The Brush: Basic Information Everyone Should Know

[PLANofMAN]

What about 'super' badger - I imagine because the tips are 'treated' (whatever that means) they are as soft as they are gonna get? I haven't really found much about super compared to others. Is it relatively new..?

Sorry for the late reply. I don't know how "new" the technique is, but my experience with badger is that the tips don't change. Boar gets softer with use as the ends 'flag' (fray). Boar bristles are naturally flagged on the ends. Some manufacturers trim the ends (which is why there is a break in time), and some don't. When a manufacturer like semogue says "90% tops," you know that 90% of the bristles are naturally flagged, and break in time for such a brush is essentially zero.

Badger is essentially "what you see is what you get." If it's scratchy from the start, it will never get softer.

Edit: as far as face feel, super is comparable to silvertip.

 

[Paper Plane]

I will be looking for a brush soon and my concern is the ethical side of using hair from an animal. I'm a vegetarian, so don't want to buy a brush the hairs of which have come from a dead badger or boar.

This leads me to two questions:

1. Are there guaranteed 'ethical' badger and/or boar brushes on the market?
or...
2. Should I just go for a synthetic?

Thanks

steve

 

[Lord Fatboy]

I will be looking for a brush soon and my concern is the ethical side of using hair from an animal. I'm a vegetarian, so don't want to buy a brush the hairs of which have come from a dead badger or boar.

This leads me to two questions:

1. Are there guaranteed 'ethical' badger and/or boar brushes on the market?
or...
2. Should I just go for a synthetic?

Thanks

steve

I would just go for synthetic - then you'll know for sure.

 

[halvor]

I will be looking for a brush soon and my concern is the ethical side of using hair from an animal. I'm a vegetarian, so don't want to buy a brush the hairs of which have come from a dead badger or boar.

This leads me to two questions:

1. Are there guaranteed 'ethical' badger and/or boar brushes on the market?
or...
2. Should I just go for a synthetic?

Thanks

steve

If this is of deep concern to you, yes, you should go with a synth. Virtually all badger is from China AFAIK, not the place where ethics and animals go in the same sentence. I have no clue how this industry is run, but doubt that they have badger spa salon workers that gently shave select areas of the badger’s bodies while a badgerette plays with its plums and another feeds it grapes...

 

[PLANofMAN]

I will be looking for a brush soon and my concern is the ethical side of using hair from an animal. I'm a vegetarian, so don't want to buy a brush the hairs of which have come from a dead badger or boar.

This leads me to two questions:

1. Are there guaranteed 'ethical' badger and/or boar brushes on the market?
or...
2. Should I just go for a synthetic?

Thanks

steve

There are a few companies that say that their hair is ethically gathered. No proof beyond their word was ever offered.

Badgers and boars are not killed just for their hair. The hair is collected since the animal is dead. Your choice to buy the hair/bristle or not, will not save the animal from being killed.

As others have said, for complete peace of mind, go with synthetic.

 

[MntnMan62]

As soon as I read that they rub the animals down with Rogaine after depriving them of their hair, I realized that Monty Python was behind the write up. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[PLANofMAN]

As soon as I read that they rub the animals down with Rogaine after depriving them of their hair, I realized that Monty Python was behind the write up. Thanks for the laugh.

I suppose it's possible. It was told to me second hand, but the person who told me isn't someone I would consider "reliable." I consider it fictional until proven otherwise.

In other words...I want to see a picture of a shaved badger running around.

 

[Paper Plane]

Thanks for the advice chaps. Very helpful. On balance, I will probably go for synthetic. Just have find a suitable example...

steve

 

[dc68]

Thanks for the advice chaps. Very helpful. On balance, I will probably go for synthetic. Just have find a suitable example...

steve

Chubby 2 synthetic is a great brush

 

[fly3k]

Thanks for the advice chaps. Very helpful. On balance, I will probably go for synthetic. Just have find a suitable example...

steve

Whilst synthetic is not cruel to animals, the production of the fibres causes a lot of environmental damage. Who knows how many humans or animals that will kill? Just a thought.

I have all kinds of brush knots but not as yet tried a horse knot. These are, as far as I’m aware, made by grooming the horse rather than killing it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[halvor]

Horse hair is also likely to be taken from dead animals, I fear.

PETA’s vote is for synthetics. Not exactly a neutral source, and the article concerns paint brushes, but I imagine it’s largely the same thing https://www.peta.org/living/humane-home/animal-friendly-paintbrush-fur-free/

 

[Steed]

Whilst looking around for a new brush I stumbled upon this thread. As a relative newcomer to DE Shaving (nearly 2 years) I find this sort of thread extremely useful.

My next brush (3rd) will probably be a synthetic.

 

[Hogan]

Thanks for this thread. I have ordered 2 badger brushes but will be going down the synthetic route. I have one synthetisch brush, a Muhle synth that works great.

 

[novitskii6852]

There is a lot of useful information in this thread. Thank you to the author for meticulous work.