Examples of very competent violinists that hold the bow with the thumb on the leather?

November 1, 2025, 4:04 PM · No, but I have heard of the leather referred to as the thumb leather, but I like many other people were taught the Franco Belgian way of putting the thumb in the space between the leather and the frog. I have tried putting my thumb on the leather a few times and I don't hate it.

Edited: November 1, 2025, 4:23 PM · Rob, you're right about the thumb being deliberately stuck BETWEEN the frog and the thumb leather being the "dumb" way, regardless of whatever fancy name (like Franco-Belgian hold) is tacked on. ;-)

(Edit): Since the word "dumb" has now been edited out of the original post, some of my response it no longer applicable. But I am still not a fan of assigning fancy names to things to try to give them higher status.

November 1, 2025, 4:45 PM · Greetings,
I have never heard that putting the thumb in thta place is Franco Belgian. It is taught a lot including some of the bets teachers around. But , thumb on the leather is also taught and used by equally significant players and teachers. (Drew Lecher is one) I put the thumb in the notch from the beginning because that is what I was taught and never questionned it. As I began to notice more and more greta players not doing that I moved it to the leather. I personally belive this allows for greater mobility of the thumb, a more relaxed bow hand . That is, I consioder it superior and always teach that way.
Cheersd,

Buri

November 1, 2025, 5:31 PM · I also put my thumb in the notch for more years than I care to count. Then I tried a new bow by Matt Wehling— his Tourte model— and I noticed that it wasn’t perfectly balanced that way. When I choked up a bit less than 1cm, it felt and sounded better. So more recently I have held different bows on the leather and have no complaints about the results.

Edited: November 1, 2025, 6:56 PM · To be quite honest I was a thumb-in-the-notch guy, too, until a prior thread dealing with the same question appeared a few years ago (April 2021). In that thread, too, David Burgess suggested that the purpose of the leather is to bear the thumb, and he suggested I try it, which I did. Initially (a day) it was no-go. But after a longer adjustment period, I found that I preferred thumb-on-leather for the same reasons that Buri indicated above -- I had less tension in my bow hand. I was going to send email to David an email thanking him for his suggestion, but I was not able to find his email address. So I'm happy that this thread gives me a renewed opportunity.

November 1, 2025, 8:25 PM · I also made the jump from notch to leather and I think it's a totally superior hold.

November 1, 2025, 10:04 PM · Myself

The leather is literally there for your thumb. I don't know why students are trained not to use it.

November 1, 2025, 10:20 PM · You forgot to say like. It's literally, like, there for your thumb.

November 1, 2025, 10:43 PM · The leather is there for your thumb, or at least that was the ideia. The problem is that it gets away from the frog as you tighten the bow, it inevitably creates a gap that shouldn't be there. Especially in humid climates, as you need to tighten the bow even more. If you want to actually use he leather, you need to ask your luthier to put it as close as possible to the frog.
As a kid I was taught to use the notch, but recently I've slightly evolved to the leather, as the tip of my nail touches the leather while most of my skin is on the notch.