Deer Brush. Have you ever seen one like this...?

[The_Danish_Guy]

Hi guys.

Tell me what you think of this old piece of history. It's made out of hair from a deer.
It´s from the old DDR. Deutche Democratische Republic. Or something like that.

What do you think about it?

Kind regards Lars Jensen

 

[Rudy Vey]

Don't think they are made with deer hair. "Hirsch" is the name and they show as logo a stag's head, like "Muehle" is another brand name and show a mill as logo.

 

[BROWNS]

Interesting! How would you describe it, like boar hair or something?

 

[Bit2]

It looks to be Boar, and there isn't anything wrong with that.....

 

[shm]

I've tried a search on the name of the manufacturer and found a German shave-site (I think), where a guy show among others a brush like this and he don't know if it is boar or deer, and another confirms it is deer, so...

http://www.gut-rasiert.de/forum/index.php?topic=1312.315

 

[The_Danish_Guy]

It says "Hirschpinsel" and that means Deer brush. Why would'nt it bee deer if it says so on the sticker??

I have'nt felt a boar brush before, so i don't know if it feels the same.
The hairs are very stiff.
The colors are SO typicall German.

Kind regards Lars Jensen

 

[Flyfisherman]

Cool...I use deer hair too but only for tying flies...

 

[Thebigspendur]

They've used all kinds of critters to make brushes out of so I see no reason why deer wouldn't be one of them. In the end though its boar and badger that is really used with badger the premium and boar the cheapie. That's just the way it is.

 

[The_Danish_Guy]

Cool...I use deer hair too but only for tying flies...

Does the hair look similar to the ones in my brush?

Fishing....... mmmmmmmmmm i miss fishing. Maybe i should start again....?


Kind regards Lars Jensen

 

[The_Danish_Guy]

They've used all kinds of critters to make brushes out of so I see no reason why deer wouldn't be one of them. In the end though its boar and badger that is really used with badger the premium and boar the cheapie. That's just the way it is.

How many different kinds of materials do you know of is beeing used for making shaving brushes?


Kind regards Lars Jensen

 

[gbernard]

never mind the brush, look at that handle !!!!! i love it ! beautiful !!

butterscotch, perpsex and that chocolate is a great colour combo, polish up the handle and stick a golden knib in there . .

 

[The_Danish_Guy]

How would you polish that brush, what would you use??

I can't buy "Flitz" here in Denmark.

Plz help me out!!


Kind regards Lars Jensen

 

[krissy]

I hunt deer, and I'm trying to think where the hair might be long enough to make a brush from it. Also I can't say I've ever seen hair like that on any of the deer I have harvested. The deer (white tail) up here have hair that tends to be softer and a whole lot shorter.

But I'll be sure to pay closer attention this Nov when I'm out in the field hunting.

Don't think they are made with deer hair. "Hirsch" is the name and they show as logo a stag's head, like "Muehle" is another brand name and show a mill as logo.

I think I'll agree with Rudy in this, plus it really looks a whole lot like boar and not like any deer hair i've ever seen.

 

[pkey]

Actually, it looks like the name of the company is Erzgebirgische Pinselfabrik, and, judging from page 3 of this document, it looks like Erzgebirgische Pinselfabrik became Hans-Jürgen Müller GmbH & Co. KG, the company that makes the MÜHLE branded products.

Given that, I think it's highly likely that the brush is, in fact, made from deer hair.

 

[Rudy Vey]

I do some fly tying myself and from that I know that deer hair is mostly hollow and not as resistant as badger or swine's hair (boar). If you pull your tying thread a bit too tight, you can easily cut the hair. From this I would say deer hair is not likely lasting long in a brush, and this bristle looks like boar to me, too.
To my knowledge only three kind of hairs are used for shaving brushes:
Badger
Swine (boar)
Horse
Plus the mighty chemical hair Nylon

 

[The_Danish_Guy]

Actually, it looks like the name of the company is Erzgebirgische Pinselfabrik, and, judging from page 3 of this document, it looks like Erzgebirgische Pinselfabrik became Hans-Jürgen Müller GmbH & Co. KG, the company that makes the MÜHLE branded products.

WAUW
You are a very good detective. I can't thank you enough for that clue.

I have emailed Mühle with questions and a direct link to this post.
I really hope they take me serious and will help me with some answers.


Kind regards Lars Jensen

 

[The_Danish_Guy]

I do some fly tying myself and from that I know that deer hair is mostly hollow ......

.. if the hairs are hollow, could they or could they not retain more water perhabs?


Kind regards Lars Jensen

 

[Rudy Vey]

.. if the hairs are hollow, could they or could they not retain more water perhabs?


Kind regards Lars Jensen

They are open on the skin-side, so this would be the part that is encased in the glue (or whatever holds the hairs together). Deer hair flies do float very well.....

 

[Jwolf24601]

I hunt deer, and I'm trying to think where the hair might be long enough to make a brush from it. Also I can't say I've ever seen hair like that on any of the deer I have harvested. The deer (white tail) up here have hair that tends to be softer and a whole lot shorter.

But I'll be sure to pay closer attention this Nov when I'm out in the field hunting.


I think I'll agree with Rudy in this, plus it really looks a whole lot like boar and not like any deer hair i've ever seen.

I hunt deer too and was thinking the same thing Krissy. Perhaps from the tail or a different species of deer than we have here, European Stag, Caribou or Reindeer might would have longer hair.

If I am successful next week I will look the mule deer over well for such hair

 

[Flyfisherman]

I do some fly tying myself and from that I know that deer hair is mostly hollow and not as resistant as badger or swine's hair (boar). If you pull your tying thread a bit too tight, you can easily cut the hair. From this I would say deer hair is not likely lasting long in a brush, and this bristle looks like boar to me, too.
To my knowledge only three kind of hairs are used for shaving brushes:
Badger
Swine (boar)
Horse
Plus the mighty chemical hair Nylon

I agree with Rudy Vey:
I've been an avid fly fisherman and fly tyer for 45+ years. Here's what I can tell you about badger hair: Badgers have, what we in the fly tying community refer to as, solid hair vs. species such as deer, elk, moose, antelope and caribou which have, predominantly, hollow hairs. Structurally, solid hairs are not actually solid but rather, under the pressure of tying thread, they behave as though they were. Such hairs are incompressible and do not flare or deform as they are wrapped with thread. The surface of the fibers tends to be rather smooth, almost slippery, and when gathered in a bundle, these hairs will slide and roll against one another. My conclusion would be that badger hair hydrophilic properties are not such that it absorbs water, per se, although there is some penetration in the animal when alive because of the permeability properties of the skin which allow for follicle opening and, thus, some water retention. Absent of the skin, I believe that, in a shaving brush, it is the architectural structure of the instrument that accounts for water retention. Hope this makes sense...rgds...