Why are horse brushes not as popular

[Space_Cadet]

I was wondering what makes people skip horse brushes and why they seem to draw very little attention. I've been using mine along with badgers and it gives me some great shaves. I like it much more than the boar brushes I've tried.

 

[Rhody]

I dont have a horse in this race as i dont have one. Ive read they are floppy
However one difference these are animals that people name. Not like a badger or boar.

 

[BigJ]

Great question!!

That’s all I can say as I never felt the ‘need’ to try a horse hair brush. (Strange indeed!)

 

[SliceOfLife]

They have zero backbone. I suspect they may have a role in mixed brushes where they are 30% or less (likely closer to 10-15%) of the volume... but the 50/50 or higher Horse brushes I've tried have been like trying to lather with a small mop. They just wipe around on your face and get all tangled up. A Horse/Synthetic or Horse/Boar mix could prove interesting.

And Rhody, the naming thing is probably not an issue. Unlike Bristle and Badger hair (gathered after slaughter), Horse Hair is supposedly collected via normal grooming.

 

[Rudy Vey]

I dont have a horse in this race as i dont have one. Ive read they are floppy
However one difference these are animals that people name. Not like a badger or boar.

Yes, mine is named Wesley - I know odd, but his show name is Viaggio, but Wesley or Wes is easier to say.

 

[rreynoso]

Granted I only had one (and gifted it) it doesn't brought me any quality that make it stand to other brushes. First the stench was really bad (maybe it was just mine) but it took several washes and lathers to go away. Then the performance was ok kind of a pure badger without the backbone. Maybe they improve over time, but I didn't have the patience. Odd,because I am a boar guy and have no problem with the breakage. Maybe in the future I'll buy one again.

Cheers

 

[Space_Cadet]

Mine has a reasonable backbone. I've bought it at gifts&care back in the day. I've checked and they don't sell brushes like mine anymore.

 

[fast shaver]

It sounds like a face lather guys dream come true. Floppy is good for us guys. We don't like scritch & scratch brushes.

 

[FarmerTan]

Yes, mine is named Wesley - I know odd, but his show name is Viaggio, but Wesley or Wes is easier to say.

Wes is one handsome fella! He looks like he loves the camera, by the way he's tilting his head!

 

[FarmerTan]

My experience with Horse hair is in neck dusters after a haircut. Of course, they are cut about 6 or more inches long for that.

And they do smell a bit when new. They do a great job of getting rid of hair clippings. We hairdressers never clean off the necks as well off the poor tippers, just a heads up for ya's, lol.

 

[ddillas]

They have zero backbone. I suspect they may have a role in mixed brushes where they are 30% or less (likely closer to 10-15%) of the volume... but the 50/50 or higher Horse brushes I've tried have been like trying to lather with a small mop. They just wipe around on your face and get all tangled up. A Horse/Synthetic or Horse/Boar mix could prove interesting.

And Rhody, the naming thing is probably not an issue. Unlike Bristle and Badger hair (gathered after slaughter), Horse Hair is supposedly collected via normal grooming.

There was an anthrax outbreak among soldiers in WW1 that came from non-sterilized horse hair shaving brushes. For this reason they fell out of favor AND you will see printed on many vintage/antique brushes the word STERILIZED. The hair in horse hair brushes comes from the trimmings of the tail and mane. I have a Vie Long 13061S and it is a very attractive and good performing brush. I have older less dense badger brushes that are much more floppy... like most Kent brushes. I think Vie Long is the only main line manufacturer of horse hair brushes as the Spanish culture is horse crazy and so they have a steady supply of base materials. Gifts & Care is one of the best sources for Vie Long and they have brushes in different natural colors as well as mixed knots. I'm sure a quick Google search would reveal other sources. They're not too costly and work reasonable well, maybe it's time to try one out.

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[Rudy Vey]

Wes is one handsome fella! He looks like he loves the camera, by the way he's tilting his head!

Oh yes, he knows how to pose....

 

[malocchio]

I have several, I really enjoy them....You can get a nice thick custom

knot or full brush with handle from:

 

[Scaramouche]

They have zero backbone. I suspect they may have a role in mixed brushes where they are 30% or less (likely closer to 10-15%) of the volume... but the 50/50 or higher Horse brushes I've tried have been like trying to lather with a small mop. They just wipe around on your face and get all tangled up. A Horse/Synthetic or Horse/Boar mix could prove interesting.

And Rhody, the naming thing is probably not an issue. Unlike Bristle and Badger hair (gathered after slaughter), Horse Hair is supposedly collected via normal grooming.

This. Have tried several, and for me there's nothing to recommend them over badger. Softer than boar, and as noted not collected by killing the animal, but nothing superior in performance. They also, as noted, are more prone to knotting and tangling.

 

[Timeclo]

I was wondering what makes people skip horse brushes and why they seem to draw very little attention. I've been using mine along with badgers and it gives me some great shaves. I like it much more than the boar brushes I've tried.

I have one horse hair brush. I'm sure that one is not a good representation for all horse hair brushes but here's my take on it. It has low backbone but it has tons of scritch. I'd say a bit below pure badgers. Also, the hairs are thin so they can get tangled easily. I'm starting to enjoy those features of the horse hair but it's definitely not my favorite hence not being popular with other people as well.

 

[Clay S]

It feels like a badger/boar mixed brush to me. Scritch with stiffer bristles to enhance the prickle.

Not something I like, but using different strokes it isn't uncomfortable. It does lather well and I've only managed to tangle my badger, not my horse. I imagine higher lofts would have an issue.

 

[BigJ]

Oh yes, he knows how to pose....

+2!! Great looking (and he knows it)!!

 

[David Gay]

I have two Vie long horse hair brushes. The backbone is just fine and they perform great. Besides that, they are great value. I would advise anyone who isn’t sure if wet de shaving is for them, to try out a horse hair brush. That way you can try a good brush without breaking the bank.


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[malocchio]

Horse knots are great, used for years in barbershops. You have to use and treat them differently. The long thin strands of horse hair on the Vie-Long Pro Barber brushes are very flexible, and the knots are nowhere near " dense " , but once you learn to use only the tips you'll start to get fine lather and great shaves. For shorter knots get the densest packed knot you can find, 23-24mm , and you'll get less flex. Remember , never put pressure on a horse hair knot, you'll end up with a " donut hole " ,which sometimes cannot be combed and shampooed out.

 

[FireDragon76]

I suspect because they are different and because people tend to prefer what they are familiar with. And also because the bias of the shaving community seems to be towards Anglophilia, whereas horse hair seems to be more common in other countries as an affordable alternative to badger.

The ones I have tried are similar in performance to inexpensive badger brushes. I started experimenting with horsehair years ago because I wanted an alternative to badger, and synthetic brushes generally did not measure up (at the time, they had way too much backbone and generally threw lather everywhere).