Looking after your bow

Always loosen the hair of your bow after playing. If you leave the bow under tension all the time the stick will eventually deform and you also stretch the hair prematurely. The hair of the bow is also very sensitive to humidity and shrinks quite a bit in dry air. If you don't loosen the bow hair it might get so tight that the bow tip snaps off!
Your bow is pretty delicate and the head breaks quite easily which substantially reduces the value of the bow. Don't rap it against the music stand, gesture (or play-fight) with it.
Wipe the rosin off the stick after playing and avoid touching the hair with your fingers. Your hands are naturally a bit oily and that can make the hair loose grip.
If you find you can't tighten the hair enough any more don't use force or you can split the stick. Maybe the bow hair has become too long and the frog simply can't be moved back far enough on the stick any more. You can test this by loosening the screw and pushing the frog as far forward as it will go. The ribbon of hair should just be slack. If you have a loose loop of hair hanging down your bow, it's too long. It will also cause the thumb to rest on the wood of the stick instead of the thumb leather and you'll eventually wear the wood away in that spot. Another reason might be a worn eyelet. The bow screw runs through the eyelet which attaches to the frog. It wears out and must be replaced once in a while. A worn or loose eyelet can also cause the frog to wobble on the stick.
Have your thumb leather replaced when it gets worn to prevent damage to the stick. Some people actually prefer putting the thumb on the wood of the stick, but that's not good for the bow. Try asking your violin maker or bow repair person for a thinner leather if that feels more comfortable. For added comfort, or if the edge of the frog irritates your thumb, you can use a product like the Bowprotect, which is basically a rubber tube that fits over both the stick and frog. A version of this can also be made from leather. It does add bulk though, so is not for everyone.
If part of the faceplate on the tip of the bow comes off, have it replaced as soon as possible. It's not just ornamental, it also protects the tip from wear.
Bow bugs (I think they are officially called museum beetles): They are some tiny beetles that sometimes infest bow hair, usually bows that have been sitting in the case undisturbed for a while. Once the case is infested they can also attack more recently rehaired bows. Telltale signs are several hairs broken off in a line and broken hairs with frayed ends. You might also see the larvae or shells. Have the bow rehaired and vacuum the case thoroughly or throw it out. Bugs of all kind are usually not a problem when you play regularly.

Posted in Maintenance; Tagged The Bow, Violin; Posted 8 months ago by Hazel Cruise 3 Minute(s) to read