Was Older Badger Hair Softer?

[onotoman]

hi guys,

I have a lot of brushes (I sell new and vintage) and also collect vintage ones too.

what i've found it that the hair in my vintage ones always seems much softer than the new ones.

For example, I have a lovely USA Made-Rite (brush on right in image below) and although it is 'Pure Badger' it is softer than any of the new Best or Supers I have and certainly any new 'pure' (from Simpson's, Vulfix, Kent, Edwin Jagger etc). Even the little brush on the left - also pure is softer than any new one I have.

I suppose the softness could come from the fact that they've been used, but the made-rite looks pretty unused to me.

Anyone have similar experiences?

 

[luvmysuper]

hi guys,

I have a lot of brushes (I sell new and vintage) and also collect vintage ones too.

what i've found it that the hair in my vintage ones always seems much softer than the new ones.

For example, I have a lovely USA Made-Rite (brush on right in image below) and although it is 'Pure Badger' it is softer than any of the new Best or Supers I have and certainly any new 'pure' (from Simpson's, Vulfix, Kent, Edwin Jagger etc). Even the little brush on the left - also pure is softer than any new one I have.

I suppose the softness could come from the fact that they've been used, but the made-rite looks pretty unused to me.

Anyone have similar experiences?

I find the badger hair brushes just have not been as soft since they reformulated them in '84.



But seriously, I think it probably has a lot to do with how much the brush has been broken in, and what grade of hair it was to begin with. I don't think there has been a paradigm shift in the harvesting or preparation of the hair in recent years, so what else could possibly account for it?

 

[The Nid Hog]

I think that it depends on what the badgers are eating and how well groomed they are before the moment of "donation." If they're hand fed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and regularly washed with a shampoo rich in emollients, they tend to yield a softer brush.

 

[luvmysuper]

I think that it depends on what the badgers are eating and how well groomed they are before the moment of "donation." If they're hand fed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and regularly washed with a shampoo rich in emollients, they tend to yield a softer brush.

My thoughts are that the phrase "Hand Fed" in reference to a Badger has a whole different meaning.

 

[bythbook]

I think that it depends on what the badgers are eating and how well groomed they are before the moment of "donation." If they're hand fed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and regularly washed with a shampoo rich in emollients, they tend to yield a softer brush.

My thoughts are that the phrase "Hand Fed" in reference to a Badger has a whole different meaning.

you guys are too much.


I mean that from the heart.

 

[Greybeard]

My thoughts are that the phrase "Hand Fed" in reference to a Badger has a whole different meaning.

But seriously, I think it probably has a lot to do with how much the brush has been broken in, and what grade of hair it was to begin with. I don't think there has been a paradigm shift in the harvesting or preparation of the hair in recent years, so what else could possibly account for it?

+1.
Badgers only became a fully protected species in the Western Hemisphere in 1992, though. So the vintage brushes probably have American or European badger hair, if that makes a difference.

Most of the vintage badger brushes I've seen have been marked "pure badger" regardless of hair type. I've seen a few vintage "fine badger" and "best badger" from British brushmakers. I think there was more emphasis on differentiating between badger, badger-cased and badger sketched boar than there was on hair type from the non-boutique brushmakers.

Is it possible that your Made-Rite was re-knotted before you acquired it? I had one of those Made-Rites at one time and the hair was beige/brown with more of a fan shape. That looks like a modern silvertip knot.



- Peter

 

[Topgumby]

Let me tell ya, back then the badger was softer, the tallow was richer, the whiskey was stronger, the horses were faster, the girls were prettier, the bad guys were badder and the good guys made lather.


But, I think the switch to Chinese badger might have something to do with it, too...

 

[Blondie]

I think that it depends on what the badgers are eating and how well groomed they are before the moment of "donation." If they're hand fed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and regularly washed with a shampoo rich in emollients, they tend to yield a softer brush.

This is incredibly well thought out!

I got a hold of a NOS Made Rite from a fellow member, and I also thought this. The knot looks almost like a Silvertip, and is soft. Could it be a density thing? BTW, that Made Rite is a stunner!

 

[onotoman]

It is indeed a lovely brush and one I'll pass on to my son - in my will, he's not getting it until I go to...(wherever) It's a joy to use..

This is incredibly well thought out!

I got a hold of a NOS Made Rite from a fellow member, and I also thought this. The knot looks almost like a Silvertip, and is soft. Could it be a density thing? BTW, that Made Rite is a stunner!

 

[onotoman]

and the summers were hotter and we got proper snow in the winter and and and people used proper razors instead of those plastic encased five bladed gel strip equivalents of the Wonder bra! Glad I got that out....

Let me tell ya, back then the badger was softer, the tallow was richer, the whiskey was stronger, the horses were faster, the girls were prettier, the bad guys were badder and the good guys made lather.


But, I think the switch to Chinese badger might have something to do with it, too...