The Ben Franklin, or round broom, is my personal favorite of the Hockaday broom collection. It gets its name from being the original design of Ben Franklin who brought broom corn to America in the 1700s.
Jumping the broom: This broom makes a perfect wedding gift to be used in wedding broom jumping ceremonies. We can even have the special date burned into the handle.
This broom is roughly 58 inches long and is a real work of art. You can get this broom with one of three styles of handles:

The styles will very depending on the wood. Some hand cut stain darker and others lighter. The twisted handles are as unique as the bend of any tree.
Jack Martin is a fourth generation broom maker in Selmer, TN. His great grandfather, Will Hockaday, started making brooms in 1916 on the same machine that Jack uses today to handmake each and every broom.
Jack organizes an annual Broom Corn Festival in September attended by thousands who come to watch demonstrating craftsman and artists from around the area.
I met Jack last Christmas Eve when I was searching for a last minute gift that would communicate something more than that. Jack stayed open, and I made a 7 hour round trip to pick up brooms. I was blown away by his shop, his story and his amazing brooms.
Jack will be planting and harvesting some broom corn soon. I’ll post more in my discovery journal.
- Read more about broom maker and folk artist Jack Martin.
- Browse more brooms or additional works by Jack Martin.