September 4, 2020
This is a question that gets posed every week at our shop. It is a good question, so we are glad it gets asked. Here is the inside whinney skinny on horse hair that makes up the hair on the bow --- each strand of hair has cogs that catch the rosin on your bow. When those cogs wear down, rosin no longer 'takes' to the bow. That usually means you've waited too long for a bow rehair, as players tend to force the rosin onto the bow by trying to clean off the old rosin using various methods. Hair also becomes brittle if it is too old. So to keep your bow in tip top playing condition, one should get it rehaired at least twice a year. Believe it or not, we have seen bows that have never been rehaired - some dating back to the 1960's. If you are playing your instrument every day, definitely at least twice a year. If you are a fair weather player, one time per year works.
In our shop, John only uses the highest quality horsehair for bow rehairing. He also does restorations to bows that need it. https://www.kirkviolins.com/repair So call now since you more than likely need a bow rehair! 406-254-0400. We ship, too!