Fuller Badger Brush

[Phog Allen]

Good morning gents. Yesterday my daughters and I went to the local antique mall. We haunt this place every few weeks in search of shavegeek treasure. They enjoy it too and are happy to help look. My eldest very excitedly waved me over to a booth I'd gone over many times. There it was in all it's grimy glory. A small, Fuller brush stuffed with badger hair no less. You coudn't grow up around the midwest without hearing the name Fuller Brush but I'd never seen one of the salesmen, let alone any of their brushes. At least new anyway, At $7.50 I had to grab it.

The first thing I did was set about cleaning it. I wish I'd have taken before pics. 30-40 years of smudgy grime melted right away with some soft scrub. The bristles wer cleaned with Dawn and then shampoo. I figured, oh well, if it comes apart when I clean it, no huge loss. Well I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did it NOT come apart, the hair is some of the most luxurious I've ever felt. No kidding. I was quite dubious given the weird colouration of the bristles. Your monitor doesn't lie, the brisltes are an off orange colour. Any of you who live in the midwest and have seen sawn, dried hedge lumber will know exactly the colour of which I speak. After the cleaning and drying, I ran this across my face and am most happy to say it's every bit as nice as the larger Vulfix super you see in the accompanying photos. It also holds more water in it's bristles per se than any of my other brushes including the Vulfix. You soak them down and the bristles are literally a mop of wet hair. They are quite soft. No scrubbing up tough hard soaps but I think a soft cream would literally explode in this brush. I'll try to get some lathering pics up soon. Enjoy.

Todd

Comparison shot from left to right; Omega boar, Fuller Badger, Vulfix Super, Concordbadger

Overhead of same brushes as above

 

[PottyDoctor]

Allen,

Very nice find indeed! Such a unique, nostalgic treasure. Here in east Tennessee the Fuller Brush Company was also a household name as well. However, I don't remember seeing my grandparents purchasing a Fuller badger shaving brush. Most of the time they purchased their various brushes for kitchen use.

Hope you enjoy it!

 

[roughrider]

What happened with the discoloration?

 

[Phog Allen]

Okay chaps. Sorry to dredge up and bump an old post of mine but I wondered what your thoughts would be on cleaning this one up? I have left it in the show case rather than use it but those godawful orange bristles are just nauseating. I also wondered about cleaning polishing the handles?

BTW, I have been given two other Fuller brushes. One has a white handle that is sort of tulip shaped with an octagon base. Of course it is stamped Fuller and on the other side has "sterilized pure bristles set in rubber". The other one looks like the Eveready's or Everlast's or whatever they are and has no markings on the sides but does have "house of Fuller" on the bottom and "made in Canada". is either a good candidate for a new knot? The white handled one has some grime on the handle that needs to be removed but I am not sure what it is. It also has two little cratered spots that look like they were melted into it. I suspect it was laid on a hot curling iron or something similar. Anyway, these cost me nothing and I thought they may be good candidates for a beginner to experiment on.

Regards, Todd

 

[luvmysuper]

I say go for it. Start with the worst, and work your experience through to the best, which (to me) sounds like that first one you found. I love the shape of that handle.