Atelier Delaruelle, the story
In 1964, Jean-Pierre Delaruelle, 27 years old, starts his own business by acquiring a part of the the Philippe Moser's company, located in Goviller, les Vosges, about 30 km far from Mirecourt, well known town for its french luthery. The part of the workshop wich was specialised in the activity to deliver high quality metal parts and accessories for luthiers and other musical instruments makers.
For nearly 20 years, Jean-Pierre goes on with providing parts such as guitars and mandolin tailpieces , sound post setters for violins, guitars mechanics, tuning pins, tining keys, brass hitch pins and round steel balance for harpsicords, etc.
In the eighties, to meet his client needs and following the advice of one of his friends, Antoine Pappalardo, a guitar-maker looking for high quality bone nuts and saddles, Jean-Pierre starts working with materials such as bone, mother of pearl, ivory, horn and horse hair.
The surrounding area, the Pays de Thelle (with Méru the city of mother of pearl buttons, and Andeville the city of fans) was world famous for its tabletterie (fans, buttons, opera glassses, dominos, etc., since the seventeenth century, thus making it easier to acquire the very specific know-how of these ancient activities.
The company gradually focuses its main activity on providing raws made of bone, mother of pearl, bow hair horn and mammoth ivory, such as bone nuts and saddles, keytops for organs, harpsicords and piano forte keybords, bone and Mother of Peal purfling, horn veener for cabinet makers, mammoth ivory or bone handles for Thiers and Laguiole knives makers, MOP slides and dots, casein, bone, ivory mammoth tips as well as bow hair for bow makers worldwide.
In 1997, his wife, Odile Delaruelle, who always assisted him, takes over the company while he continues to help her. Jean-Pierre left us in 2008, leaving behind him the image of a joyful person devoted to his family and clients, always happy to learn and share with others.
His daughter, Marie-Pierre, after graduating from a Master in psychology cognition and ergonomy, then working 11 years at the Accor Hotels Group, now runs the company since 2005, and pursue the development of the Atelier Delaruelle, to provide by mail-order or at the exhibitions her clients, luthiers, archetiers, couteliers, marqueteurs, restaurateurs, all over the world.
