New Forest 2221 - first impressions

First two are knot width 22

Third is hair type: 0 Two Band, 1 Finest Silvertip, 2 High Mountain

Fourth the number of the brush so far in the category

So 2201, 2211, 2221 22mm knots, each of the three grades, first brush in each group.

Hope that's clear.

Other brands use numbers,not in the same way, others use names, some use both.
 
Fido said:
First two are knot width 22

Third is hair type: 0 Two Band, 1 Finest Silvertip, 2 High Mountain

Fourth the number of the brush so far in the category

So 2201, 2211, 2221 22mm knots, each of the three grades, first brush in each group.

Hope that's clear.

Other brands use numbers,not in the same way, others use names, some use both.
Click to expand...

Thanks Fido.
 
Fido said:
High Mountain Badger - this is from a rare species of badger found only in remote mountain areas in China. It is the softest of all badger hair, and the most expensive due to it's rarity.
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What species is that exactly, and what species are brushes with other designations made from?
 
A good question. I don't know the clan name. I wonder if Plisson have explained it, since they have used similar hair for many years. One thing's for sure - it's the softest of any badger hair I have handled.

This is some useful background:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger</a><!-- m -->
 
Fido said:
A good question. I don't know the clan name. I wonder if Plisson have explained it, since they have used similar hair for many years. One thing's for sure - it's the softest of any badger hair I have handled.

This is some useful background:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger</a><!-- m -->
Click to expand...
The Wikipedia article doesn't mention the trivial name "High Mountain Badger" and a Google search for it returns nothing other than references to the marketing of shaving brushes. If you don't know what species Plisson designates with that name and you don't know what species you are designating with it, how do you know that you're both referring to the same thing?
 
Instead of googling "High Mountain Badger", searching for Chinese mountain badger brings back results for the Chinese ferret badger, possibly this is the origins of the High Mountain brush hair as opposed to the more common Chinese hog badger hair used in the majority of brushes.
 
neilmcl said:
Instead of googling "High Mountain Badger", searching for Chinese mountain badger brings back results for the Chinese ferret badger, possibly this is the origins of the High Mountain brush hair as opposed to the more common Chinese hog badger hair used in the majority of brushes.
Click to expand...

The ferret badger isn't a mountain badger - it lives on lowland grasslands, etc.

'Back in the day' our top end badger hair was sourced from the Urals/China - this was classed as mountain badger hair. The area of China where the high mountain badger hair comes from is the Tien Shan area. I think the badger itself is called the Tien/Tian Shan badger. The same badger (well a close relative) is found in the Urals and Tibet. Who knows.....perhaps a relative of the Abominable Snowman!!!

Gary
 
Fido said:
Think I might be off to China soon. I'll get to the bottom, or the top, of it.
Click to expand...
This apparently means that you've been using the term High Mountain Badger without knowing if it designates the same thing that Plisson uses it for. Is that right?
 
cary08,

Presumably Fido has been using the term that his supplier uses, its as simple as that. I've not used a Fido High Mountain or a Plisson High Mountain but the important thing is how the owners of each rate them rather than being able to ID the individual badger your bush came from.
 
I really don't wish to prolong this. I have no reason to doubt that the hair comes from a high mountain area - the softness and quality does the talking. I trust my supplier and my judgement - simple as that. As to calling it "High Mountain Badger", that's my choice. That's the best way of drawing attention to what it's all about. If ever there was an industry wide agreement on standard grade descriptions I'd go with it. But I'm not holding my breath. Others with far more experience than me have not achieved it, and I doubt it will happen.
 
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