Written by Ambre Montespan - Updated on Aug 17, 2026
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Are you looking for a handpan? Do you live in New Zealand and wonder whether any professionals make this instrument in the country? Where are they located on the island?
Having played the handpan for over 10 years, I’ve always been interested in the people who craft these fabulous instruments. As a result, I’ve done extensive research to determine whether any New Zealand artisans hammer metal by hand to create this extraordinary sound instrument.
Although New Zealand has a relatively active handpan scene, it turns out that there are no professionals in the country who build handpans entirely from scratch.
So, as you read this article, you’ll discover:
- Why New Zealand has no handpan makers
- What alternatives are available to you for buying a high-quality instrument
This way, you’ll have all the information you need to choose your future handpan as wisely as possible, even if it isn’t made in New Zealand.
Now, let’s take a look at why New Zealand currently has no handpan manufacturers.
Why does New Zealand (still) have no handpan manufacturers?
Unfortunately, it turns out that there are currently no handpan manufacturers in New Zealand. But what could explain such a gap in the country? It’s not a lack of talented players, since you can find a few, such as Taylor Sol, Matt Reeves, and Gareth Killip. Nor is it the community, which comes together every year at the Kiwi Pan Festival in Auckland.
No, the answer lies first and foremost in the numbers. The country has a population of just over 5.3 million, and the local handpan community numbers, at best, a few hundred players. To open a handpan-making workshop, you need to buy at least a press and a heat-treatment furnace, then spend several months or years learning how to work metal. This isn’t a project you can launch on a whim; it requires real market research. And New Zealand simply doesn’t have enough players for a motivated maker to capture this market.
Then there’s the issue of materials. No handpan shells come out of New Zealand factories, unlike in Europe, where several professionals offer pre-formed shells. This means an artisan would have to start from a sheet of nitrided or stainless steel, which is longer and more complicated. In fact, most artisans now work with pre-formed metal hemispheres that they order directly. This adds yet another obstacle.
Finally, New Zealand has a natural competitor in its neighbor, Australia. Located just a few hours away by plane, Australia is home to several handpan manufacturers, which naturally creates competition and prevents the growth of handpan makers in New Zealand.
Easily Get a High-Quality Handpan
New Zealand plays the handpan without making it, and that mismatch is anything but trivial: it reflects the constraints of an island nation where everything arrives by ship or by plane. The few paragraphs in this article should therefore have answered your questions about New Zealand-based Hang drum makers.
However, if you’d like to treat yourself to a handpan while living in New Zealand, it’s best to turn to a trusted international seller. That’s why I recommend the online store Instruments du Monde, which has been selling dozens of handpans with impeccable acoustics since 2021. Import fees are fully handled by the store, and there are no hidden charges. For example, the fusion handpan is ideal for skillfully blending several musical styles.
Discover this excellent handpan by clicking the link below:
Now that you’ve taken these tips into account, do you know the difference between a Hang drum and a handpan? I invite you to find out in this interesting article exploring the historical roots of this sound instrument.
