WILL’S BOW Part 14. Hair in the bow.

With everything completed except for the winding and thumb leather, the bow is ready for its hair. The horsehair is in a bundle weighing about a pound and secured at one end with thread and a clamp. It is hung from a convenient spot and the bow’s hair is selected. Since hair is variable one must always remove a number of twisted or weak hairs until a hank of the correct amount is ready.

The hank is tied with a whipping or ligature at one end and inserted into the mortise in the frog. Then it is secured with a fitted wooden wedge and the pearl slide and ferrule are replaced. Another wooden wedge, the spread wedge, keeps the hair spread out evenly at the ferrule where it leaves the frog. The hair is dampened and combed out evenly towards the head and another ligature is tied at exactly the right length just beyond the head’s mortise. Another wooden wedge has been prepared for the head and the tied off hair is secured in the head as well. When the hair has dried the hair is wiped clean with alcohol and it is ready to rosin.