Is the Handpan really in danger? And who is this HCU anyway?
| updated 20.11.2025 due to PANArt’s public statement | last update 05.12.2025 | Currently, there are increasing reports on social media that the Handpan is […]
History
An international group of Handpan Builders and Merchants (HCU) vs. PANArt – a chronological sequence of events since fall 2020 – Part 1
First published August 23, 2023 – Revised November 13, 2025 nearly all of this content/listing comes from “PAN LAB Vienna“ (with kind permission published here […]
An international group of Handpan Builders and Merchants (HCU) vs. PANArt – a chronological sequence of events – Part 2
last update: 20.11.2025 Some time has passed since the publication of the first part of this summary (https://paniverse.org/panart-vs-hcu-chronological-en/) of events surrounding the legal dispute between […]
PANArt publishes the entire judgment for the Hang after the Bernese High Court grants the property right
Just over a week after the announcement of the judgment in the “HCU v. PANArt” case, in which the Hang was awarded a clear and […]
The HANG IS A WORK OF APPLIED ART – the Bern High Court has ruled in favor of PANArt
On July 2, 2024, the Bernese High Court handed down the long-awaited decision in the proceedings of the HCU (actually 25 Handpan dealers and manufacturers […]
History, development and worldwide spread of the Hang/Handpan – an ethnomusicology dissertation by Ahkok Chun-Kwok Wong
(upadated: 29.05.2024) As someone who is very interested in the history of the Hang and Handpan, in the history of their origin as well as […]
The early sounds & videos of HANG & HANDPANS
From the first videos from 2006 (that i found) to the big Handpan boom that started around 2017/2018, I have tried to put together a […]
HANDPAN TIMELINE – a crowedsourced Project to make the HISTORY OF HANDPANS transparent
“If you don’t know history, it’s as if you were born yesterday. If you were born yesterday then any one can tell you anything.” The HANDPAN […]
Court hearing in Bern: PANArt – “We have created something that looks like it sounds, and sounds like it looks”
The two days in court last week in Bern were very exciting. Personally. Finally, (almost) all characters and protagonists of ‘this story’ have got faces, […]
Tongue Drums – a modern musical instrument and an interesting open source story
updated: 15.04.2023 Looking at the history of TANK DRUMS and TONGUE DRUMS (category for both: Idiophones), it is noticeable that this history is a nice […]
Handpans – a ‘magic thing’ conquers the world. Or just the market after all ?
I can still remember very well how life felt at the main spots of the 80s hippie trail. Kathmandu, Goa, Kho Samui – we always […]
Handpans – from a soulful work of art to a profit-oriented mass product in record time ???
At the end of 2015 the “Handpan Virus” had caught me with full force. Fascinated by this instrument and its sounds, my exciting, inspiring and […]
PANArt vs. HCU ? Hang® vs. Handpan ? Craftsmanship vs. Mass products ? Art against Commerce ?
For more than 15 years now, there has been a dispute. It is about recognition, about “who was the first”, who copied. It is about […]
HANG, HANGDRUM, HANDPAN – Mind your vocabulary & pay attention to the terms you use !
Language has an amazing influence on thinking: others can manipulate us subtly through words, and our mother tongue even affects how we see the world […]
PANart vs. HCU – when statements leaves you with more questions than answers…
The topic of PANart vs. HCU has become pretty quiet – at least in public … Publications on the topic are more than rare because […]
International HANDPAN DAY – 13th October
Happy Handpan Day! On the 13th of October 2019, we invite you to celebrate the 1st International Handpan Day and this beautiful instrument that keeps […]
Handpans become better known – the frauds also …
<< The only constant in life is change >> This famous quote by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus is confirmed everywhere. Also the Handpan world is […]
R.I.P Elliot „Ellie“ Mannette (1926-2018)
R.I.P Elliot „Ellie“ Mannette (1926-2018) By sharing your love for Steelpans and your knowledge about singing steel and tuning, you have bestowed us with a […]
PANART´s HANG Gede – stepping back to basics
Since i have published some days ago the “rewritten article” about the history of PANTAM’s / HANDPAN’s and also the HANG, some people think, that […]