Around 2008 or so, Taylor of Old Bond Street released a series of shaving brushes marked "Imitation Badger." The was a series following an early synthetic version, followed by a subsequent synthetic version. Part of the outcry of the ca. 2008 series was that it involved animal hair or a mix of animal hair and synthetic bristle. I have a couple of these, and in looking at the tips, I'm really at a loss to know the exact make up. Tips arrive at very narrow tips like horsehair, yet they split very finely at the very tip, unlike any horsehair knot I've observed. At the perimeter of the knot, the hairs take a wavy quality, like badger, and throughout, there what appear to be clipped darker hairs interspersed. One the latter fell out as I was recently studied them, and I wondered if it might not be synthetic.
In studying the older threads at the time, there was a number of supposition (albeit some of it being sarcastic) involving what the actual make-up of the knots were. TOBS was fairly hush-hush, only saying that, yes, the knot had animal hair.
Just wondering, was there ever a final determination as to their make-up? The handles all came from Vulfix, so I suppose that Vulfix may also have been involved in the knot-making, although not necessarily.
In studying the older threads at the time, there was a number of supposition (albeit some of it being sarcastic) involving what the actual make-up of the knots were. TOBS was fairly hush-hush, only saying that, yes, the knot had animal hair.
Just wondering, was there ever a final determination as to their make-up? The handles all came from Vulfix, so I suppose that Vulfix may also have been involved in the knot-making, although not necessarily.
