The water used as a driving force finds its greatest application in the braid-making and more specifically in the braid knitting.
      The beginning of the mechanical braid-knitting dates back to the first decades of the 19th century when the first Bulgarian machine - the so-called "tchark" came up. Many Bulgarian blacksmiths mainly watch-makers transferred their workshops for tchark-making that were sold in the braid-making centers - Karlovo, Kalofer, Sopot etc. In the 1830s the beginning of braid-knitting started up which grew to one of the highly-developed crafts in the region during the 1860s. the number of machines went up to 700-800 and the production up to 1,5 min rolls. The water as a driving force contributed to the high development of the braid-knitting process. The existing tradition and the various water-powered equipments became the main reason for that.
      The braid-knitting wheels were set up in a highly specific place called the braidmaker's room. It was a two-storey building adjacent by design to the mill stream. The upper floor was an ordinary room while below the wooden floor the driving mechanisms of the machines were set up. The size of the room determined the number of the devices mounted in the workshop as well as the water possibilities to drive in the designated number of the machines. The rooms with 10-12 and 15-20 devices were widely spread.
      The braid-maker's rooms were usually built far from the towns and the villages close to the mill streams. They were usually set up in groups of 3-10 placed one under the other so that they could use the water rationally. Sometimes the water mills, the fulling-mills and the braid-maker's rooms came one after the other. The great demand for braids determined the 24-hour working process of the machines in the second half of the 19th century.
      The number of the braid-making rooms along the upper valley of the Yantra, Sivek, Strajka and Koziashtiza rivers increased so that they could proceed all year long where the water did not freeze. It is where the braid-maker's rooms lasted lasted longest tiil 1947-1948.
      A driving mechanism, separate for each device determined the braid-knitting process (driving mechanisms - the machine itself) devices providing the pulling and accumulating of the knitted braid.
      Both the "tchark" and the "karadjeika" type of water equipment - perey, wooden axle and metal axle that comes up the room there the big cog wheel lies. It is circulating and diver over the water wheel force to the "tchark".
      The devices are arranged along the workshops close to the walls. The braid-knitting is performed by a "tchark", taht consists of cog-wheels with vanes, transmitting the revolution towards the spools, bearing wooden reels with coiled yarn. A strictly designated path directs their way through a metal plate. The two groups of spools - left and right follow their way through independent double-crossed ellipses. The knitted braid is pulled and dragged out by some devices (reel, comb, etc.) providing an even knitting process. The accomplished material is rolled over wooden reels, most often carrying a stone balance.
      There are braid devices with 8, 10 and 12 spools. They are served by one or more braid-knitting. A smart technique is used so that more machines could be served. Primitive devices provide the machine holdup every time when the thread is torn or debalancing has occurred.
      The further braid-processing - singeing, dyeing, market preparations are carried out in other workshops (dye - houses) outside the rooms.
      The braid making room exhibited at Etar has been transferred in 1964 from "Tpavitsite" region close to Gabrovo. Its door is engraved with various disasters: floods, snowfalls in May etc.
      Adjacent to dye-house is the braid-making room. A fireplace for braid singeing, dyeing bowls, a place for pulling and dragging is mounted. Sumach leaves were
      Used for black - dyeing in the past.