Why a Badger, and not a horse?

I'm sorry if this topic has been covered....

However, I see all sorts of spins on the strop front, horse, pig, seal, deer, bear, etc... for leather. However, the only types of brushes that I see are boar, badger, and 'authentic bristle' (I love that last one...not to use but the vague-ness of it. Great marketing ploy). Anyway, I've read the 'perks' to badger hair, (absorbitvity, soft, wear-tear, etc...) but why have we not seen other furry critter hair used?

Why not horse tail insead of boar-bristle? What about exotic camel hair? Alpaca?
Perhaps tiger mane brush?

Just wondering..........

C utz

I understand horse hair was used in the past, but there was an issue with the spreading of anthrax. As far as others, I'm sure the main issue is the ability to absorb water.

Randy

Horse hair brushes were used to
brush hair off customers by barbers.

They mayhave used one to apply powders
as well.


Terry

I read horse hair was too soft and floppy to make a good shave brush, which sounds right.

I have seen both Camel and Goat hair used in bristle. I've seen both types of brushes on ebay in the past couple months.

Horse was used up until the first(or second) world war, I believe, when they had a problem with the brushes in the trenches spreading the anthrax bacteria/virus? At that point, there was a move to badger bristle.

If the anthraz story was true, then it was
most likely WW I. That would fit in with
the whole trench thing, more so than
WW II.



Terry

hello matt,

you are correct. horse hair was used up until WWI.

thanks,
mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shavethebadger

...Horse was used up until the first(or second) world war, I believe, when they had a problem with the brushes in the trenches spreading the anthrax bacteria/virus? At that point, there was a move to badger bristle.

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yea and its bad enough trying to wrestle a badger trying to relieve him of his hair I don't think I would try that with a horse!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

yea and its bad enough trying to wrestle a badger trying to relieve him of his hair I don't think I would try that with a horse!

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"Bald as a horse" it just doesn't sound right does it ?

I may be wrong, but I think horse hair was a popular component for all types of brushes (paint, grooming, cleaning, etc. ) much later than WWI. I'm certainly not disputing the anthrax reference... I have no knowledge about that either way.

I'm pretty sure that until at least the 1940's horsehair was readily available and widely used in the US. I grew up in a rural farmhouse house that had horsehair plaster walls which the previous owner said he added when he remodeled it in the late 1930's. As a kid I remember hairbrush and paintbrush handles having "genuine horsehair" stamped/branded on them. Horsehair is still used in many parts of the world for all sorts of things... padding, fabric, rope, brushes, baskets, pottery, and even violin strings. It's certainly available in craft stores for "artsy" uses and upholstery fabrics are still being made in Europe and China for the antique restoration trade. :hmmm: Now that I think about it, I believe I still have a horsehair pool table brush packed away somewhere (I don't know why -- I sold the pool table 15-years ago, lol).:w

I have an antique morris chair that's stuffed w/ horsehair. About 125 years old and still going strong. As for other hair for shaving brushes, I know my dad had an old shaving brush that he picked up in a yard sale before I was born (1951) that was made from sable. I used to watch him shave and he'd swipe my cheek w/ the lather. Even to pre-school skin, I remember it as one of the softest things I've ever felt. Don't know whatever became of it. I suspect he sold it to someone as I remember in high school he bought an Ever Ready boar bristle brush at the corner drug store, and the owner commented it was the first he'd sold in years. One of my nephews got the Ever Ready, I got several of dad's old Gillette Super Speeds and a couple adjustable Fat Boys. I passed some on to family members, and kept 2 Super Speeds.

Another second-hand confirmation on the horse-hair brushes. Fell out of favor WWI (thereabouts) because of anthrax transmission. This is also why so many brush manufacturers stated quite prominently on their wares that their bristles were 'sterilized'. To my knowledge, Simpson's is the only company that still maintains that bit of history on their brush decals.

FWIW,
Ed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dunkmiller

"Bald as a horse" it just doesn't sound right does it ?

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You just reminded me of another possible one....

What about Beaver?
:D

I mean, 'horse' was just a suggestion. My point was, what made them settle on badger, of all the furry creatures roaming this earth, and our propensity to manhandle them....why Badger? Especially, since they are a bit 'reluctant' to give up the ol' coat?

C utz

My understanding is that Badger hair retains water better than any other type of hair.

And it has very soft tips that load up with lather well, while they're gentle on your face.

As I remember from my previuos career in the paint industry:

We sold 100% badger bristles (about $150 a piece) to the artist painter. It was used to soften out brush strokes made by other brushes. In Dutch this is called "dassen" and a "das" is a badger. So, roughly translated: "badgering".

All the other brushes used for house-painting are made of boar. (or for the modern waterbased acrylics, nylon).

The reason badger is used for our shaving brushes might be, of it's great ability to retain water and is soft to the touch. While as boar is retainig water because of its split ends, because of its hard bristles it is not that soft to the touch.

Beaver hair cannot be used for a shaving brush, because of it's natural oils it will not hold any water. (Beavers tend to swim under water...)

So, I think the choices we have are mainly due to the bristles that are/were used for painting.

This also explaines the sable brush from Dennis. Sable brushes are the top for oil paintings and quite expensive too. Sable has gotten far too expensive to produce a affordable shaving brush.

Just my two cents.

I have a horse hair shoe shine brush. Probably about 10 years old or so.

Up in the far north we use wolverine hair, but they don't like it nearly so much so there's a pretty high casualty rate in the industry.

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