Thread: Troll brush

Silvertip badger hair is hollow,that why it holds more water and retains heat.
Boar bristle is solid,Will badger dye better?? No clue

I use Trumpers Rose & Violet creams both I feel use far to much dye's I.M.H.O. Its so bad I use a designated brush for those to creams only. Even after a vigorous rinsing after every use it leaves a pinkish hue on the hairs. Thats with a cream, with a dye I betcha it will hold color.

The badger hair is more hygroscopic than other hairs, that's why it makes good brushes. The thing is what happens once you dye it - how easy it is to wash it off. Some dyes are better than others, and looking at the results beet juice isn't particularly good.

I'd look at wool dying because that's also keratin based material, more or less it's much finer hair. For browinsh/beige colors tea would work well, and walnut leaves/husks as well (if you want to stay with natural materials that are cheap or free). Bright red would be difficult, but you certainly can have reddish hue, just have to lookup the material.
I know because my grandma used to dye wool with various leaves and roots. Anything you use, including commercial stuff would probably leach a bit afterwards, especially since you'll be making lather i.e. using soap (remember it washes stuff ).
If you use hair dye that would leech less because it has fixative, i.e. something that makes the die molecules stick chemically after they're absorbed in the hair initially, so they dissolve less in subsequent contact with water and soap, but there will still be some leeching.

So, find out what people use to dye wool - it'll be faster than going through the trial and error yourself

Originally Posted by gugi

...snip...
So, find out what people use to dye wool - it'll be faster than going through the trial and error yourself

Here are some folks in your area that know how...
ashfordaustralia.com/products/ashford-wool-dye
mountainspinnery.com/dyes
indigoinspirations.net.au/wool_felt_dyes
~Richard

right here is the new plan (for want of a more accurate way to describe a rough scheme), i will email the dye people from geezers post, to find out about dying boar, but regardless of their answer i will wait until i have found out if i can fir the knot to the troll before investing in dye.

Pixel, i hope you didnt take my previous comment the wrong way, when you offered to make the knot any colour i wanted i thought you had a way of doing it.

No Prob, as we speak I am soaking a trashed badger Knot in red food coloring,just for grins

I wonder what they originally used to dye your test brush? That has been dyed already. {The black.}

Originally Posted by 32t

I wonder what they originally used to dye your test brush? That has been dyed already. {The black.}

On the old Boar brushes,am not sure it was a dye process as only the outer fibers are coated to mimic badger.
Perhaps some sort of airbrush type paint process?

Just had a thought about a suitable dye - Henna, a natural product that sends hair very orange. It's basically used as a hair conditioner but left on too long results in the colour change.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

No Prob, as we speak I am soaking a trashed badger Knot in red food coloring,just for grins

is it the one mrs pixel went crazy on?