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.
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