The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word BLOWTORCH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
L
O
W
T
O
R
C
H
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Brow rubbed with cloth, being by this?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case brow rubbed with cloth, being by this? = blowtorch.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BLOWTORCH mean?
BLOWTORCH noun- A tool which projects a controlled stream of a highly flammable gas over a spark in order to produce a controlled flame.
- To apply a blowtorch to something.