In 1967 our grandfather, Hendrik Brink, opened his first workshop in a backyard shed in Kleinmond, working with tools he had partly forged himself. His son Pieter took over the bench in the 1990s, and today his granddaughter Anneke runs the workshop, serving musicians, students and orchestras from Hermanus and Betty's Bay to Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Somerset West.
Most modern workshops optimise for turnover. We optimise for longevity.
That means we take time to analyse the wood. We use hide glue instead of industrial adhesives. We test every stage of a repair acoustically.
Not because it looks more traditional, but because it will still hold in 20 years' time.
Every repair must be reversible. Future generations should not have to put right our mistakes.
Wood moves. Glue ages. Varnish reacts to humidity. Ignore that and you are only repairing the surface.
A crack repair that looks perfect can still kill the tone. That is why we test every instrument before and after the work.
Climate-controlled – essential this close to the sea. Low in dust. With workbenches that have stood at the same height since 1974, because proven ways of working shouldn't change.
We don't do quick fixes here. We build confidence for the next 50 years.