Brunette or Blond bow?

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bob Branstetter

What makes good white hair expensive is the hand processing that is involved and the length. Good hair perveyers sell their best white by the Kilo and in various lengths from about 28" to 36" or longer. The shorter hair is less expensive and is usually used for bass bows and less than full size bows for the other instruments. The bow rehairer normally likes to buy the bulk hair 5-6" longer than the playing length in order to be able to work with it and keep even tension. The diameter of the best white hair is very consistant and it is not bleached. The great majority of cheaper white bow hair is bleached which weakens the hair resulting in more hair breakage. Very few rehairers will admit that are using bleached hair (and most will outright deny it). However, if you get white hair on your bow and it is perfectly even color at both ends, the odds are quite high that the hair has been bleached. Good unbleached white bow hair will always be slightly more yellow at one end (somebody else can tell you why). The exception to this rule is if the rehairer uses expensive 36" or longer hair and cuts off the yellow part for a bass bow. This seldom happens!

Black hair and multicolored hair is the cheapest in bulk. The diameter of the individual hairs is very inconsistant, but one thing you can be absolutely sure of with black hair is that it has not been bleached and will be stronger than cheap, bleached white hair. I've bought black hair in bulk in the past for as little as $35 a pound, so there is a financial incentive for many rehairers to push black hair and other non-white hair for bass bows. I charge my customer who prefer black hair $5 less than I do for white hair. Many others charge the same for black or white.

I personally prefer using white hair in my bows, but I have many customers who prefer black.

Bob, thanks for the detailed history on the hair. I personally prefer high quality white hair. I have had re-hairs that lasted several years on my better Bows throught my life and never had a problem. Recently I had bought 3 old Bows that came with black hair. I loved the bows but the hair was not as smooth as good white. On chinese import bows they put that lower quality white bleached hair you mentioned, I'm sure. Recently, we have requested only Black hair as it is better and stronger than cheap white hair.