Wayward, I've played both flute and violin. Badly I'm afraid. I have a wonderful antique violin that has amazing dark tone that is sitting unplayed because I finally got tired of inflicting my practice sessions on my family and the neighbors! Good antique bows can be high-dollar items especially. Every one has a unique personality and the strength and flex is as unique to each bow as it was to the tree it came from. There's quite a science to it all. I have a neat old bow with a shell frog, also sitting and waiting for me to pick it up again! The most interesting piece is my violin case. It's an old coffin case that when I replaced the liner I found writing in the bottom of it- the names of a family of children who once owned it in the 1800's and a note from the guy who restored the case with an old style phone number. I tracked him down and had a nice conversation with his widow, who had no idea her husband had left a "message in a bottle" in the bottom of the case.
OK I'd better not hijack this topic and get back to the subject of the wonderful old flute! :-)