Review & Tie In: Lee & Sons Sheepskin Bag with Grommets

[@johnt.english6420]

Great idea with corking the stocks inside the zippered bag.

[@heybruh3274]

Pieces of inner tube work well over the hose clamps. Eliminates the bag cover getting caught and also looks better than tape if anyone happens to see the stocks

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Great tip!

[@MaverickBrittany1966]

Great looking bag, loved the sound of those drones !

[@gunnsmoke357]

Wow, what a thing of beauty

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I agree. That's a good looking pipe bag!

[@heathermcfarlane8419]

Thanks for sharing this. The ease of installation honestly is blowing my mind right now. I have a cowhide Lee & sons bag waiting for me to install, I was a bit apprehensive as it's been a long time since I had a hide bag (l&m back in the day!) and I honestly find the Bannatyne bags challenging to get and keep airtight. Looking forward to this one!

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I’m currently playing a Lee & Sons goatskin and love it!

[@WhatsCookingGlutenFree]

I watched this and your other video to help me tie in the Lee bag. Pretty hard and there is a leak but will try again. Thanks for the helpful information.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Any ideas where it is leaking from?

[@ian7583]

Again thanks

[@johndally7994]

Thanks for another great video, Matt. I bought one of their sheepskin bags when they first came out, played it for a couple of years, but was never completely comfortable with it. It looks like they have really dialed in the design now, and improved the leather. I will have to give Lee and Sons another try the next time I need a bag. It must be tough to keep a sheepskin going in Texas.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Well, Dallas is fairly humid, so keeping the sheepskin up hasn't been too bad. But you do have to play it pretty much every day.

[@frye912]

I have 2. The premium sheepskin and the cowhide. I HIGHLY ADVISE PEOPLE TO NOT GET THE GROMMETS!!!!!!! I went through 3 premiums in 2 years! On all of them, the seal came loose inside the bag, where the grommet is sealed to the bag. The cowhide is complies in with out the grommets and it’s 100% better. I wouldn’t have really noticed the leak, but I check my bag for leaks twice a week

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. Has anyone else had issues with the grommets?

[@elzeben]

How do you check for leaks? I presume cork everything up, fill it with air, and see how long it takes to lose pressure. Would you tolerate being able to get half a breath in after 5 minutes?

[@frye912]

You’re not supposed to put The bag underwater, but I could tell that the bag was losing air. I checked everything else including figure out what the problem was. So I filled it up placed it under water and found that the base of the bass drone, where the grommet is, and found the leak there ( on all of the occasions that the bag was leaking).

[@tristanperry7255]

Any chance you could also review lee&sons premium sheepskin bag at some point in the future? I'm very curious about it but don't know anyone who has it.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Only if someone buys me (or themselves) one! 😉 those bags are pricy and my current bag is good.

[@frye912]

I have one. It still requires seasoning. The only catch to it, is what Matt already mentioned about “skin” bags in general...... you’re gonna have to play it regularly to keep it tight

[@jimmaguire1090]

Matt great video. What size hose clamps did you use?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Thanks! I believe there are 2 inch hose clamps, but they were whatever was provided by the pipe bag maker.

[@adamwiggins9865]

Also if you’re a Small /extra long Bannatyne kind of piper.... is the small or medium Gandy more close to that setup?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

No, it's different. I'd say the Gandy cut is closer to how a Gannaway is cut. Narrow(ish) through the front and kind of beefy in the back. The Bannatyne smalls are rather sausage and narrow through the whole bag. I could never get a small or extended small working with Bannatyne as there wasn't enough internal volume of air for me to not get a headache while playing, at least not without a super easy chanter reed.

[@marcconnery]

how is the Gandy cut different from the Willie McCallum?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

@@marcconnery In pretty much every way. The McCallum bag is a standard medium Bannatyne with the grommets for the drones and blowpipe moved forward a bit, but the tube-like shape of the bag remains. The Gandy cit is larger at the back, narrower at the front, and being a traditional hide/skin bag, has a welt along the bottom, making the bag shape more like an inverted teardrop rather than a duffel bag-like shape of a synth bag...

[@adamwiggins9865]

.. I gotta have tie in.. and my short arms are dealing nicely with an old new stock L&M Elk hide I snagged for $50 but my next bag will like be this one… the shape difference from the grommeted bags are what I’ve been missing all these years. Much more comfortable for me.👍

[@adamwiggins9865]

I’m looking at the cowhide version myself... for my older set

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I have yet to have a go on their cowhide bag, but I am very curious. I wonder if it would be a good choice for a set I don't play as much (since goat & sheep need more playing on)...

[@adamwiggins9865]

That and the price is right... $180🇨🇦

[@leoburns9674]

Matt… after reviewing your “Ronnie” sheep bag install what is your opinion on sound and fit feel/quality between the two… ideally an assessment of the grommets vs. a direct tie in… appreciate your opinion!

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I'm personally not a fan of grommets... I go more into the pros and cons here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2moaq2ff8uUoqs

[@محمدموسي-س9ج]

مرحبا كيف يتم شراء هذه القربة البيضاء

[@LesliePiper]

Hurrrahhh I'm the first to give a thumbs up !!!!! As usual a great video, Was this pre-confinement? - To the rest of us PLEAAAAASE Join Matt's Patreon this will help him keep giving us great content. Link just below HIS video. LOL . Also, if you're like me and enjoy giving the "first like", by joining Patreon you see his videos ahead of the pack and improve your chances of giving that First Like.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Yes, this was the last student I met before everything was locked up... Originally going to be my Tuesday video this week, but felt I needed to post my "containment" video that day.

[@steveroll6229]

I am thinking on trying one of these bags. Also what is the name of the tune you play in the intro

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

That’s “All the Blue Bonnets are Over the Border” bit.ly/BlueBonnets

[@johnnickpappanastos3382]

Bravo!!

[@gregoryalee2457]

I don't know how old my current Gannaway bag is, so I am considering the Sheepskin Premium Bag (their website said that these bags do not need seasoning, ever) My current Gannaway bag is one size larger than the medium, so I am thinking about the medium Lee & Sons. Can we talk about this before I order? By the way, my Gannaway did need seasoning and now works fine for the time being.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I've had two premium L&S sheepskin bags come through here, and both needed seasoning. Perhaps not as much as a normal sheepskin bag, but certainly more than a cowhide. And sheepskin needs to be played daily, especially in a drier environment. I think the Gannoway is a better fit for your needs.

[@gregoryalee2457]

@@MattWillisBagpiper Okay, then Gannaway it is.

[@rideoutsean]

Lovely

[@stephenmuscella9635]

How do you measure a bag size? Is it from the back seam to the first drone?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Tallest part of the bag while un-inflated and before being tied in.

[@محمدموسي-س9ج]

الرجاء كيف يتم شراء هاي،القربة

[@shoukathussain6013]

Hello brother good morning how many bag please

[@MrZen42]

Great video as always. I've got a question for you : I currently have a standard sheepskin pipe bag ... And I played just before falling sick ... I wonder how I could clean the bag. Filling with soap and water, dry and re-apply seasoning ?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

An excellent question, and one I’m not actually qualified to answer. Airtight has anti microbial properties, so I myself would pour the hottest, still bubbling from having boiled, half-bottle of airtight in their, inflate, spin ‘round for a bit, vent the bag, then work for 5 or so minutes into the bag, rubbing the two sides together. Would this sterilize the bag? Almost certainly not, but when dealing with an animal product, I don’t suspect sterilization is an option. Hope this helps and hope you health continues to improve!

[@the_mth3580]

You wouldn't need to do the soap and water. Seasoning contains lanolin, glycerol and lye (at least the recipes I've seen). Lye is caustic so should have an anti-microbial effect. Seasoning itself is also a bit like a soap. You may notice at some point lumpy bits of older seasoning. When I got that I didn't want to pour just water into the bag so I diluted a couple of caps of seasoning in a pint or so of hot water and poured that in and sloshed it about. Poured it out through a sieve to get the lumps out and then poured it back in a few times. You could do the same to clean your bag if you thought it necessary? I'd say the the inside of the bag, you wouldn't have to worry about. Just thoroughly clean the blow pipe and give everything else exterior wise a quick wipe. And in this current climate of Coronavirus, you're not going to be sharing your pipes with anyone so you wouldn't be passing it on.

[@ZyloRock-PhantomPiper]

Do these bags ship with seasoning?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

No, they do not.

[@ZyloRock-PhantomPiper]

@@MattWillisBagpiperCool. And how long does it take to get the bag when you order it?

[@elzeben]

This is more of a general bag airtightness question. Would you tolerate being able to get half a breath of air in after 5 minutes of the corked bag sitting full?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Good question, but that's not how I test bags for airtightness, so I wouldn't know. I inflate the bag as hard/fully as I can and then wait 15 seconds or so. If I can blow anything back into the bag, it's leaking a bit.

[@elzeben]

Okay, so my bag seems to be good according to that test.

[@akashbaraily7652]

hello sir how to buy this bag

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Here's their site: leeandsonsbagpipes.com/product-category/pipe-bags/

[@n9sferatu261]

👍

[@ashgall8118]

Matt? Use a nut driver instead of a screwdriver or you will rip your hand if the screwdriver slips.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

True, but not everyone has a socket set ready. Almost everyone has a screwdriver. With some caution, it'll work fine.

[@kalebquery4417]

what tune is that in the intro?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

That’s “All the Blue Bonnets Are Over the Border” bit.ly/BlueBonnets

[@jaminkaiser3853]

What size is that bag?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Medium

[@HarryHirsch84]

👌👌👍👍

[@gapdragon01]

You know, you can't wear an awesome t-shirt like that one and not tell us where to get it....

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Wish I could! I received this as a gift from my good friend Peter Bailey... Not sure where he got it.

[@TheMetalDrummer24]

Hey you should try the Pakistan bagpipes in a different pipe bag it probably will sound the same it just a suggestion

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Those Pakistani pipes have been sent away to a "better place" as seen in this video... kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX7WXoOHrtt1f5o

[@TheMetalDrummer24]

Hahahaha

[@azmatali5113]

Df, I need bagpipes original bagpipe I'm in Dubai, I like it very much, I can play also , I'm from Pakistan, but how I can buy the bagpipe,?

[@sinocaig]

leeandsonsbagpipes.com/product-category/pipe-bags/