I'm curious. Why does badger fur make the best shaving brush bristles (the boar company excepted for this discussion)? Have people tried to make brushes out of raccoon, beaver, mink, rabbit? What makes badger fur so special?
Why Badger?
- Thread starter winkydink
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Badger hair is special. For one thing, it has splits at the end. There are other reasons - I'm going to let someone else chime in on this who can explain it better than I.
It's probably a function of hair length, stiffness, water absorption, availabilty, etc. Rabbit fur might make for a short loft. Mink is used for fur coats. They did use to use horse hair.
I'm sure it is a combination of our favorite properties. Badger hair is stiff enough to give a brush some backbone and helps with exfoliating and prepping the beard. I suspect that badger hair would also allow for better flow through than others such as Rabbit, Mink etc. My guess is that years of making shave brushes taught the makers exactly which hair types were best.
Try using rabbit for a lathering brush and you'll see why it isn't used.
For the simple reason that we'd have to change the name of the site.
There's no reason at all. Boar works great, too. For me, I prefer it to badger.
I think its all part of a vast left-wing plot to control the badger population. Yep, that's gotta be it. 
I think its all part of a vast left-wing plot to control the badger population. Yep, that's gotta be it.
It works better than any other hair/bristle.
Boar is a good alternative.
TOBS sell a very good (by all accounts) synthetic brush if you are that way inclined.
Lots of types of hair/bristles have been tried; until quite recently you could buy horse hair brushes, for example. Most quality manufacturers have decided that badger hair or boar bristle are the best materials though.
Boar is a good alternative.
TOBS sell a very good (by all accounts) synthetic brush if you are that way inclined.
Lots of types of hair/bristles have been tried; until quite recently you could buy horse hair brushes, for example. Most quality manufacturers have decided that badger hair or boar bristle are the best materials though.
The badger hair is the very best available for producing shaving brushes.
For the following reasons:
1. It has excellent water retention qualities.
To create a rich, creamy lather.
2. It is soft on the skin.
So it does not cause any kind of skin irritation.
3. It is also stiff enough to lift the beard and exfoliate the skin.
The badger hair is also very durable.
If the owner of a badger hair brush takes care of his brush, this will give many years of good service.
For the following reasons:
1. It has excellent water retention qualities.
To create a rich, creamy lather.
2. It is soft on the skin.
So it does not cause any kind of skin irritation.
3. It is also stiff enough to lift the beard and exfoliate the skin.
The badger hair is also very durable.
If the owner of a badger hair brush takes care of his brush, this will give many years of good service.
Horse hair has been used too but was prohibited because of anthrax or something.
Don't know anything of how good they were though.
Don't know anything of how good they were though.
My rabbit hates me dipping him in soap, and the swirling makes him feel dizzy.....
Yea but the rabbit just tries to run away. When I did that to my Badger he bit all my fingers off.
- Thread starter
- #16
You guys are obsessing on rabbit. How about raccoon, malamute, or wolverine? I'm curious to know how badger was settled upon - not why rabbit would be a poor choice.
I have a local surplus of cat hair. I would be happy to PIF some to any interested parties.
What? Really?
Maybe it has to do with badger's availability, especially these days, compared to say, wolverine. That's also the one animal I'd want to wrangle even less than badger. Badger are endangered in Europe, so it's illegal to hunt/trap them. Same in the US, I think. Never mind the myriad difficulties associated with badger farming. The heards are notorious for stampeding.
Badger also has good backbone, hair length, and other nice properties. Rabbit hair is way too short, and angora rabbit hair is too fine, which would result in the world's floppiest brush. What rabbit obsession?
It has the same problems as angora rabbit hair.-Andy
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I think its all part of a vast left-wing plot to control the badger population. Yep, that's gotta be it.
I see it as more of a right wing plot myself - they are the ones who love to shoot things!
(OK OK I'll stop now . . . dont want to turn this wonderful site into some nasty political forum! 
)
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