Part # | Price | Purchase |
WHCHank/16A7 | $17.95 |
WhiteHorse™ Imitation Violin Bow Hair. 32" ++ Length.
Bow Application:
You should treat WhiteHorse™ bow hair pretty much like regular hair. It will comb out nicely either wet or dry. Be aware that when it has been made wet it takes a fair amount of time to fully dry enough to take up rosin. Be sure not to use too large an amount of hair. If you develop a bit of static in the hair then a small amount of water or a damp rag will assuage this. A small flame can be used from an alcohol lamp to shrink the hair but one needs to exercise caution as too much flame will scorch/wrinkle the hair. This material has a very high melting point but one still needs to exercise caution with the amount of flame applied. Utilizing hot air from a hair dryer is not a problem.
After knotting you can use a small amount of CA glue to the knot winding. Any stray hair is best to cut out with a small sharp blade rather than to pluck out as you would do with real hair.
Rosin Application:
Any good quality rosin will work. Leatherwood Bespoke has developed WhiteHorse™ rosin specifically for this imitation hair and we recommend it but your favorite rosin will likely work. You will need to scrub hard and fast on unused hair to make it stick; then after that you will rosin as normal. If too much powder, you need to wipe excess off with a dry cloth to find the right balance. Clean the strings often just as with real hair. Be cautious not to over-rosin. When the rosin gets old it can be removed with alcohol and then one is starting afresh.
We know from testing that this hair lasts much longer than real hair but because this is a new product we do not yet know how much longer. It appears from what we have seen so far that WhiteHorse™ hair life will be at least double that of real hair. Because of its longevity it is ideal for student and school bows. Because this hair is undamaged from alcohol you can remove old rosin with alcohol and then the hair is like brand new. With this newly cleaned hair you can rosin up and keep going!
About the Material Itself:
BowWorks™ has developed this successful and revolutionary imitation horse hair for violin bows—WhiteHorse™ imitation violin bow hair.
Developing WhiteHorse™ was a 2+ year project and was developed with the cooperation of the Akron University School of Polymer Science in conjunction with 3 major polymer fiber manufacturing corporations.
Utilizing an advanced polymer with a proprietary surface enhancement procedure we are able to replicate the surface texture of real horse hair in a uniform man made fiber. We have made a science of developing an imitation hair that looks and plays like real hair on string instrument bows.
WhiteHorse™ bow hair has the following advantages over real hair:
1) Not affected by temperature changes.
2) Not affected by humidity/moisture changes.
3) It is non shredding.
4) It has greater strength and durability. This hair lasts longer than real hair but we do not know how much longer because this is a new product. Ideal for student and school bows because of its longevity. When the rosin gets old it can be removed with alcohol and then one is starting afresh.
5) WhiteHorse™ hair is made of an advanced polymer that has the same harmonics in the material itself as real horse hair.
6) Combs out easily for a smooth application.
7) Uniform and consistent in quality. Unlike real hair where there are good and bad strands, you do not throw any of this away as you do with real hair.
8) No deterioration and recyclable. This material does not deteriorate so it stores for an indefinite time period. It is fully recyclable and can be placed in with your plastic recycle products.
9) This is a Vegan material.
10) Material harmonics, dynamic scales-ranges, and performance are excellent. The feel and the feel in play are that of real hair.
With WhiteHorse™ hair you can play harder and longer and yet you will see a reduction in how often you change your bow hair. You will find that our bow hair will last longer than real hair and you will have consistent playing results regardless of where you are playing on this planet. When we say this material is not affected by temperature and humidity changes we mean it—you can travel and play in any environment and not experience bow hair problems as seen with real hair or with other imitation hair.
But most importantly—you will have the performance of the highest quality horse hair without the cost or physical problems associated with real hair.
A testimonial from an experienced bow maker:
"As a workman and as a performer/teacher, my experience with Whitehorse hair has been positive. Clients appreciate its stability through wide swings in humidity, as well as its durability under intense, powerful playing. With a few small adjustments to technique, it can be installed in the same way as organic hair."
-Bill H, New York
PLASTIC BAGS: Our plastic bags are heavy bags at 3 mil thickness. They are 2.75" wide X 36" length and are clear. These are available in groups of 5 or in packages of 100.
Plastic Extra Heavy Duty Bow Bags