Purchase of a bale of broom-straw and my first broom

[David Einhorn]

I donated my first broom that I wound on a handle that I hand-forged to last month's raffle at the local blacksmith's guild meeting. Today I purchased a 108 pound bale of broom-maker's straw. With the upgrades in straw, and the addition of a straw-trimmer for brooms, newly forged broom-sewing needle, and different thread, I expect the next batch of brooms to look much nicer.

Here is the broom that I donated to last month's raffle.

[bigfootnampa]

Looking real good to me! Certainly mighty nice for a first try!

[Steve Sells]

maybe I should hire you to put the broom straw on my fire place sets? looks good

[HWooldridge]

Looks great! I used to hire a lady in Wimberley to tie brooms for me. I'd send her 20 handles at a time and she would always give them back one week later - no more, no less. She retired so I reckon it's time to learn how to do it...or I'll be selling fire sets minus one tool.

[Aaron J. Cergol]

Looking swell. What is your source for broom corn/straw?

Aaron

[David Einhorn]

Thank you for the kind words. My aim is to be able to make nicer brooms with:
- contrasting black or dark blue thread to look nicer with the iron.
- make brooms sewn either round or flat
- trimmed or untrimmed ends
- woven or non-woven where the broom corn meets the handles
- options of either artificial fiber sewing cord,
or the option of natural fiber sewing cord for brooms that are both made in the U.S.A. and 100% recyclable
- the broom winder that I built will handle forged handles up to 2 inches in diameter, I will eventually make an adapter to wind broom corn on handles of almost infinite diameter.

Looking real good to me! Certainly mighty nice for a first try!

[David Einhorn]

My next project will be to construct storage shelves in the only room in my shop where the broom corn can be kept warm and dry. So it is perhaps one could say that I am shelving any sweeping changes. ;-)

note: My apologies for the pun(s), it looks as if Stuart and I am getting into the habit of punning (if that is a word) each other. ;-)

so, you are making sweeping changes in your blacksmith shop?

[David Einhorn]

The main supplier of broom corn to craftspeople is R.E. Caddy.
http://www.recaddy.c...5b90c0098cc00��, the other option is to find a local broom factory and purchase some from them if they are willing.

The only savings that you are likely to find is to save on shipping by purchasing locally. The broom corn is surprisingly heavy (my guess is more than twice the weight per cubic foot when compared to field straw) and would likely need to be shipped by freight from whatever source you are purchasing from. I have yet to decide if spending the day and gasoline to drive today to pick up the broom corn was cost effective..... probably not when one considers about 40 dollars or more on gas and over 4 hours of driving.

Be careful about what you are planting if you plant sorghum, Sorghum vulgare var. technicum is what is normally planted for brooms, and word has it that an acre produces enough broom corn for about 18 brooms. Sorghum bicolor is considered a noxious week by some state agricultural departments such as Pennsylvania, so that some folks dye Sorghum Vulgare when they want other colors. Harvesting, drying and removing the seeds from sorghum is very labor intensive, so that and shipping accounts for a lot of the cost of purchasing broom corn from suppliers. Also, if you are not purchasing broom corn by the multi-ton amounts, the broom corn is priced by crafter's prices and not by factory prices. As a "crafter" be prepared for sticker shock and tears when you calculate your cost per pound of broom corn as it arrives at your door.

Looking swell. What is your source for broom corn/straw?Aaron