American bow maker Chris Dickson studied with Charles Espey in Port Townsend, Washington, a town dubbed the "American Mirecourt," for its concentration of bow makers living there. He is among the world's leading bow makers who is also a member of The International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative, USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of pernambuco wood. Dickson's violin, viola, and cello bows are widely admired and owned by professional string players.