Thread: I love my horse hair brush but.........

I came across the horse hair brushes while placing an order from the Turkish supplier.
The prices were reasonable enough so I picked up a few different sizes and a couple extra for gifts.
The brushes have backbone and build substantial lather from harder soaps yet don't seem to be as firm as boar.
They hold a truck load of lather and are a great value for the dollar.
They may not be for everybody but I find myself using them in my rotation.
The biggest downside with these brushes is the awful smell that emanates from the wet brush in the first few uses. A few hand lathers though and you are good to go.
I've noticed that the knot seems to be slightly above the rim of the holder and may be the reason for the donut shape when wet.
I've attached pics of dry and wet.
My question is, do all horse hair brushes do this or is it only the "Lider" brand from Bestshave?

I have a Horse Hair brush from Vie-Long..it does what you are showing but not to that extent. It is probably my favourite brush and the most used just because it has the softness as well as the backbone that I enjoy. It works great for soaps, creams, or whatever I throw at it…my go to brush

You say it has backbone? Based on the second picture, brushes with backbone don't do that. That's floppy.

I guess everything is relative.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

You say it has backbone? Based on the second picture, brushes with backbone don't do that. That's floppy.

I guess everything is relative.

Maybe I'm wrong and maybe we 'are' related

Could it be that the hollow is due to the knot sitting too high on the handle?
bijgspender are you suggesting the firm hairs are in the center of the brush with the softer on the perimeter?
Ralph

Even a high end badger Knot will do that when loft is set to High.The rim of the handle cannot support the knot,It will not keep the hairs in place so it just falls over.

Hello pixelfixed, I was hoping you would join in.
if the knot is too high, do I have to remove it and reinstall into another handle or can I put a "band" around it to pull it tighter?

Originally Posted by Raol

Hello pixelfixed, I was hoping you would join in.
if the knot is too high, do I have to remove it and reinstall into another handle or can I put a "band" around it to pull it tighter?

Have never used a band (O rings) but It might work as you are lowering the loft a bit by doing so.

A classic two bander would never do that no matter the loft. Some hair types and grades just have certain characteristics. You can modify the knot to change the way it behaves but you still have the same material to work with.

Mind you I'm not suggesting it's a bad brush just not one with much backbone as I think of backbone.

I read somewhere that horsehair brushes had a "hollow"spot in the knot that allowed for more flex of the hair fiber. That may be part of the reason for the donut look. Please correct me if I am wrong.