Do you care where your bristles come from

wayne_m

wayne_m

Joined
Saturday January 9, 2016
I'm new to De shaving and coming on here has helped me tremendously. I bought my razor a Muhle R89 and then just convinced myself I had to have a Badger brush as that is what I saw everyone using. I purchased a Simpsons. Very nice. But then I got to thinking. Where do the bristles come from? I'm no animal activist or vegetarian and I know animals have to pass on so to speak for these bristles to be harvested. I did a bit of checking. Not difficult as Simpsons state they use Chinese Badger Bristles in their leaflet. That got me worrying as the Chinese aren't regarded as being exactly animal friendly. I'm not having a go or trying to stir up a hornets nest I just am interested on others feelings. Are Badger brushes a necessity?
 
wayne mattison said:
I'm new to De shaving and coming on here has helped me tremendously. I bought my razor a Muhle R89 and then just convinced myself I had to have a Badger brush as that is what I saw everyone using. I purchased a Simpsons. Very nice. But then I got to thinking. Where do the bristles come from? I'm no animal activist or vegetarian and I know animals have to pass on so to speak for these bristles to be harvested. I did a bit of checking. Not difficult as Simpsons state they use Chinese Badger Bristles in their leaflet. That got me worrying as the Chinese aren't regarded as being exactly animal friendly. I'm not having a go or trying to stir up a hornets nest I just am interested on others feelings. Are Badger brushes a necessity?
Click to expand...
Short answer: No.
Top badger brushes are several times the price of top synthetics. I don't have a badger brush myself, but I doubt that they are several times as good as my synthetics, so I'm not even tempted to buy a badger brush. And that's without considering animal welfare.
YMMV
 
Ive just got rid of my only badger ( NF2202) and now use either horse or hog.
I prefer hog, and I eat bacon and other porkine products including some rather superb wild boar sausages they make in Chipping where you can visit the farm and pet the pigs.
 
There's nothing quite like mushing a wet badger around your face in the morning. ;)

In truth, I wish that I cared for horsehair but it's just too prickly. Synthetics, even though I'm a big fan, aren't quite there yet.
 
Greetings

I strongly suspect the reality of obtaining badger pelts for brush making (especially as they are harvested in a primitive country: now lets be realistic the bulk of rural China is stone age) is that the animals are trapped and remain alive suffering for some time and are most likely dispatched with a whack (or three) to the head with a stout stick. Compassion for wild creatures is largely a 'Western thing' and I have little doubt does not exist in the mind of third world hunters and trappers.

I still use both badger and boar brushes in spite of being fully aware of these points and I shall continue to do so. I do not kid myself that badgers are somehow killed by the euthanasia fairy!

Regards
Dick
 
fly3k said:
Doesn't bother me. I've yet to try a horse hair brush but imagine they will be very prickly which isn't for me.
Click to expand...

I thought that but have been pleasantly surprised. It really depends on the mane / tail mix and density. My Omega Boar had much more scritch until it was broken in.
 
tomj777 said:
As long as it's a badger with excellent personal hygiene.
Anyone who has owned a springer spaniel and lived near a sett will tell you that badger is worse than fox by far.
Click to expand...
As someone who works for a wildlife conservation charity, I have to respectively disagree with this statement, badgers are very clean animals, one of the only animals to change their bedding in there sets on a regular basis and also deficate at least 20 meters away from thier home, badgers are a very clean animal
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom