stick was definitely and finally fixed by
Francois Tourte at 29.34 to 29.528 in.

The centre of gravity in a well-balanced violin bow should be at 19
cm. (7-1/2 to 7-3/4 in.) from the nut;[2] in the violoncello bow the
hair measures from 60 to 62 cm. (24 to 25 in.), and the centre of
gravity is at from 175 to 180 mm. (7 to 7-1/4 in.) from the nut. In
consequence of the flexure given to the stick, Tourte found it
necessary to readjust the proportions and relative height of head and
nut, in order to keep the hair at a satisfactory distance from the
stick, and at the necessary angle in attacking the strings so as to
avoid contact between stick and strings in bowing. In order to
counterbalance the consequent increased weight of the head and to keep
the centre of gravity nearer the hand, Tourte loaded the nut with
metal inlays or ornamental designs.

The screw or ferrule, at the cylindrical end of the stick held by the
hand, provides the means of tightening or loosening the tension of the
hair. This screw, about 3-1/4 in. long, hidden within the stick, runs
through the eye of another little screw at right angles to it, which
is firmly embedded in the nut.

The nut is a wooden block at the screw end of the stick, the original
purpose of which was to keep the hair at a proper distance from the
stick and to provide a secure attachment for the hair. The whole nut
slides up and down the stick in a groove in answer to the screw, thus
tightening or relaxing the tension of the hair. In the nut is a little
cavity or chamber, into which the knotted end of the hair is firmly
fixed by means of a little wedge, the hair being then brought out and
flattened over the front of the nut like a ribbon by the pressure of a
flat ferrule. The mother-of-pearl slide which runs along a mortised
groove further protects the hair on the outside of the nut. Bows
having these attachments of ferrule and slide, added by Tourte at the
instigation of the violinist Giovanni Battista Viotti, were known as
_archets a recouvrements_.

The hair is chosen from the best white horsehair, and each of the 150
to 200 hairs which compose the half-inch wide ribbon of the bow must
be perfectly cylindrical and smooth. It is bought by the pound, and
must be very carefully sorted, for not more than one hair in ten is
perfectly cylindrical and fit for use on a high-grade bow. Experience
determines the