025–2033).
Types of Scottish bagpipes - Scottish Smallpipes, Border Pipes, and Northumbrian Smallpipes
I make reeds for all of these instruments and have done so for 35+ years. There are very few in this world with the same expertise. I am looking to train someone who would like to become the bagpipe reed expert for the next generation.
Only serious applicants please.
Let me be clear, I am not offering weekend workshops on reed making. I am not interested in training anyone who just wants to dabble in reed making as a hobby. I will not train anyone to 'mess around' with reed making on weekends or as a retirement project. I am looking for someone fairly young who would like to make reed making their lifes career.
Important considerations
1. Only those interested in full-time reed making should apply. This is not an offer for hobbyists.
2. This is not something you should consider doing in your retirement.
3. You must be a proficient piper to produce good quality reeds. If you struggle to tune your pipes, you'll struggle to tune reeds.
4. Chris will train a group of two (or more) if you are going into business together
5. Chris Apps Reeds cannot offer any guarantees on future sales. Chris will teach you how to make reeds, help source machinery/raw materials, teach you how the business is run, and help with customer relations. The rest is up to you.
6. There will be a price tag.
Buying a business typically costs 0.6 to 3+ times annual revenue or 2–5 times annual cash flow. Small businesses often sell from 2x–5x SDE (Seller’s Discretionary Earnings), meaning a business with $200,000 in net profit might cost $400,000–$1M.
FYI - Chris Apps Reeds does NOT make 1M annually. Take a bunch of zeros off. The point is, you'll be buying a business, not a weekend hobby. It is a major investment and as such we will negotiate on the how, when and where payments are made.
Still interested? Please tell me about yourself
If you are someone who truly loves bagpipes, being alone, working with your hands, are quite pedantic, and interested in owning your own business please let me know. I’ve created a little questionnaire for those who are interested. It is designed to give both you and I some guide on how you would fit the role of reed maker. I look forward to hearing from you.
The Questionnaire
Reminder for my customers, Please be assured that I will continue to make reeds until everything is in place for a successful transfer and the same exacting quality of the reeds you now receive.