Back in 2011 I got sick of breaking the hairs on violin bows and ordered an Incredibow. The hair is polymer filament, and it’s very strong. I ordered a 29″ Basic Omnibow, Featherweight, and it’s been just what I wanted. I think I’ve broken something like three hairs ever, despite some rough chopping.
Thirteen years, and it could be new yesterday.
While they don’t play identically to traditional bows and it takes a bit of adjustment, if people had been playing with synthetic hair historically I really doubt horsehair would take off today.
I do oft wonder how many things we interact with are only the way they are because that’s the way they’ve always been. Tangentially, how much of the world is just vestigial and nobody has thought to question it?
Vestigial products and policies also tend to have an ‘immune response’, generated when parties who benefit[1] from the status quo actively resist attempts to change it. For example violin bow manufacturers could hypothetically fear lower sales if synthetic bows captured a greater market share, due to them not needing to be replaced as frequently.
or even believe they benefit