Thread: show your brushes!

Hope these pictures come thru, first attempt uploading here, thuya burl body, ivory spacer, buffalo horn end 24mm TGN best set at 48mm, my pictures don't do it justice. Thanks Pixelfixed(Bill) it looks great and performs great!!

Originally Posted by chad9975

Hope these pictures come thru, first attempt uploading here, thuya burl body, ivory spacer, buffalo horn end 24mm TGN best set at 48mm, my pictures don't do it justice. Thanks Pixelfixed(Bill) it looks great and performs great!!

Bamboo brush stand?

Originally Posted by Trimmy72

Bamboo brush stand?

I think it's bamboo, and also a maple if memory serves me correctly. Got it off the bay sometime in the summer.

Wow, what nice brushes you have all posted I was wondering, if price wasnt an issue, what is the best type of brush to buy? are any particular brands "stand-out" compared to others. Also, does anyone know how the hair is harvested? Do they kill the badgers, or do they farm them and shave them? I hate the idea of an animal being killed for a brush when synthetic options are available (even though Im sure they would be nowhere near as good). Are there organic / animal friendly suppliers? Personally, I would happily spend much more for a humanely harvested brush, or take a synthetic and just deal with it being not as fine. I know some people lather by hand using soap or buy shaving creams and still get great shaves, and would want not to subject any animal to abuse just so I have a nice brush to boast about.
I saw some comments saying Boar is best, but others saying its not great as doesnt hold water well. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts. Thanks

Andrew.in China where all knots come from, the badgers are killed as they are considerd vermin, the pelts are used, the meat is eaten.
Go witha Syn knot,it will serve you well.
that being said, do you have a leather strop? do you wear leather shoes?

Andrew if you are worried about animals being killed and their hair/bristles used for making shave brushes that you will use there are 2 alternatives for you. Horse hair brushes where the hair is "supposedly" collected when the manes and tails are groomed and synthetic shave brushes. You won't be sorry if you go with a Muhle V2 synthetic silver tip fiber shave brush. I have 2 and they perform among the est I have. OTH there is likely nothing that humans use/consume that does not directly or indirectly harm animals or the environment to produce.

Bob

Hi, thanks for your reply.

I am new to this and am in the process or researching to purchase my first straight razor.

I dont have a strop yet, and the leather source is a consideration important to me. I know farmers where I can obtain leather from old cows (I actually own a cow being cared for by a farmer I used to work for, so I can use the leather once the cow is old or in ill health) and have one hide put away from when I did a similar thing a number of years ago.

I do wear leather shoes, as I find that synthetic options either a) sweat and dont last; b) the synthetic alternatives cause more harm than good... I purchase very good quality footwear whenever leather is involved (ie RM Williams, church's etc) so I can get 20 years from a pair of shoes, with good care and have them resoled when required. I admit I dont like using animal products when an animal has been harmed to produce the item, but also try to take a long term view, ie. the cost to the environment for a synthetic product; whether the use of the animal comes from a byproduct of other industries (such as gelatin) etc. If a humane and sustainable option isnt available for a pruduct, such as a shaving brush, I will find alternatives (such as a shave cream I can apply by hand).

Would still love to hear everyone else's thoughts. Please know I am not judging others or their product choices, I am simply seeking advice or assistance based on my own lifestyle choices. (I am an animal nut, always have been since a child and always will be. I know Id feel guilty if I didnt do what I can to help animal welfare or global sustainability - to give you an idea, every holiday I have taken in the last 10 years involves volunteering at animal shelters, zoos etc (plus I always make time for a few beers etc on my travels lol))

Thanks for the info Bob. That's great news as I know a lot of farmers with horses. I may ask them to harvest some hair for me and have a craftsman assemble into a brush for me. Should I be asking for a particular type / area of hair from the mane/tail?

If I did this, would anyone else be interested in one? And does anyone know a craftsman who could do a good job making it into nice brushes?

Originally Posted by AndrewJM

Thanks for the info Bob. That's great news as I know a lot of farmers with horses. I may ask them to harvest some hair for me and have a craftsman assemble into a brush for me. Should I be asking for a particular type / area of hair from the mane/tail?

If I did this, would anyone else be interested in one? And does anyone know a craftsman who could do a good job making it into nice brushes?

Vie-Long is a brush maker that uses horse hair in some of their brushes…I have one and it's probably my go to brush most of the time I also have a few badgers and a boar as well.

Fantastic, thank you very much