Lesson 3
Things to Consider in Making Brooms
We’ve now reached the preparation for broom making. In the past lessons, we discussed about the long history of broom making from the uncomfortable ride brooms gave in 963 AD to the superior speed of the Firebolt used in sports in the 1990s more than a thousand years past. All through the years, we’ve seen the physical changes the broomstick experienced as well as its use in the wizarding world. In this class today, we’ll examine the historical facts from broomstick history and apply those facts in establishing ourselves as broom makers as well as the brooms that we will be making. We’ll get through this by looking at things that must be considered in making brooms as a career.
Single Broom Maker OR Broom Manufacturing Company
In the past lessons, we learned that before 1926, brooms were personally made by a single broom maker. In those cottage-industry days, the illustrious careers of Elias Grimstone, Gladys Boothby and Leonard Jewkes flourished in their best brooms made. Who would forget Boothby’s Moontrimmer, Grimstone’s Oakshaft 79 and Jewkes’ Silver Arrow? Each of them was immortalized in their signature brooms which had their own uniqueness from each other, own strengths and weaknesses. We also knew of the struggles they experienced as a single broom maker, the greatest of which is being not able to cope with the big demand for their signature broomsticks.
The other option would be the broom manufacturing company. This option presents sub-options if so you choose it. You could be one of the many broom makers employed in the broom manufacturing company, a job many of the broom makers nowadays take under the three biggest companies. This sub-option limits one’s own creativity and imagination since you function as part of the system and routine that must be consistently continued. Other option would be you as part of the creative team of the company. This option requires higher academic grades from you, proving that you can contribute ideas to the future of the company. Still, this option limits your creative talent since you are still working in the confines of the company, your companions in the creative team, the mission and vision of the company, etc. The last sub-option under this option is that you create your own broom manufacturing company so that you can have control in its direction, the brooms’ design, strengths, anything. But nowadays, it’s a very hard task because of the dominance of the big three companies Cleansweep, Comet and Nimbus in the market. It would take a lot of effort in finding other broom makers to work in the production line and in the creative team, as well as the finance needed throughout all these process.
For what Primary Purpose will the Broomstick be Used
In this part, let us assume that we are in the position where we have the power to decide on the purpose of the broomstick. What is the broomstick’s usage? In the past lessons, we tackled on many uses of the broomsticks being made. It may be for travelling like the Oakshaft 79, or for Quidditch and other sports like the Nimbus 2001 or for family and safety uses like the Fambus Station Wagon and the Bluebottle.
At the start of the broom making process, deciding on what the primary function of the particular broomstick is crucial because it will decide on many other things to follow, like what strengths and weaknesses would the broomstick have where priorities will be decided depending on the broomstick’s usage. As we might noticed in the past lessons, brooms used primarily in sports have great speeds, amazing acceleration, agility and other features that help the owners win the game. A broom made primarily for travelling needs lots of endurance and protection against high wind conditions as well as charms to protect the rider from being seen and other problems in travelling.
There may still be other uses of brooms where one broom maker can focus to address, make a broom specialized for that specific function.
What Material you Use for the Handle and the Twigs
After deciding on your broomstick’s purpose, you can decide on what material your broom handle and twigs would be. For the Muggles, they have the constant broomcorn for the twigs/bristles and any wooden stick for the handle. This is for the reason that broomcorn is the easiest to tie around the handle. But for us witches and wizards, we have magic to help us in tying or attaching the twigs to the handle, however big or problematic it initially is. As a result, we can use bigger twigs for the broom itself.
In the past lessons, we discovered the use of oak, mahogany and ash as broomstick handles of the previous brooms. We do not know if there are still other kinds of wood used. But what we are sure is that the magical properties of these kinds of wood somehow affect the broomstick as a whole. There is the superb speed of brooms with handles from ash wood as well as mahogany. There is the endurance brought by oak handles. As for the twigs of the broom itself, we only encountered birch twigs used in the Firebolt, making us think of the exemplary effect of the twigs for a broom like it.
Other factor to be considered is the size of the materials used, whether it is big or small. Large or big materials affect the speed of the broom, slowing it while smaller materials tend to be faster like a slim ash for a handle.
Other factor is the quality of the wood and twigs used. Low quality of the materials used may be the reason of decaying performance of the broom as it aged while a good quality of the materials ensures the longevity of the broomstick.
Any of these factors or a combination of these factors may be the key for the success of your broom so be careful with what you decide on and make sure to be consistent with the purpose of what you are making.
What Other Features you Want for your Broomstick
Still consistent with the purpose of what you are making, it is time for the additional features you want for your broomstick. Does it have anti-jinx varnish like the Cleansweep Eleven or an amazing acceleration rate like the Firebolt? Do you want it to be able to turn a complete circle in a fixed spot like the Nimbus 1000 or possess a capacity of six persons like the Fambus Station Wagon? Or for security measures, do you want it like the Bluebottle which has an Anti-Burglar Buzzer?
The possibilities are endless! With our magical abilities and charms, we can add or make it possible to shape our brooms the way we want it to be, physically and yes, substantially. Just be careful for any legality of the features that you will be adding and for the consistency of the features to the broom’s purpose.
What the Name of THE Broom is
For this last part, let us also assume that we are in the position where we have the power to name the broomstick. Names of broomsticks serve a great role in the market’s perception of the broom as well as the reputation of the broom maker. It also suggests a lot of things. In our past lessons we had exceptional names for a broomstick. Oakshaft 79 suggests its oak handle as well as the year it was made, 1879. Moontrimmer hints its ability to fly higher than any other brooms that time while the Silver Arrow reflects its fast speed, faster than the two mentioned above.
Names of brooms made from a broom manufacturing company reflect the company name where they were made. Comet 140, Comet 180 was made by the Comet Trading Company while Nimbus 1000 and Nimbus 1001 were produced by the Nimbus Racing Broom Company.
Together, all these decisions shape and actualize our envisioned broomstick, making it easy in the practice making the broomstick. Whatever the combination of your decisions, be reminded that we had the whole of history for inspiration and guidance throughout the whole process. They, too, started with these decisions and it took them there to the backbone of society, making brooms.
We’ve now reached the preparation for broom making. In the past lessons, we discussed about the long history of broom making from the uncomfortable ride brooms gave in 963 AD to the superior speed of the Firebolt used in sports in the 1990s more than a thousand years past. All through the years, we’ve seen the physical changes the broomstick experienced as well as its use in the wizarding world. In this class today, we’ll examine the historical facts from broomstick history and apply those facts in establishing ourselves as broom makers as well as the brooms that we will be making. We’ll get through this by looking at things that must be considered in making brooms as a career.
Single Broom Maker OR Broom Manufacturing Company
In the past lessons, we learned that before 1926, brooms were personally made by a single broom maker. In those cottage-industry days, the illustrious careers of Elias Grimstone, Gladys Boothby and Leonard Jewkes flourished in their best brooms made. Who would forget Boothby’s Moontrimmer, Grimstone’s Oakshaft 79 and Jewkes’ Silver Arrow? Each of them was immortalized in their signature brooms which had their own uniqueness from each other, own strengths and weaknesses. We also knew of the struggles they experienced as a single broom maker, the greatest of which is being not able to cope with the big demand for their signature broomsticks.
The other option would be the broom manufacturing company. This option presents sub-options if so you choose it. You could be one of the many broom makers employed in the broom manufacturing company, a job many of the broom makers nowadays take under the three biggest companies. This sub-option limits one’s own creativity and imagination since you function as part of the system and routine that must be consistently continued. Other option would be you as part of the creative team of the company. This option requires higher academic grades from you, proving that you can contribute ideas to the future of the company. Still, this option limits your creative talent since you are still working in the confines of the company, your companions in the creative team, the mission and vision of the company, etc. The last sub-option under this option is that you create your own broom manufacturing company so that you can have control in its direction, the brooms’ design, strengths, anything. But nowadays, it’s a very hard task because of the dominance of the big three companies Cleansweep, Comet and Nimbus in the market. It would take a lot of effort in finding other broom makers to work in the production line and in the creative team, as well as the finance needed throughout all these process.
For what Primary Purpose will the Broomstick be Used
In this part, let us assume that we are in the position where we have the power to decide on the purpose of the broomstick. What is the broomstick’s usage? In the past lessons, we tackled on many uses of the broomsticks being made. It may be for travelling like the Oakshaft 79, or for Quidditch and other sports like the Nimbus 2001 or for family and safety uses like the Fambus Station Wagon and the Bluebottle.
At the start of the broom making process, deciding on what the primary function of the particular broomstick is crucial because it will decide on many other things to follow, like what strengths and weaknesses would the broomstick have where priorities will be decided depending on the broomstick’s usage. As we might noticed in the past lessons, brooms used primarily in sports have great speeds, amazing acceleration, agility and other features that help the owners win the game. A broom made primarily for travelling needs lots of endurance and protection against high wind conditions as well as charms to protect the rider from being seen and other problems in travelling.
There may still be other uses of brooms where one broom maker can focus to address, make a broom specialized for that specific function.
What Material you Use for the Handle and the Twigs
After deciding on your broomstick’s purpose, you can decide on what material your broom handle and twigs would be. For the Muggles, they have the constant broomcorn for the twigs/bristles and any wooden stick for the handle. This is for the reason that broomcorn is the easiest to tie around the handle. But for us witches and wizards, we have magic to help us in tying or attaching the twigs to the handle, however big or problematic it initially is. As a result, we can use bigger twigs for the broom itself.
In the past lessons, we discovered the use of oak, mahogany and ash as broomstick handles of the previous brooms. We do not know if there are still other kinds of wood used. But what we are sure is that the magical properties of these kinds of wood somehow affect the broomstick as a whole. There is the superb speed of brooms with handles from ash wood as well as mahogany. There is the endurance brought by oak handles. As for the twigs of the broom itself, we only encountered birch twigs used in the Firebolt, making us think of the exemplary effect of the twigs for a broom like it.
Other factor to be considered is the size of the materials used, whether it is big or small. Large or big materials affect the speed of the broom, slowing it while smaller materials tend to be faster like a slim ash for a handle.
Other factor is the quality of the wood and twigs used. Low quality of the materials used may be the reason of decaying performance of the broom as it aged while a good quality of the materials ensures the longevity of the broomstick.
Any of these factors or a combination of these factors may be the key for the success of your broom so be careful with what you decide on and make sure to be consistent with the purpose of what you are making.
What Other Features you Want for your Broomstick
Still consistent with the purpose of what you are making, it is time for the additional features you want for your broomstick. Does it have anti-jinx varnish like the Cleansweep Eleven or an amazing acceleration rate like the Firebolt? Do you want it to be able to turn a complete circle in a fixed spot like the Nimbus 1000 or possess a capacity of six persons like the Fambus Station Wagon? Or for security measures, do you want it like the Bluebottle which has an Anti-Burglar Buzzer?
The possibilities are endless! With our magical abilities and charms, we can add or make it possible to shape our brooms the way we want it to be, physically and yes, substantially. Just be careful for any legality of the features that you will be adding and for the consistency of the features to the broom’s purpose.
What the Name of THE Broom is
For this last part, let us also assume that we are in the position where we have the power to name the broomstick. Names of broomsticks serve a great role in the market’s perception of the broom as well as the reputation of the broom maker. It also suggests a lot of things. In our past lessons we had exceptional names for a broomstick. Oakshaft 79 suggests its oak handle as well as the year it was made, 1879. Moontrimmer hints its ability to fly higher than any other brooms that time while the Silver Arrow reflects its fast speed, faster than the two mentioned above.
Names of brooms made from a broom manufacturing company reflect the company name where they were made. Comet 140, Comet 180 was made by the Comet Trading Company while Nimbus 1000 and Nimbus 1001 were produced by the Nimbus Racing Broom Company.
Together, all these decisions shape and actualize our envisioned broomstick, making it easy in the practice making the broomstick. Whatever the combination of your decisions, be reminded that we had the whole of history for inspiration and guidance throughout the whole process. They, too, started with these decisions and it took them there to the backbone of society, making brooms.