Handpan Ember Steel

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The Ember Steel handpan delivers a warm, rounded sound with an almost ceramic quality and notes that sustain beautifully while remaining controlled. This premium stainless steel was selected and crafted specifically for handpans, offering a sensitive, responsive feel even when played very softly. You can slow down, let each note sing, and lose yourself in moments of meditation or relaxation. Instruments du Monde recommends this type of instrument if you prefer a slow, melodic playing style.

Hang mandala

Handpan Mandala

10 notes D Kurd 432 / 440 Hz

A$2,699
10-note D minor handpan

10-Note D Minor Handpan

10 notes D Kurd 432 / 440 Hz

A$2,499

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What is Ember Steel, the steel used in these handpans?

A man sitting in the street with an Ember Steel Hang drum

It is a stainless steel with its own distinct composition, differing from traditional stainless steels such as AISI 430 in both its chemical composition and physical properties. It should therefore not be viewed as a third family of materials alongside stainless steel and nitrided steel. The very first instruments of this type were made from nitrided steel. Instrument makers later turned to stainless steel to achieve greater sustain—that is, a longer resonance for each note—while better protecting the metal against corrosion. In recent years, Ember Steel has begun to establish itself.

In the summer of 2020, a Dutch workshop discovered this steel after more than six years of working with nitrided steel and testing numerous materials. These included a carbon steel that was ultimately abandoned because it was too difficult to form and prone to rust. At the time, the instrument makers wanted to combine the following qualities:

  • Long but, above all, controlled sustain
  • Notes that remain distinct from one another, with minimal unwanted resonance
  • A sensitive, responsive feel with good rebound
  • A wide dynamic range that is soft when played gently and full when struck harder
  • A round, full, almost ceramic-like sound with little metallic character

Once formed, the shell is heated in a kiln to between 550 and 650°C to stabilise and harden it. It emerges glowing hot. A patina then forms on its surface, and its colour varies with the temperature: from gold to ember red, then dark purple, and finally blue. The resulting colour therefore depends on the heat treatment, and the patina tends to change over time.

Is an Ember Steel handpan a good choice for a first purchase?

An Ember Steel handpan can be a good choice for a first purchase. Beginners who try this instrument often find it easier to produce clear notes than with a nitrided or stainless steel handpan. The sensitive, responsive feel of this steel produces a clear response even to a light strike. However, some players find its sustain too long, with too many notes resonating at once.

In that case, muting a note with your hand restores clarity, although this technique can be fairly difficult for a beginner to master. If you are ready to get started, the instruments in this collection are currently available with 10 notes.

A percussionist playing an Ember Steel handpan

An Ember Steel handpan delivers a warm, round tone that is less wild than classic stainless steel and more ceramic-like than AISI 430. We like to describe its sound as warm, deep, and dreamy.

As for note duration, this steel's long, controlled sustain is at least comparable to that of AISI 430 stainless steel while being more balanced. With a nitrided handpan, players sometimes speed up without realising it to fill the silences. With an Ember Steel handpan, however, you can slow down, let your notes ring out, and play at different tempos. This is why the material is sought after for meditative playing, relaxation, yoga, and sound baths.

If your playing style is slow, melodic, or meditative, we recommend choosing Ember Steel. This type of playing allows you to get the most out of its controlled sustain and responsive feel.

Compared with nitrided steel, it produces longer notes while offering significantly better protection against rust. Compared with classic stainless steel, it stands out for its rounder, less wild sound. Very fast, percussive playing is a different matter, however, as the result depends primarily on the instrument itself.

To care for an Ember Steel handpan, simply wipe it with a microfibre cloth before and after each playing session. This steel is significantly more resistant to rust than nitrided steel, although it is not completely immune. The surface oxidation that affects AISI 430 stainless steel almost every time appears in only about 20% of Ember Steel batches. Stains or even a little rust are still possible, especially when the instrument is exposed to moisture, sweat from your hands, or salty air. It requires much less maintenance than a nitrided handpan, which must be oiled regularly. However, occasionally applying a special handpan oil or wax creates a thin protective layer against moisture and dirt. Avoid using any harsh cleaning products. Finally, the patina of this steel, created through annealing, is more scratch-resistant than that of annealed AISI 430 stainless steel and may lighten in places without affecting the sound in any way.

The price of an Ember Steel handpan primarily depends on the time and precision required to work with this steel, which demands greater effort from artisans. Shaping, annealing at a higher temperature, and tuning all take more time. Indeed, tuning stainless steel requires far more care than tuning nitrided steel because everything depends on the balance of tension: low tension within the note itself and most of the tension around its rim. Finally, this material remains rarer because not every workshop produces it.

Yes, a properly crafted and carefully tuned Ember Steel handpan holds its tuning very well. This steel produces highly stable notes as long as the tension around each one is balanced. It is easier to stabilise than AISI 430 stainless steel, does not go out of tune easily, and stays in tune even when struck harder. However, it is important to keep in mind that the instrument's construction, note size, and care, for example carrying it in a handpan case, also affect tuning stability. When placing your order, you can choose between 440 Hz and 432 Hz tuning for every handpan in this collection.

The name refers to the glowing embers of a fire. The first musicians to play this steel were struck by the warmth of its sound, while its annealing colours—from gold and orange-red to purple—reminded them of campfire embers. The name therefore evokes both the colour of the shell and the warm character of its notes.