Thanks Alison I like the brush and leather tip ideas ,mever thought of that! I agree about the bump in the middle it would help.

I have some others made of various woods (don't ask me my woodcarver mate knows)[to me they are all bean, been a tree:-)] and of various weights for different sounds.

BTW he aso makes great wooden "bones" out of some very hard timber.

Tipper? to me they have aways been baters, but then again I am not Irish.

Regards Ted