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Binding a Besom Broom — The Birch-Twig Broom on a Hazel Handle
The besom is the oldest broom: a fat bundle of springy birch twigs bound around a hazel or ash handle. Every household swept with one, and it cost nothing but a walk to the woods. There are no nails and no glue — the head is held by tight withy bindings and a single wooden peg, and it only grips harder as the birch dries and shrinks. This blueprint binds a besom from cut brush to finished broom using hand tools alone.
Beginner
3
Instructions
1
1
Cut the birch brush
Cut the birch brush
Cut generous bundles of thin, whippy birch twigs — the 'brush'. Winter-cut birch, taken when the tree is bare, is springiest and lasts longest. Keep the twigs long and unbroken.
Materials for this step:
Birch Brush1 bundleTools needed:
Billhook2
2
Wilt the twigs supple
Wilt the twigs supple
Lay the cut brush somewhere cool for a few days until the twigs lose their brittleness and bend without snapping. Supple twigs pack tightly and bind without cracking.
Materials for this step:
Birch Brush1 bundle3
3
Cut and point the handle
Cut and point the handle
Cut a straight length of hazel or ash about a thumb-and-a-half thick for the handle. Trim it clean and whittle one end to a long blunt point so the brush seats around it.
Materials for this step:
Green Wood Poles (1-2m)1 pieceTools needed:
Billhook
Knife4
4
Soak the binding withies
Soak the binding withies
Soak split willow withies in water until they are fully flexible. These flexible ties will cinch the brush to the handle; they must bend sharply without breaking.
Materials for this step:
Willow Withy2 pieces
Water5 liters5
5
Lay the brush around the handle
Lay the brush around the handle
Stand the pointed handle upright and lay birch twigs evenly all the way around it, butt ends up along the handle and tips hanging down. Keep the bundle even so the finished broom is not lopsided.
Materials for this step:
Birch Brush1 bundle6
6
Bind the top band
Bind the top band
Squeeze the twigs tight against the handle and wind a soaked withy hard around the bundle near the top of the brush. Pull it as tight as you can and twist and tuck the ends to lock the band.
Materials for this step:
Willow Withy1 piece7
7
Bind the second band
Bind the second band
Wind a second withy band about a hand's width below the first and cinch it just as tight. Two bands stop the brush from splaying and spread the sweeping wear.
Materials for this step:
Willow Withy1 piece8
8
Peg the head to the handle
Peg the head to the handle
Whittle a small hardwood peg. Start a hole through the handle between the bindings with the awl, then drive the peg through with the mallet so the head can never slide off the handle.
Tools needed:
Knife
Awl
Wooden Mallet9
9
Trim the sweeping end
Trim the sweeping end
Trim the hanging tips of the brush level across the bottom with the billhook so the broom meets the floor evenly and sweeps cleanly.
Tools needed:
Billhook10
10
Season the besom
Season the besom
Stand the finished besom in a dry place to season. As the birch dries it stiffens into a firm brush and the withy bindings shrink even tighter — the broom is ready to sweep.
Materials
4- 3 bundlesPlaceholder
- 1 piecePlaceholder
- 4 piecesPlaceholder
Connected Blueprint Materials
Required Equipment
Equipment this kind of build typically needs — buy from any maker below.
- RecommendedDust Mask / Respirator·
Full-Face Gas Mask (ABEK multi-gas cartridge)
Dust Mask
Venetian Mask Blank (Papier-Mache)
Full-Face Respirator
Respirator Fit Test Kit
Respirator with Acid Gas Cartridge - RecommendedSafety Glasses·
Safety Sign (Caution/Warning)
Splash-Proof Safety Goggles
Reflective Safety Vest Kit (DIY)
Chemical Splash Goggles
Safety Netting for Rockfall
Steel-Toed Safety Boots - RecommendedWork Gloves·
Boxing Gloves (Training)
Leather Gauntlet Gloves
Cotton Gloves
Welding Gloves
Heavy-Duty Gloves
Leather Work Gloves - OptionalFire Extinguisher·
ABC Fire Extinguisher
Fire Extinguisher - OptionalFirst Aid Kit·
First Aid Kit
Mountain First Aid Kit (Altitude)
Workshop First Aid Kit
Bow Release Aid
You can swap these in
Can't get one of the materials? Swap it for an equivalent — these work just as well.
- Instead of Water, try:
Distilled Water (1 Liter) - Instead of Knife, try:
Gilder's Knife
Blunt Collection Knife
Sharp Knife (faca)
Small Trimming Knife - Instead of Birch Brush, try:
Pollination Brush
Soft Brush
Scrub Brush
Soft Bristle Brush
Artist Brush Set - Instead of Green Wood Poles (1-2m), try:
Bamboo Poles - Instead of Wooden Mallet, try:
Rubber Mallet
Recommended for this build
Products makers often use with builds like this one.
Hand SawUsed together and in similar builds
Cloth (Straining)Frequently used with this build's materials
Sloyd Carving KnifeFrequently used with this build's materials
Binding RopeUsed together and in similar builds
Dowel RodUsed together and in similar builds
Beech LumberUsed together and in similar builds
HacksawFrequently used with this build's materials
Large Cooking PotFrequently used with this build's materialsRelated Blueprints
These blueprints share knowledge with this one — techniques, materials, or principles that connect them in the learning graph.
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CC0 Public Domain
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