To celebrate the workshops centennial, Robbins designed an anniversary broom, a hearth broom with a wide traditional fantail head of broomcorn dyed in a variety of rich, mostly autumnal, colors. Celebrating its centennial this year, the program carries on an American craft tradition thats rarely practiced today. Take the remaining untrimmed whole heads of broomcorn and wrap them on the broom as shown. The school welcomed men and women, including black men and women, making it the first coeducational and integrated college in the South. Twine (Nylon or Hemp) - The $15 tarred black twine is the highest strength and will help grip to the broomcorn, Optional for sewing - Needle, Stitching clamp, knife. Now I will cross over the cross-broom-twine and push the bodkin through the broomcorn at and ANGLE BELOW the cross-broom-twine. Terms of Use With the initial loop around the broom corn nice and taut, hold the line tight, take the bodkin and push it through the broomcorn BELOW the cross-broom-twine. If you drove by a broomcorn field, you might think it was just an acre of sweet corn stalks. Berea is a liberal arts college, not a craft or art school, but nonetheless students there make brooms by hand, in the countrys longest continuously operating broomcraft workshop. I made this from two 14" x 3/4" x 2" pieces of hickory. Further reading material and instructions on whisk making, please visit here! One can choose many different types of materials to make a broom stick. This one is extremely sharp. Jul 29, 2022 It is easiest to stitch a broom with the handle on the ground and the broomcorn pointing up. Start by tying the twine to the hole in the bottom end of the broomstick. box of craft broomcorn - Craft is the broomcorn needed for any type of braiding or weaving of the stalks. Here I am taking one last angled stitch. Finally, the broom is stitched flatthe Shakers began doing this in the early 19th century, for more effective sweepingand the ends are cut off even. President Frosts efforts not only helped the college thrive, but they also made the town of Berea into a hotspot for craft. Raw broomcorn has been cleaned but left with 'flowers' in the wavy tip and the stalk is completely attached. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/broomcorn.html. Cinch up the twine so that the broom corn is compressed a bit, and leave the loop where the twine meets, right at the edge. This broom is trimmed straight across, whereas the next broom pictured below is cut at an angle. He covers it with a second layer, using around 16 stalks total. Carefully arrange the inner layer pieces as shown and tightly wrap three or four wraps of the twine around the first layer as shown. Click here for a whisk instructions and other short course. And, he recognized that students could learn a lot by keeping the traditions alive. The student craft program began in 1893, with weaving. Its a rough-hewn broom, Robbins says. Cookie Policy Redheart, Wenge, and Ash broom sticks. Then happy sweeping! A couple pictures down from here you can see a picture of these trimmed stalks. We talked about what broomcorn is exactly and what it is not in our first installment, now its time uncover why is broomcorn the best for sweeping and different types of corn brooms. Then tightly wrap the whole thing 5 times tightly, compressing the stalks. J.A.R. For most new broom makers, we recommend the following items: 10 lb. I rounded the edges over and fitted two 1/4" x 3" carriage bolts with wing-nuts. If you want to build different types of broom with processed hurl, we recommend the following lengths. 3/16" hole drilled 3" from the tip of the bottom of the broom stick. We just try to treat our customers the best we can.. Below, Luke Lewis of North Woven Broom describes the first used broom, the round brush broom made with craft broomcorn to now most commonly used flat Shaker style broom. Here is the twine emerging on the other side, BELOW the cross broom twine. Now you will tie on the outer and final layer of broomcorn. As you cinch up the twine you will have a nice double twine encircling the broom. At its peak, the workshop was producing more than 100,000 basic floor brooms a year, which were sold in bulk to distributors. Optional - Handles, 12 ash is perfect for cobwebs, we also have 48 handles for kitchen brooms. Karl is using craft broomcorn (we sell ours already cleaned!) He was a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, where he was a vestryman and junior and senior warden. IMPORTANT NOTE: This initial loop of doubled up twine that goes around the broom, I will call the "cross-broom-twine". http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/broomcorn.html. The spring crop is harvested in June-July from western and northern Mexico, available typically around August. the Argobuilder; Craftsmanship, Adventure, Enjoying Life! Richard Caddy has an impressive 33 years in broomcorn business. For a standard kitchen broom, it takes about 13 oz to 16 oz. Work your way around the broom adding the outer layer and keeping good tension on the twine. Aug 02, 2022 But thats just a basic kitchen broom. I used a hatchet to knock off the little knobs and branches that were growing from this branch, and I carved a point on one end and a round end on the top. In more hopeful news, farmers planted some of Dr. Sam Moyers seed in 2016 and with fumigation it produced nice-looking broomcorn, now in our warehouses (pictured: Dr. Sam Moyer with some craft broomcorn grown from his seed). But it takes about 50 plants to make one kitchen broom, so its a lot of effort for one broom.. I also have a small knife from Helle for whittling. In a fast-paced world of technology, computers, screens and social media inundating us at every turn, is there anywhere left for old-fashioned traditions? He created the special craft broom maker program in 1994 and launched an online store in 2003. Put the stalk-end in the water and leave the frayed bristle ends sticking up out of the water. Then take the 12" ripcord loop that you made at the start and lay it over the most recent wraps of twine. The stalks are seamlessly braided onto the handle, unlike in the Shaker Braid broom, where stalks are separated and the braid is an applied decoration. Slice the stalk of the broomcorn in half lengthwise as shown in this photo for the inner layer and the "shoulders" For my broom that means trimming up 12 heads of broomcorn like this for the inner layer, and 6 more for the shoulders. Perfect for round brooms or cobweb brooms. A business that started back in the 1900s by my grandfather who shipped broomcorn across the US by train or delivered by horse and cart. Those wood shavings are left over from carving a broom stick.when I'm done making this broom I can use it to sweep those up! And last month, it was harvested, hung to dry, and then brought indoors as a pretty fall arrangement. I tied a bowline knot. Brown, who runs the juried state-wide market Kentucky Crafted, says he rarely comes across artists who are dedicated solely to broom making. When it comes to customer service, Caddy explained, R.E. Depending on what type of broom, we realize you also might need knives, processed hurl, scissors, a tying table, a footwinder or a tying frame. Keep the broomcorn within arms reach so you can grab it. I'd recommend setting up a nice uncluttered space and have all your materials and tools within arms-reach of where you sit to tie your broom. Blog Memories: A Visit to Woodbury, Connecticut Cookie Settings. Today, according to Brown, Berea is often described as the arts and crafts capital of Kentucky, with the annual Berea Craft Festival drawing more than 8,000equivalent to half the towns populationevery July. These are tied on opposing sides of the broom to add width, so add them to the sides of the broom that you want to be the sides not the front and back. The broomcorn seeds grow beyond the stalk of the 6-9' plant into lengthy sturdy fibers which are harvested by hand. The wet ends of the stalks can warp as they dry, so to keep them holding a nice shape, wrap some temporary twine around the tips while they dry. (It reintegrated in 1950). How many times have you tried explaining to people what you do for a living? Whether you leave the bark on or take it off and sand everything smooth is up to you. Beale and Robbins both say theyve observed significantly increased interest in the past few years, though they cant pinpoint why. You want to start making your own brooms? As you stitch, always make sure the bodkin comes out on the same side of the cross-broom-twine as the side it went in on the other side. Four different Ash broom sticks; spiral carved, round with a knob-top, round, and octagonal. Mary and Sarah Schwieger make brooms the way their parents taught them, using methods passed down from Shaker traditions from the 1800s. This first stitch is a little different than the rest, after the first stitch, the stitches will be the same till you reach the other side. The dyeingof 30 pounds of broomcorn at a timetakes place in a small adjacent room, which is filled with several vats. The longer the broomcorn (or straw), the larger the broom will be. I varnish the natural tree branch broom sticks, rather than oil them. You came to the right place. He has a BA from UNC, 1971 and MPA from UNC, 1974. But growing sorghum vulgare is labor intensive; it can only be harvested by hand. Privacy Statement Claudie Parsons demonstrates how to build a broom with her antique kick-winder machine. 22 Homemade Hand Sanitizers You Can Make Right Now, 30 Unique DIY Rag Rug Designs So You Can Create Your Own, Infusion, Decoction, or Tincture? Always keeping tension on the line, hold the wraps in your hand to keep the line tight and then cut the line so that you have about 6 feet of twine left to work with. According to Beale, Bereas broomcraft workshop is the only one in the country to dye significant quantities of broomcorn, which requires a lot of time. Appalachia is a huge region of the U.S., stretching over several states and comprising many different cultures, so, it would be impossible to single out one style, he says. But this year I decided to do more braiding, and Ive gotten decent at it. The work gets his mind off of the outside world, and his homework. Push it straight through and ensure the bodkin emerges on the opposite side also BELOW the cross-broom-twine on the other side. Overall, the team at Caddy expects the 2017 crop to be slightly smaller or same as 2016 crop due to ongoing sugarcane aphid issues. I made this from scrap pine, it is 2 feet long and it is glued and screwed together. For this broomstick I left the wood carved as seen in this photo. Now tie a big knot in the line about 4 inches from where twine leaves the broom corn. Now loosen your broom clamp and move it down the broom, and then retighten it in preparation of stitching the second row. On the right is a similar broom, after being stitched flat, but before trimming the bottom of the broom corn. (Even today, the poverty rate in Appalachia is higher than in the rest of the country.) Using Appalachian craft to recruit students became even more important after 1904, when the passage of the Kentucky Day Law, which prohibited the education of black and white students together, forced Berea to segregate. Now take your broom clamp and clamp it perpendicularly acros the broomcorn as shown. A handmade, plaited, hand stitched broom in the process of being made. In addition to a woven tag marking it as from Berea College, each anniversary broom is signed, either by a student, or by Robbins. The fall crop grown in northern Mexico is harvested in October, available in the November and December time frame. But brooms might be having a Renaissance. It is 8" long and made from 3/16" diameter brass rod. For now, feel free to continue reading. To this day, every student works ten hours a week, earning them a modest paycheck. Trim the tail to about an inch. It takes some jostling around but make sure sure each piece of broomcorn is tight up next to the adjacent pieces. Sturdy twine, cord, or string: I like heavy nylon cord for tying the bundles and waxed hemp string to sew with. Here's what the first layer looks like with half of the cornbroom heads placed around the broomstick. What does the plant look like? Fee believed that education should promote equality and excellence among men and women of all races. I tie them off to the eye so that they don't come out. A final outer layer of broomcorn , about 16 heads, whose stalk ends are not sliced in half. The two sisters behind the Granville Island Broom Co. believe there is. 2022 Smithsonian Magazine Mr. Caddy graduated from the University of Cincinnati. Keep this loop handy as you will use it as a "rip-cord" to tie off the final end of the twine at the end of the process. Caddy has emphasized communicating with customers to remain current on their operations and their needs. Thanks. Berea is strengthening the art form, Brown says. With this done, you have a 5 1/2 foot long length of double strand twine, with a loop on the other end. At least 14 one-inch-thick bunches of straw or broom corn, at least 16 inches long. Theres something very nostalgic and wholesome about a handcrafted broom, says Aaron Beale, director of student craft at Berea. Mr. Caddy served in WW II in the Army Air Corps. Foot winders such as the one pictured here are common also, and work great. I made this one. Broom corn is a sorghum plant (not actually corn) that originated in Africa and that was brought to America by Benjamin Franklin. Here is a broom cut with a rounded bottom. With your knife, trim the ends of the broom corn at an angle up to the stick. Also note the taper carved into the bottom of the broom stick. | READ MORE. He was former board man and president of American Brush and Broom Manufacturers. Tighten the screws firmly but not crushing the broom corn. Fun projects! Take some twine and lightly wrap around the tips of the trimmed ends of the broom-corn. Keep plaiting up the stalks, I made rows about with about 1/2" spacing. Native to Central Africa, broom corn, Sorghum vulgare, a variety of sorghum in the plant family Poaceae, is a plant with a variety of uses, both functional and ornamental. Here is the homemade corn broom and a matching solid hickory dustpan. You wrap your twine around this, and than hold this winder in place with your feet and pull on the broom as you rotate it. Liz Logan is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, More and O, The Oprah Magazine, among other publications. Long needle: Look for a straight, extra long tapestry or, 6-8 inch piece of leather or jute cord, any color you like. However, we have inventory to supply all size crafters and not anticipating any stock-outs. When you get all the outer layer heads of broomcorn on, wrap it five times around tight, compressing the stalks. You want an odd number of stalks so that you get an alternating plaiting pattern. By Google's definition you find.. The students get a lot of mentoring, and theres a lot of emphasis on professionalism, on creating something you can actually sell. You rotate the winder with your feet every once and a while to release more twine. These are all made in my preferred style of a rounded octagonal broom stick, hand rubbed tung-oil finish, and I dip the broomstick ends of the ash in enamel. Alternatively, you can use a sapling or thick branch from the forest. What type of broomcorn makes the world's best and beautiful broom? Rogers, a first principal of the school, called the area a neglected region of the country after a trip through the mountains. Broom clamp. Due to the labor extensive process, most broomcorn is now harvested in Mexico where the dry and hot climate is also ideal. Note the 3" long stalk ends, and also note that the flat face of the stalk is placed against the stick with the round half facing out. I have a set of steel punches with letters and numbers, and I used those to stamp my initials into the broom handle, as tiny paintbrush and some red paint finished that job. If you didnt have a broom maker in town, youd make it yourself. You are essentially using the twine to weave the stalks tight to the broompole. Aug 01, 2022 Sweeping up one's abode or workplace has been a task that has been done for thousands of years. Pull it through all the way so that the know you tied in the line is buried and trapped in the broom. If you make one from a piece of lumber, you will need saws and tools such as planes to do that. Depending on what kind of broomstick you want, you may need some tools. In 2016, farmers began to fumigate the broomcorn and fields that were fumigated every 2 weeks were successful. These are hanging on forged hooks from my blacksmith shop. For this broom, which was made on a 1" diameter stick, I started with 40 heads of broomcorn. Like so many things in life, there is much more to a 'simple' broom upon second glance. The stalk-ends of these pieces are also sliced in half and trimmed. And the brooms often sell out quickly. Spiral the twine up in rows as you go and a pattern will emerge that looks like the photo. Place the broom corn on the stick. Take a 12" length of the tarred nylon twine and tie it into a circle; I used a sheet bend knot. Foot winder; you can use a simple stick and wrap twine around that. Every community would harvest their broomcorn and take it to the broom maker in town. To make a broom, the broom maker attaches the broomcorn to the wooden broom handle with the help of a winder, sometimes called a spindle, which holds tension on a wire or string as the broom maker turns the handle and gradually adds the broomcorn. Pull tension on the twine and slowly wrap the twine over the broomcorn stalks about 1/2" up from where the bristles start. Sharp, stout, large scissors, or sharp shears, for trimming the end of the broom, Large bucket for soaking the stalk-ends in water. The hand carved ash broom pole will be oiled with tung oil. Take your twine and loop it over and under, over and under, over and under the stalks, pulling the twine tight as you go. Sticks with the bark still on are popular and can be found in the woods. He makes a first layer using 8 stalks, wrapping, and pulling the twine around the handle. Here is the end of the first stitch, the twine emerging below the cross-broom-twine. Here is a handmade broom-corn broom with an angle-cut bottom. The workshop recently began using natural dyes for the first time; the browns and yellows in the broom come from walnuts and osage orange heartwood, both grown in the colleges 9,000-acre forest. Fitted with a leather strap and I use punches to mark my initials on the sticks. Where is best broomcorn grown? Berea College, in Berea, Kentucky, was founded in 1855it began as a one-room schoolby abolitionists Reverend John G. Fee and Cassius M. Clay. Start at 0:22 seconds into the YouTube video below to see a simple way the broomcorn is cleaned. Bereas broomcraft workshop consists of two production lines on either side of a long room. Take the bodkin and shove it through the broomcorn BELOW the cross-broom-twine so that it emerges on the other side about 3/4" from the first stitch. Turkey-wing whisk brooms are sized for the hand, meant for sweeping tabletops. At this time, the tuition-free college comprises roughly 1,600 academically promising students with limited economic resources, according to its website. Read the Original, A July Garden Tour at Skylands The brooms not only reflect the colleges Appalachian surroundings, but also its remarkable history. 'Well first you need some high quality broomcorn'. You can do more rows if you'd like. Big needle (or if you want to sound cool, call it a bodkin), for stitching the flat part of the broom. In this photo you can see the bodkin pushed through at an angle BELOW the cross-broom-twine and emerging on the other side. This allows you to put good tension on the twine and get a nice tight wrap. Today, it also includes broomcraft, woodworking and ceramics. The winter crop grown in southern Mexico is harvested in March, received at our warehouse in April-May. OK, reaching the end now! Here is the twine coming out having come STRAIGHT through the broomcorn. Shove the bodkin into the edge of the broom at a shallow angle so that it emerges halfway or more down the broom. Cut an 11ft length of hemp twine and fold it in half. Read the Original, Blog Memories: A Visit to Woodbury, Connecticut, Blog Memories: A Day Trip to New Hampshire. Unfortunately, treatment is expensive and not all the farmers have the money to fumigate. The college appealed the law, all the way to the Supreme Court, but it lost the case. Photos of the finished product, followed by instructions on how to make a traditional broom-corn broom. I think this is one of the cooler tools you get to use when making a broom by hand. I mostly do the winding, which I like in part because its physically demanding, he says. Thanks Shakers! Processed broomcorn hurl's clean and wavy tip. carefully but tightly push the loose tail into the broomcorn bundle with a flat head screw driver. We can all thank the Shakers for coming up with the innovation of stitching the corn broom flat to make a broom that sweeps a wider swath. Count how many it takes. The arts and crafts revival was just sweeping into the U.S. from Europe, and there was a tremendous demand for authentically made goods, says Beale. On our side, we like to say we are broomcorn dealers. with the stalks attached but does not weave them. But the operation wasnt profitable, so, in the 1930s, the workshop shifted its focus to making small quantities of finely crafted decorative brooms. Each shoulder consists of 3 cornbroom heads, so 6 in total needed. As you work, always keep tension on the twine. We also have information regarding broom equipment including kickwinders, sewing vices, and broom trimmers. I sand the corners of the octagonal sticks so that they are smooth and comfortable to hold. Advertising Notice Make two tight wraps around the broom corn when you get up to about 1.5" from the end of the shortest stalk. Processed hurl has the stalk completely removed and cleaned entirely. Back in the day, youd grow yourself a broom, says Chris Robbins, director of broomcraft at Berea. Contact jason@argobuilder.com to request permission to use any writing or images from this site. Seafaring and Boat Building Reference Books, Underwood Standard Portable 3 Bank Typewriter, Design of Rubber Parts for Antique Typewriters, Assembling Miniature Steam Model Clyde Oscillating Steam Engine, Ship Model FD 10 Arnanes Fishing Smack Johanna, Sailing from Door County to the UP Michigan, Sailing Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sailing Lake Huron: St.Ignace, Mackinac Island, Les Cheneaux Islands, St Martin Islands, From Manitowoc to Algoma and back on a small boat, 2017, A Fine Wooden Dustpan makes a great companion to a handmade broom, here's a link to the page on making dustpans, Broom Corn , for this broom, about 40 stalks of full-size broom corn (there is a smaller variant of broom corn that can be used for small brooms). Our staff is working with Dr. Moyer to try to develop an aphid resistant broomcorn. So with this in mind, please note when I write "BELOW" I mean on the side of the cross broom twine that is towards the handle, and when I say "ABOVE" the cross broom twine I mean on the side of the cross-broom-twine that is up towards the end of the bristles of the broom. If you have an even number of stalks, just split one with a knife down the middle. For a standard kitchen or household broom, aim for a 36 to 48-inch handle. You'll want them to soak for 20 minutes or so before you start so set them in the water first and then get everything else ready. Tarred 18 gauge nylon bank twine for wrapping the broomcorn onto the stick and also for plaiting the broomcorn on the handle. First, fill a tall bucket with 12" of hot water from the tap. OK, I just came out of the broomcorn at an angle below the cross-broom-twine, so now I am going to shove the bodking through the broomcorn STRAIGHT and ABOVE the cross-broom-twine. This is not just an antique material for broom making; go look at Lowes or Home Depot and you will find mass-produced corn brooms are still made because of the superior performance of the broomcorn material. Now take the bodkin and push it back through the broomcorn at the exact same spot as it came out but ABOVE the cross broom twine. Consider using different colors to add some brightness to your broom. After clamping the broom corn, use a sharp stout shear or scissors to trim the bottom of the broom-corn. We work at a fever pace to keep up, Beale says. You will also need some way to soak the broomcorn before starting the broom making process. Then repeat, repeat, repeat, till you get to the other edge of the broom. On the left is a broom built exactly as described above, prior to stitching it flat. One wall is decorated with a collection of many of the brooms that have been made at the workshop over the years; the styles can change a bit from year to year. Caddy & Company Inc. R.E. I use a bowline knot for this but you can use most any ole knot. Once the broomcorn stalk-ends have been sliced in half, trim them to length. Ive learned a lot of patience, he says. Mexican farmers lost about 90% of everything planted. The stalks ends for the inner layer and the shoulders should be cut to a length that is 3" past the "knuckle" where the fibrous brushes start. Layne Piatt, a sophomore at the college, has been working in broomcraft since he first arrived on campus. I made these today at the same time, and one can see that the top of the broom corn is still wet. Berea has seven types of brooms available on its website. Read the Original, Blog Memories: A Day Trip to New Hampshire Around the turn of the century, the colleges third president, William Frost, went into the surrounding mountains to recruit students, and he bought traditional crafts, such as weaving and woodworking, from individual households along the way. This is a noble and time honored chore. 50lbs of broom corn, ready to go! Its an object rich with meaning, beyond its practical purpose. The roughly 5,000 brooms made each year at the college are sold through a website and distributed to a number of specialty craft shops. Next make four tight wraps OVER the 12"loop as shown. The department name was changed to broomcraft. The fibers are tough and as the broom is used the fibers continue to split in such a way that they trap and sweep dust excellently. If youre looking for something easy and interesting to grow in the garden next year, consider broom corn - the distant sweet corn relative once widely grown as a housekeeper's helper. At this point you have a broom that is generally round in cross section. This hardy annual, also known as broom straw, is a tall grass that forms broad, tasseled, fan-shaped heads, ranging from 16 to 20 inches long. If I want to color the tops, I dip them in rustoleum enamel and hang them to dry, the paint should be put on before oiling the rest of the broomstick. From its early days, the college was committed to educating students primarily from Appalachia. As you cinch it up it will look as below. Though students learn every aspect of broom making, the process is typically a team effort, with some students winding and others braiding, in a sort-of assembly line. NOW FOR THE FINALE. Then comes the decorative braiding. A celebration of craft in the United States, Berea Colleges broomcraft program carries on an American craft tradition thats rarely practiced today. A good strong knife for cutting broomcorn. Find out how many heads of broomcorn will be needed for the first layer by placing broomcorn around the circumference of the broomstick and holding it on with your hand. For further reading on broomcorn, please visit here. Aim for about 2.5 to 3 lbs for your broom. Here is a picture of progress as I stitch across the broom. Now the grand finale, firmly and swiftly pull the ripcord down , parallel to the broomstick, and the loop will pull the final end of the twine tightly through the wraps. When Frost began collecting crafts, regional artists began relocating to Berea, because they knew they had a customer there. The broomstick I made here is 46" long and 1" in diameter. This is the anchor point which will keep your broom from "flying off the handle"! Make 3 or 4 nice tight wraps around the broomstick. I drilled a 5/16" hole at the top end of the handle and tied a leather loop on. In the simplest way, you can make a broom by hand by using wood pegs, a handle, twine, broomcorn, and tools. Some people use sticks they find in the woods, or you could buy a broom stick, or you could carve/shape one from lumber. The wraps should be tight and should compress the broomcorn. Finally, clamp the broom once again at the place where you want to trim the bottom. The broomcorn stalks are braided with string around the handle, as in Bereas Shaker braid brooms. "Shoulders" that make the broom a bit wider. Brooms are made of broomcorn, also known as sorghum vulgare, a crop similar to corn that was grown as animal feed. One could sand this all smooth, but for this broom I left the broomstick with all the carve marks. The 2015 crop was almost completely destroyed by yellow sugarcane aphids, also called sorghum aphids. Take your double stranded twine and wrap the end around the back of the broom, then thread your bodkin through the loop. Leather strips to make a loop at the end of the broomstick, to hang it by. Why the name 'Caddy Supply Co'? Once the broomcorn is more suitable to work with, you can start winding around a handle. Caddy & Company Inc was originally founded in 1958 by Richard Earl "Tip" Caddy Sr. For over 50 years, The business has supplied craft and processed broom corn, palmyra and yucca fiber; wood broom, brush and mop handles; wet mop hardware and handles; polyethylene broom sewing twine; nails, knives and other supplies.