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Narrator: THE TYPE OF BOW USED TODAY
FOR INSTRUMENTS IN THE VIOLIN FAMILY
ORIGINATED IN FRANCE IN THE 1800s.
THE MASTER BOW MAKERS OF THE DAY USED PERNAMBUCO,
A WOOD BEING IMPORTED FROM BRAZIL TO MAKE TEXTILE DYE.
THEY CONSIDERED THIS WOOD IDEAL
DUE TO ITS STRENGTH, DURABILITY, AND BEAUTY.
[ PLAYS CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS ]
TODAY, JUST LIKE HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO,
QUALITY BOWS ARE MADE OF PERNAMBUCO WOOD FROM BRAZIL
AND HORSE HAIR.
TO MAKE THE WOODEN PART, CALLED THE STICK,
THE BOW MAKER LAYS A TEMPLATE
ONTO A .4 TO .5-INCH-THICK BLOCK OF PERNAMBUCO
AND MARKS WHERE HE'LL MAKE HIS CUTS.
HE FOLLOWS HIS MARKINGS WITH A BAND SAW,
CUTTING OUT THE STICK'S BASIC SHAPE.
THEN HE PLANES THE STICK, THINNING IT OUT,
TAPERING IT TO NARROW TOWARD THE FRONT,
AND ANGLING THE CORNERS
TO MAKE THE SQUARE CONTOUR OCTAGONAL.
NEXT, HE REPEATEDLY HEATS THE STICK WITH A GAS FLAME
TO SOFTEN IT
AND GENTLY BENDS IT AGAINST HIS KNEE.
THEN, AFTERWARD, AGAINST A WOODEN FORM
TO GIVE THE STICK A VERY PRECISE CURVE.
THIS IS REFERRED TO AS THE CAMBER OF THE BOW.
NEXT, USING A HANDSAW AND TEMPLATE,
HE CUTS OUT A PIECE OF PERNAMBUCO
FOR THE BOW'S FRONT TIP, CALLED THE HEAD.
HE REFINES THE SHAPE, FIRST WITH A RASP,
THEN WITH A FILE, THEN WITH SANDPAPER.
THEN HE GLUES ON A BONE PLATE TO PROTECT THE HEAD FROM DAMAGE.
HE WRAPS STRING TIGHTLY AROUND IT
TO APPLY CONTINUAL PRESSURE WHILE THE GLUE SETS OVERNIGHT.
THE NEXT DAY, HE FILES DOWN THE SIDES
TO MAKE THE PLATE FLUSH WITH THE WOOD.
USING A TRADITIONAL DRILL,
HE BORES A HOLE ABOUT 4/10 OF AN INCH DEEP INTO THE HEAD
AND CHISELS THE HOLE INTO A TRAPEZOID SHAPE.
THIS FORMS THE HAIR BLOCK
INTO WHICH HE'LL LATER INSERT THE HAIR.
NEXT, HE MEASURES AND MARKS A BLOCK OF EBONY WOOD
TO BEGIN MAKING THE BOW'S FROG,
THE PIECE AT THE BOTTOM
BY WHICH THE MUSICIAN HOLDS THE BOW
AND ADJUSTS THE TENSION OF THE HAIR.
HE SHAPES THE BLOCK USING FIRST A SAW,
THEN A CHISEL,
AND RASPS, FILES, AND SANDS ALL THE SURFACES SMOOTH.
THE FROG HAS A SPACE ON TOP CALLED THE MORTIS,
INTO WHICH HE'LL LATER INSERT THE HAIR.
THE BOW MAKER GLUES A DECORATIVE MOTHER-OF-PEARL ACCENT
ONTO THE SIDE,
THEN CUTS TWO SMALL PLUGS OUT OF MAPLE WOOD.
THESE WILL ANCHOR THE HAIR AT EACH END OF THE BOW.
HE INSERTS ONE INTO THE FROG'S MORTIS...
...AND THE OTHER INTO THE HAIR BLOCK IN THE HEAD.
A BOW THIS SIZE REQUIRES A TENTH OF AN OUNCE OF HAIR.
THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 180 HORSE HAIRS.
THE BOW MAKER BONDS THEM AT ONE END
WITH SOME MELTED ROSIN, A STICKY PLANT RESIN,
THEN INSERTS THIS END INTO THE FROG
AND ANCHORS IT WITH A PLUG.
THEN HE BENDS THE HAIRS
AND SLIDES ON A NICKEL-SILVER RING CALLED A FERRULE
TO HOLD THEM TOGETHER.
MORE EXPENSIVE BOWS OFTEN HAVE A GOLD FERRULE.
TO MOUNT THE FROG,
HE INSERTS A LONG METAL SCREW WITH AN ADJUSTER HEAD
INTO A HOLE DRILLED INTO THE BACK OF THE BOW.
THE SCREW OPERATES AN EYELET CONNECTED TO THE FROG.
NOW HE COMBS THE HAIR STRAIGHT.
THE INDIVIDUAL HAIRS MUST BE PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER
FOR THE BOW TO PERFORM PROPERLY.
HE TIES THE LOOSE ENDS TOGETHER WITH THREAD
AND BONDS THEM WITH ROSIN.
THEN HE INSERTS THE SEALED END INTO THE TIP
AND ANCHORS IT WITH THAT SECOND PLUG.
BACK TO THE FROG NOW,
HE MOVES THE FERRULE OUT OF POSITION,
SEALS THE MORTIS WITH A MOTHER-OF-PEARL SLIDE,
THEN PUTS THE FERRULE BACK.
HE WRAPS THE PARTS OF THE STICK THE MUSICIAN HOLDS
IN SILVER OR GOLD WIRE AND LEATHER
TO PROTECT THE WOOD FROM WEAR
AND BRANDS THE MAKER'S NAME.
TURNING THE ADJUSTER AT THE BACK
MOVES THE FROG FORWARD AND BACKWARD
TO ALTER THE TENSION OF THE HAIR.
THE VIOLINIST TIGHTENS THE HAIR BEFORE PLAYING
AND LOOSENS IT WHEN PUTTING THE INSTRUMENT AWAY.