No. I always wash the hair before braiding, but the hair does need to be relatively clean and odour-free before sending. If you insist on washing your horse’s tail before gathering his hair, please do not apply conditioner or any other oil or silicone based products as these only make the hair slippery and difficult to manage.
DO I NEED TO WASH THE HAIR BEFORE SENDING?
I do request that you be patient with regards to your order. I work full-time in addition to doing the bracelets, so I only have evenings at my disposal. The usual turn around time is 4-6 weeks.
If you need an order rushed or completed by a specific date, please contact me before hand so that I can advise you of my availability. I always endeavour to assist and am sometimes able to squeeze an order in at short notice- so please ask!
HOW LONG WILL MY ORDER TAKE?
HOW DO I PLACE AN ORDER?
If you are not in a position to hand your horse hair to me in person, post it, along with your order form, to the address on the form. Once I have received your hair and checked that I can accommodate your choice of design, I will email you an invoice and manufacture can commence. Please note that no items will be posted until payment has been received in full.
Important: If you’re sending me hair from a horse who is no longer with you, please ensure that you send it with a tracking number. I’d hate for something so irreplaceable to get lost in the mail.
I keep most of the metal fittings I use in stock, but there are sometimes certain charms and components will need to be ordered in. There is usually an additional 3-4 week lead time on special items. I’ll always advise you on this and you’re welcome to change your design at this stage to use fittings I already have at hand.
DO YOU KEEP STOCK?
HAIR QUERIES
How much?
How long?
How do i cut it?
Must I wash it?
etc.
GENERAL FAQS
How do I place an order?
How long will my order take?
Where are you based?
etc.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
I operate out of Cape Town, South Africa but happily accept orders from anywhere in South Africa. If you're an out of towner, all you need to do is post your hair, along with your order form to my address (Address is on the front page of the forms).
Capetonians are welcome to contact me to make arrangements to get your hair to me. I have drop off points in Rondebosch, Table View, Joostenbergvlakte and in the CBD.
International customers: I accept international orders but please contact me via email to discuss shipping costs before hand.
Absolutely.
Just be sure to separate the hair from each horse in its own bag with its own label when sending it to me for plaiting. The Japanese braids in particular look lovely when using more than one colour of hair to create a variety of patterns.
CAN I COMBINE HAIR FROM MORE THAN ONE HORSE INTO A BRACELET?
HOW DO I CLEAN MY BRACELET?
The same way you clean your hair! Careful washing with a gentle shampoo should do the trick. If the silver fittings become tarnished over time, do not try to use polish to clean them. Rather use a special silver polishing cloth- they’re available at most jewelers.
Horse hair is extremely strong and durable. Properly looked after, it should last many years. Horse hair has three main enemies: abrasion, heat and chemicals. Try not to wear it next to other jewelry which may rub up against it, causing it to snag or fray. I import the glue I use for securing the silver components specially. It has super-glue strength, great elasticity and it should not come unstuck. In the unlikely event of this happening, return it to me and I will happily repair it for you free of charge.