Wool Preparation and Brush Making

Here are some notes about the processes through which wool passed

between shearing and preparing the woollen material for the market

and some notes on basket making

Courtesy of Janet Haskins

1. Preparing the wool    

·         Sorting

·         Scouring

·         Dyeing

·         Twillying

·         beating and picking

·         scribbling

·         carding

 

2. Spinning and preparing the wool for the loom

·         spinning abb or slubbing

·         spinning warp and warping

·         reeling abb

     

3. Weaving

·         Sizing

·         Weaving

·         scouring

·         drying

·         burling

·         picking

·         felting

 

 4. Preparing the woven material or cloth for the market

·         roughing and rousing

·         cutting

·         mozing

·         cutting (again)

·         roller boiling

·         dyeing(if not already died)

·         cutting (again!)

·         picking

·         marking

·         brushing

·         pressing

 

Brush Making 

Brush Borer 

The best bristles were from Russian hogs. The brush back was bored with holes at angles to receive the bristles.

Brush Drawing

The bristles were drawn through the hands to get then lying in one direction and to sort them for size.

The next stage was to dip the ends of the bundles of bristles into a pitch pan which divided into four sections so that four people could work around it. The bundles of bristles were then fitted into the holes in the brush back. The brush would then be finished for sale.

The brush-makers set up the first trade union. It was not always possible to find employment in the home town in which case the brush-maker would ask for a book of tickets and move on to the next town on the "tramp" route around England. The tickets could be exchanged for a nights lodging at a specified inn while the man looked for work. The funds were raised by contribution from those brush-makers who were in work.

The variety of brushes was very great from the humble yard broom to the silver backed hair brushes.