HandPan History - Some of the Earliest HandPan Ever Made, and Sold

Borrowed from an interesting thread over at the Facebook group, The HandPan Community, discussing the earliest Handpan - are a small-handful of videos, of some of the very first “Hang drum alternatives” to ever be produced. 

Created in the wake of the huge demand for the PANArt Hang, which itself had been around since 2000. The first Handpan to be offered up for sale (even before the "Handpan" name had firmly stuck) were the Caisa, in 2007, the BEllArt, in 2009, and the Halo, in 2009.  

And the following three videos are a small slice of Handpan history - being some of the first among a list of newer Hang-inspired makers, that now numbers in the hundreds.  

A Very Early Caisa

The following video dated from 2007, features the Caisa maker, Bill Brown, showing off a very early Caisa, and what could quite possibly be the very first Hang-inspired creation ever made (though with that said, the Hank Drum, has also been around since 2007)...



The First BEllArt Ever Sold

According to Handpan musician, Joan Jibuk Aeolian, the following video is of the first BEllArt Handpan sold by the Spanish maker, Luis Martin Eguiguren Garrido, back in 2009...



And the First Halo Sold

While according to Handpan musician, Jeremy Arndt, this is a video of the first Halo, to ever leave Pantheon Steel's workshop, into the hands of a customer - also, in 2009...



While initially it seemed that PANArt welcomed others to reproduce their creation, making most of their research available online for all to read.  Later, it is known that many of the early makers faced legal challenges from PANArt, culminating in a legal battle between PANArt, and BEllArt.  A battle, that to our knowledge, PANArt ultimately lost - at least partially clearing the path for future makers. Though since then, PANArt have been granted patents to cover certain aspects of the Hang-making process.

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