Building a Legacy of Quality: Our Bow Hair Journey to China

 

Emily and I've spent decades perfecting the art of sourcing the highest-quality bow hair for musicians around the world. One of the key moments in this journey took place in 2004 when my wife Emily and I traveled to Anping, China, to meet with a bow hair supplier. It was an eye-opening experience that not only helped us establish a strong relationship with a reputable workshop but also shaped the foundation for our business.

The Search for Excellence: Our First Visit to Anping

Upon arriving in Anping, we were taken on a tour of the workshop where the hair was processed. I still remember the meticulousness of the workers as they straightened the hair using hackles, carefully drawing and sorting out any damaged strands. The hair was then bundled and packaged, ready to be shipped to a customer in London. Each step in the process was done with precision and care, which gave me the confidence to negotiate a fair price for our first order. We sat in a small, cold office drinking hot water, a customary Chinese tradition, while the terms were settled.

This trip solidified our commitment to providing only the best-quality bow hair, and it marked the beginning of what would become a longstanding partnership with our supplier.

Expanding the Scope: The Return in 2005

We returned to Anping in 2005, this time expanding our focus beyond bow hair. The demand for high-quality horse tail hair for push brooms, brushes, and furniture had grown, and we were there to negotiate prices for these products as well. This broadened our expertise in the industry and allowed us to offer a diverse range of products, ensuring that we could meet the needs of various customers across different sectors.

Since then, we've been steadily importing small quantities—around 10 kilos at a time—of both bow hair and other horse hair products. Our commitment to quality has remained unwavering, and we've continued to source the best hair for our clients.

The Impact of the Pandemic and the Changing Industry

Like many industries, ours was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, we had to pause all orders due to global disruptions. After four long years, we're excited to announce that we are starting back up again. However, the landscape has changed significantly, especially in terms of pricing.

Several factors have contributed to the steep rise in prices. One of the primary reasons is the decreasing number of animals, which has resulted in a shortage of high-quality hair. Another issue is the lack of proper training within the Chinese hair-processing industry, leading to inconsistencies in quality control. Lastly, the tariffs on animal products from China have increased, further driving up costs.

Despite these challenges, we continue to provide the finest bow hair in the industry. We pride ourselves on our careful selection process, ensuring that only the best quality hair reaches our customers.

Bow Hair Products Available for Purchase

We offer a variety of bow hair products, each one carefully wrapped in butcher paper and measured at 83cm. Whether you're a professional player or a student, we have the right bow hair to suit your needs.

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  Unbleached Natural White, Double Drawn, Visually Sorted
  Our Best Product. This is the finest bow hair we offer, perfect for professionals seeking impeccable performance.

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  Unbleached Natural, Double Drawn, Visually Sorted
  Ideal for student bows, offering reliability and quality at an affordable price.

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  Unbleached Coarse, Double Drawn, Visually Sorted
  A great option for fiddlers, providing the strength and resilience needed for traditional playing styles.

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  Black Coarse
  Specifically designed for bass and Baroque bows, offering durability and aesthetic appeal.

For pricing inquiries, please email us at [your email].

At Sweet Music USA, our dedication to quality has not wavered, despite the changes in the global market. We continue to source the best materials so that you can perform at your best.

Following the Source of Horse Tail Hair for Making Bows: A Journey Through China’s Horsehair Industry

For over two decades, I've been on a mission to source the finest horse tail hair for making bows. My journey began in the late 1990s, navigating suppliers from Canada, Argentina, and Siberia. Back then, Siberian suppliers operated through an agent in England named Michael T. Sowden. However, by 1998, the Canadian tail hair supply started drying up, and the quality from Argentina began to deteriorate, pushing me to seek new sources.

In 1999, I heard from a fellow member of the Violin Society of America about bow hair being sourced from China. It was the first time I'd considered China as a potential supplier, and curiosity drove me to investigate. After some digging and a helpful interpreter, I tracked down an auction house in China where horse tails were being traded. What I found was both surprising and enlightening—some tails came from Argentina, while others were from slaughterhouses on the border between northeast China and Mongolia.

Determined to see the process firsthand, I embarked on my first trip to China in August 1999. Harbin, a city in the northeastern part of the country, was my destination. Navigating this vast and unfamiliar territory without knowing the language was an adventure in itself. I flew to Seoul, then changed planes to Shenyang, and from there, took a train to Harbin. The journey was harrowing for a solo traveler, but I encountered many kind-hearted people along the way who were intrigued by my quest.

Upon reaching the slaughterhouse, I was given a tour—a disturbing experience that still haunts me. The animals, mainly from Mongolia and Siberia, were transported by train to the slaughterhouse, where they were separated based on the length of their tails. The longest tails were kept aside, while the rest were processed. The tails, still attached to the bone, were rinsed in cold water and left to dry in the courtyard before being packed into burlap bags and loaded onto pallets. Each bag was tagged with details in Chinese, including the source of the tails, color, length, and other specifications.

I accompanied the tail hair shipment on a freight train back to Shenyang, eager to follow the entire process. My next stop was Anping, the final destination of the tails, where I arranged to meet a bow hair supplier. My contact, a gentleman with a deep understanding of the Chinese music industry, proved invaluable. He began his career selling pianos but eventually transitioned into the violin and bow business. Despite his limited English, he was warm, welcoming, and eager to assist.

The workshop in Anping was fascinating. The courtyard was adorned with murals of wild horses, and small orange delivery trucks lined one side. Inside the main building, I was introduced to the manager, a young man in his 30s. We discussed quantities, quality, and pricing, but I was most interested in understanding their process for ensuring top-quality hair.

The manager showed me the entire process, from washing the tails in a mild detergent to drying them in a low building with pallets on the floor. In the workshop, I observed skilled workers meticulously tying off bundles of black tail hair destined for a brush factory in England. Other workers combed through the hair using large metal upright combs known as "hackles," carefully separating and straightening the strands.

One scene, in particular, left a lasting impression. A middle-aged woman, wearing an apron, was expertly sorting hair by hand, a process she repeated three times to eliminate any short or inferior strands. This rigorous quality control ensured that only the finest hair made it through to the final stages.

In the final inspection room, women sat at tables in a well-lit area, scrutinizing each strand of hair for any imperfections. Bent, twisted, discolored, or otherwise flawed hairs were discarded, with the lower-quality hair repurposed for furniture cushions, including some sold to automotive manufacturers like Honda and Mercedes for seat cushions.

After the tour, the manager invited my contact and me to dinner at his home—a humble dwelling with a tin roof and adobe walls. The evening was spent in traditional Chinese fashion, with multiple toasts and rounds of beer in small glasses. The camaraderie was palpable, despite the language barrier.

Reflecting on this journey, I am struck by the dedication and craftsmanship involved in producing high-quality horse tail hair for bows. The experience opened my eyes to the global nature of the supply chain and the incredible effort that goes into every bundle of hair. Today, sourcing from China remains a key part of my business, and I continue to value the relationships I built during that pivotal trip.

Pictures:

unbleached white tail hair wrapped in paper

those metal combs are called "hackles" they straighten the hair

These men are tying up black hair, probably for furniture

This lady is drawing the hair.  She does this twice per bundle.  It's called "Double Drawn"

Before drawing

After drawing

Before sorting

Hair bundles arrive from auction

Unbleached hair drying

Wash basins

Visually sorting each hair

Preparing a bundle for tying

Bow Hair

Bow Hair For Sale - Articles

Adam Sweet carefully selects the purest color and highest quality horsehair to create superior violin bows. Each strand of Mongolian horsetail hair is meticulously sorted for even thickness and length, ensuring maximum strength and a natural creamy white color.

Our horsetail hair is 100% natural and specifically designed for use in children’s violins, violins, violas, and cellos. With each bowstring requiring approximately 180-220 hairs and weighing approximately 7 grams, we guarantee a high-quality, long-lasting, and uniform product.

Pure white is the optimal color for horsetail hair, as other colors are not commonly used and do not provide the same quality as pure white. The horsehair used for our bows is smooth and expertly picked over six times to ensure the most perfect horsetail hair is used in our products.

It is important to note that the use of horsetail hair from the horse mane is not suitable for bowstring production, as it possesses poor quality and shorter length.

Our natural white horsetail hair is of the highest quality and boasts superior strength, excellent stretch, and recovery rate, providing the best possible sound quality for a variety of violins. For customers interested in a more affordable option, we also provide bleached white horsetail hair, made by bleaching high-quality black or other color horsetail hair to create a white appearance. Although the appearance is the same as natural white, the quality is not as high and is used primarily for low-cost options.

• For information on pricing, please contact us

AVAILABLE BOW HAIR BY COLOR:

Adam Sweet offers three main types of horsehair colors: natural, bleached, and dyed. You can learn more about each type on our website and choose the one that best suits your specific needs. We pride ourselves on our rich experience and professional technology in horsehair color processing, ensuring that each product we offer is of the highest quality.

Natural Color 

Pure natural horsehair is the most suitable for a violin bow, viola bow, and cello bow. Its high strength and thickness make it strong and durable, and its sound quality is excellent. Common natural color horsetails include white, black, brown, gold, and mixed colors.

Bleached Color

Bleached white horsehair is a color that is achieved by bleaching other natural horsehair. Although it appears slightly darker than natural white, its strength and sound quality are not as good as natural horsehair. However, its advantage is a lower cost, and it is only available in white.

Natural Dyed Hair

For those interested in more colors of horsehair, we also offer dyeing options. By using dyes to dye natural horsehair, we retain its natural properties while creating more interesting and bright colors. Our dyeing options support colors such as green, red, blue, yellow, purple, or orange, as well as mixed colors. Dyed horsehair is usually used in the production of various crafts and decorations and can also make the violin bow more personalized.

Bow Hair

Bow Hair For Sale - Articles

Adam Sweet carefully selects the purest color and highest quality horsehair to create superior violin bows. Each strand of Mongolian horsetail hair is meticulously sorted for even thickness and length, ensuring maximum strength and a natural creamy white color.

Our horsetail hair is 100% natural and specifically designed for use in children’s violins, violins, violas, and cellos. With each bowstring requiring approximately 180-220 hairs and weighing approximately 7 grams, we guarantee a high-quality, long-lasting, and uniform product.

Pure white is the optimal color for horsetail hair, as other colors are not commonly used and do not provide the same quality as pure white. The horsehair used for our bows is smooth and expertly picked over six times to ensure the most perfect horsetail hair is used in our products.

It is important to note that the use of horsetail hair from the horse mane is not suitable for bowstring production, as it possesses poor quality and shorter length.

Our natural white horsetail hair is of the highest quality and boasts superior strength, excellent stretch, and recovery rate, providing the best possible sound quality for a variety of violins. For customers interested in a more affordable option, we also provide bleached white horsetail hair, made by bleaching high-quality black or other color horsetail hair to create a white appearance. Although the appearance is the same as natural white, the quality is not as high and is used primarily for low-cost options.

• For information on pricing, please contact us

AVAILABLE BOW HAIR BY COLOR:

Adam Sweet offers three main types of horsehair colors: natural, bleached, and dyed. You can learn more about each type on our website and choose the one that best suits your specific needs. We pride ourselves on our rich experience and professional technology in horsehair color processing, ensuring that each product we offer is of the highest quality.

Natural Color 

Pure natural horsehair is the most suitable for a violin bow, viola bow, and cello bow. Its high strength and thickness make it strong and durable, and its sound quality is excellent. Common natural color horsetails include white, black, brown, gold, and mixed colors.

Bleached Color

Bleached white horsehair is a color that is achieved by bleaching other natural horsehair. Although it appears slightly darker than natural white, its strength and sound quality are not as good as natural horsehair. However, its advantage is a lower cost, and it is only available in white.

Natural Dyed Hair

For those interested in more colors of horsehair, we also offer dyeing options. By using dyes to dye natural horsehair, we retain its natural properties while creating more interesting and bright colors. Our dyeing options support colors such as green, red, blue, yellow, purple, or orange, as well as mixed colors. Dyed horsehair is usually used in the production of various crafts and decorations and can also make the violin bow more personalized.

Products For Sale

I import high quality bow hair, bows, accessories and tools for bow makers.  I've listed some of the products in a free Wix site here.  Everything is available for pickup at my Granby location (CDC Covid19 rules applied).  Sorry, shipping is not available at this time.

Read about my trip to China sourcing horse tail hair!  It was an amazing trip.

Read about how horse tail hair is processed for bows

In addition to bow hair and supplies for bow makers, I carry some unfinished instruments and a few other things.  I update it as new things come in.

Products For Sale

I import high quality bow hair, bows, accessories and tools for bow makers.  I've listed some of the products in a free Wix site here.  Everything is available for pickup at my Granby location (CDC Covid19 rules applied).  Sorry, shipping is not available at this time.

Read about my trip to China sourcing horse tail hair!  It was an amazing trip.

Read about how horse tail hair is processed for bows

In addition to bow hair and supplies for bow makers, I carry some unfinished instruments and a few other things.  I update it as new things come in.

Following the Source of Horse Tail Hair for Making Bows

I've been sourcing horse tail hair for bows since the late 1990s.  I bought it from suppliers in Canada, Argentina and Siberia.  The Siberian suppliers sold through an agent in England named Michael T. Sowden.  In 1998, the Canadian tail hair supply started to dry up and the quality of the Argentinian hair became worse and worse.  I realized I needed to find a new source of tail hair.  In 1999, I heard from a member of the Violin Society of America that his bow hair supplier bought hair from China.  This was the first I'd heard about China being a source.  I decided to check it out for myself.  I tracked down one of the companies through my contact, through an interpreter found the auction house where he bid on lots of tails.  From them, I discovered where the tails originated from.  Some were ironically from Argentina, others were from slaughterhouses on the border between northeast China and Mongolia.  I got the name of one of the largest organizations and tracked down their address.  My first trip to China was to Harbin in August of 1999.  I'd never been to China and didn't speak the language...it was quite an adventure just getting there.  I got a ticket via Korean Air to Seoul, changed planes and flew to Shenyang, China.  From there, I took a train northeast to Harbin.  For a white guy traveling alone, it was a harrowing experience, but I found people along the way who were very helpful once they found out what I was doing.

I got to the slaughterhouse and was given a tour.  This was before digital pictures and unfortunately my camera did not survive the journey, but it's probably good.  The experience was horrific and I do not want to repeat it here.  I still have nightmares.  Suffice it to say the animals come from farms in Mongolia and Siberia.  They come across the border by train to the slaughterhouse, where they are unloaded and left in holding stalls until they can be processed.  The animals with the longest tails are separated from those with shorter tails.  After the animals are processed, the tails are separated from the bodies, but the hair is still attached to the bone of the tail.  They are rinsed with cold water and left to dry out on the courtyard of the slaughterhouse.  When dry, they are stuffed into huge burlap bags and loaded onto pallets.  Each bag is marked with a tag indicating (in Chinese) the source of the tails, the color, length and a few other things.

The bags are loaded onto freight trains.  I was able to take the same train as the tails back to Shenyang.  I found out where the tails were going (to Anping), and got the address of the auction house.  I bought a plane ticket after a night in a hotel to the closest airport and arranged to be picked up at the airport and driven there.  My source was a gentleman with a lot of music experience in China.  He started out as a young man selling pianos, but eventually got into the violin and bow business.  He spoke broken English but was very friendly and helpful.  He drove me to the bow hair supplier there and put me up in a local hotel.  I'll include pictures (below) of the experience in Anping.

The courtyard of the workshop was interesting.  It was flagged with small round stones.  The buildings on each side had beautiful murals of wild horses.  There were two orange three-wheeled delivery trucks parked to one side.  I was led into the main building where we sat on benches around a table.  I was given a cup of hot water.  My contact and I chatted with the manager, a young man in his 30s.  He of course was interested in the quantity of tail hair I would be purchasing.  I was confident of the amount, but wanted to learn of the quality of his hair.

The Manager took me out to the courtyard, to a grey concrete basin on one said.  He explained that they wash the tails with a mild detergent here. 

Then we went into a low building with cardboard-covered pallets on the floor.  The tails are dried here, turning them often. 

We then went into a workshop.  Inside was a flurry of activity.  On the right were two men working with bundles of black tail hair.  They were tying off the hair with white string and boxing it up for shipment.  I was told this hair was going to a brush factory in England. 

On the left in back were two men working with hand-fulls of hair.  They would throw these bunches over large metal upright combs I later learned were called "hackles".  The combs would straighten the hair.  They set the straightened hair to one side in back of them. 

A middle aged woman wearing an apron was strapping slats around bunches of hair, making what appeared to be a barrel.  She put the barrel between her knees. She then took a butter knife in her right hand and pulled several strands of hair out of the barrel and placed it in her left hand.  She did this swiftly and repeatedly until she had a fistful of hair.  She then tied a piece of string around it and laid it down to her side.  Once she was done, she barreled up the "drawn" hair a second time, and pulled it through.  She did this one more time with the hair.  The manager told me that this process eliminated short hairs and a lot of bad hair. 

After doing this a total of 3 times, she went on to the next batch while another man took the drawn hair and brought it to another building where women were sitting at tables.  This room had a lot of light.  The women each had a bundle of hair on a white piece of butcher paper on the table in front.  They were going through the bundle strand by strand and inspecting each hair!  Amazing I thought.  Any hair that was bent, twisted, discolored, curled, tapered or not right would be set aside.  The poor quality hair would be used in furniture (mattresses, cushions. I was told they sold some to Honda and Mercedes for seat cushions).  Each bundle would be looked over by at least two of the women.  When they were deemed of good quality, they were placed in a tray and taken to a final setting where a man would make sure the ends were even and tie them up for packaging.  It was a lengthy process, but these people were very skilled.

After the visit to the workshop and tour of the facility, we went back to the Manager's office, where I talked about quantities, quality and pricing.  I said I would place an order when I got back to the US.  The Manager invited my contact and I out to dinner at his house that night.  After a rest at the hotel, I was picked up by some dour looking men in the lobby and driven to the Manager's house.  He lived in a sad looking building that looked like a shack.  It had a tin roof and adobe walls.  I had to duck my head when I went in.  We were met by the Manager's young wife.  She was very pretty.  She invited us in and took our coats.  Dinner was in a side room near a kitchen.  There was a big round dais in the middle of the table, and everybody was drinking beer from little glasses.  Each course was toasted with words by one of the men.  There were no women present.  "Gumbeh!"

More Pictures: