Dear friends,
    I have acquired an old "bowl back" Mandolin. This nifty instrument has very old strings which obviously need replacing. They are loop end, but have some soft blue fuzzy stuff at the end near the loop which looks like a tiny round brush--the brush-stuff sticks out in all directions from the actual string. I've never seen strings like this, & they are not the same as violin & such strings which are wound with thread near the end. Does anyone know if these such strings are made anymore? Do I need them? It looks as though the strings are quite close to the top/face where they are looped onto the mandolin & that is why the blue fuzzy brush stuff is on there. There is no plate over the end of the strings on the top as on my other mandolin but there is a carved wooden cut-out edging sort of like a crescent moon which is glued across the base of the top. The strings go between this & the top of the mandolin, & of course just over the edge.
    I have tuned the strings about a 4th underpitch as they don't want to stretch much. I intend to gradually increase the tension, but need new strings to accomplish this, & nobody around here has ever seen the type of strings on this old Mandolin, except one fellow who thought he'd seen strings like that back in WWII in Italy.
    Suggestions? Thanks very much!!