REHAIRING

Rehairing may be the most common work done on bows but it is not the easiest. Since the most delicate parts of a bow are open during rehair, both skill and care are necessary to avoid damage. It also requires a lot of experience to select the correct amount of hair and ensure that it is of even tension. There is also a wide range in hair quality and the conscientious rehairer will use only the best, which can easily cost three times as much as ordinary hair. The good rehair person is also checking over a bow to make sure no problems arise like a frog that becomes too loose or an eyelet that needs replacing. More serious problems like an enlarged screw hole can be brought to the attention of the player. That way the problem can be repaired before the bow becomes weakened.

In addition there are two basic methods of rehairing, one in which the hair is secured first in the head and the other where the hair is started in the frog. In France the hair is always started in the frog, which ensures that most of the work takes place with the frog mounted securely on the stick. When the hair is started in the head, the frog is loose and must be placed on an often ill-fitting jig to press in the wooden wedge that secures the hair. So while a competent person would no doubt do a good rehair with either method, I think the latter method is preferable, especially for a bow without a silver under-slide on the frog.

It’s rare for a bow to be damaged in general use and more damage occurs during rehair by poorly trained people. Although the frog is quite durable as long as it is securely mounted on the stick, it must of course be removed for rehairing. Then the under-slide or channel between the frog and stick is exposed as well as the knife-edged dovetail where the pearl slide fits. These edges are sharp and delicate, especially when there is no silver underslide. They are easily chipped of damaged. This makes the selection of a really competent and conscientious bow rehairer of importance. Too often in even well known shops the bow-person is under a lot of pressure and must work at top speed. It’s a very good idea to know the person rehairing your bow and their credentials. Every player is the guardian of their bow for it can be of use for generations of musicians.

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.