Please dont ask us for a Hang(R)  – for so many reasons:

“Hang(R)” are only manifactured at PANArt AG (Switzerland)! You will have to ask PANArt if you are searching for a Hang!

Get in touch with PANArt for a Hang(R). The Hang(R) was not produced by PANART for some years (they said they left it behind and produce other instruments) but right now they might be available most probably – for at least the “chosen ones”.  There was a moment where the price and availability was visible on PANArts website, but then again not. Anyway: it is definitley worth for you to try and ask for an original Hang (R)!

If you are finding yourself passionate about what you call a “Hang” it should definitley be your first step to meet the one and only original creators: They only ones who are actually legally allowed to use this term “Hang (R)”.

Absolutley dont go for a commercial shop-website where the term “Hang” is abused to sell actually “Handpans”! Handpans are on a first spot very similar in shape but different in endless many details.

There are many such webshops which are super disrespecting the wish of PANArt to protect the term “Hang(R)” (wich is bernese dialect for “hand”).

As most of the people in the handpan scene know, PANArt just failed to properly patent their instrument “Hang” in the early years of 2000 – but they did protect the term “Hang(R)”. Everyone who is a little bit serious with handpans knows this and would never consciously disprespect  PANArt by using their protected term! The term “Hang(R)” has been abused by so many people for about more then a decade now – and PANArt even had to install a “Hang police” at a point of time – a person (Frank Sturm) that hunts down and confronts all the companies who are misusing the term “Hang”(R).  Everyone who is fascinated by Hang or Handpan should have this in mind when using this terms! Please think of it: You maybe also wouldnt be happy if someone  copies your original content and then sells it as if it was all his idea, especially with even including your brandmarked name. And especially if it is someone, who does not share any of your values. Right?

So- if you are searching for “hangdrum” or “Buy Hang” on the internet – you will see clearly what is going on in this market – a commercial hype with adwords etc – no end in sight! Yes- even including the biggest players in the musicmarket.  Everyone who installed “Hangdrum” “Buy Hang” etc as keywords for their websites or shops has never been aware – or respectivley really just doesnt give a shit! At all.

The commercial abuse has become so big that PANArt is filing huge law-cases against commercial abuse and theft of the whole shape of the instrument – since 2020. Since then  – and  due to this and other shady reseller practices – the whole handpanculture and as well every tiniest handicraft maker – and even every researchinstitute like also PAN LAB Vienna – is under a current thread of beeing maybe sued for copyright infringement. Since there are some profound changes in recent european court descisions (about functionality) it might be soon possible for PANArt to legally destroy every handpanmaker or reseller, wo doesnt fit their expectations or sense.

So. If you deciding for a Hang (R) please be aware that you are respectfully supporting the original creators of this mindblowing lentilshaped instruments.

Dear reader- i hope you got my point: Please dont ask us at PAN LAB Vienna for “Hang (R”). We will have to (!) answer your question with a very long explanation and maybe thats not what you really wanted. We would prefer to focus here on creation, music and beauty- we are quite sure thats also what you want.

Despite all the controversy around PANArt and the Hang(R), we at the PAN LAB Vienna respect and appreciate the highly influential work of Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer and are thankful to them for sharing their creation with the world for many reasons. One of them is undoubtely that without PANArt’s pioneer work, there would have been no incentive for the work we do here at the PAN LAB. It is due to the great inspiration derived from works like the Hang(R) that we also have been enflamed by the spirit of creation and research. And without this igniting spark, our own discoveries like the PanDrum, the RingPan, the PortPan, the JodlerPan and other experiments like the diamond series would most probably never have come to mind. Therefore, we feel thankful, empowered and inspired. Tuning steel enriches our lives immensely and has become part of our very own, personal culture. On a daily basis, the tuning work opens realms and insights into ourselves beyond anything we could have imagined. Something, that only can be understood through direct experience, is revealing itself to the tuner who is willing to learn. And it is for this exact reason, that we will continue to pick up the hammer with great vigor, joy and humbleness and look forward optimistically into a future of further exciting discoveries in the world of steel tuning. There truly still is much, much more to discover – Let’s not waste any precious time – let’s get creative.

Birgit Pestal & Thomas Ender