A horsehair brush combines gentleness with sturdiness and versatility. This guide will cover all you need to know about horsehair brushes.
Why Is Horsehair Great For Brushes?
Horsehair, as the name implies, comes from the hair of a horse. But why would you want to make bristles out of horsehair? The answer is simple - horsehair is gentle and soft but also reliable and sturdy. What does this mean, exactly? Well, it’s a little complicated.
Horsehair is fairly soft to the touch, and if you’ve ever touched a live horse’s hair, you’d understand. In particular, the hair of a horse’s main is much softer than that of its tail. This quality makes it perfect for brushing certain types of items.
Take, for example, jewelry. Jewelry is expensive, and even the slightest of scratches can ruin the value or look of your accessory. As such, you want to be as careful as possible when cleaning or brushing your jewelry. But how do you remove those stubborn spots of dirt hiding behind the crevices?
Enter horsehair. Horsehair is fine and soft, so it can easily reach those tough spots without issue. At the same time, the bristles don’t damage the jewelry.
Horsehair Brushes VS Nylon Brushes
Horsehair brushes have been around for quite a while, and since their invention, there have been a few other bristle types that have entered the market, one of them being nylon brushes. Here’s a brief comparison between the two:
Horsehair brushes
Horsehair brushes are valued highly among people who prefer softer bristles. Horsehair, and hair in general, is both soft and durable. This is especially true if the hair is treated in some way. Horsehair brushes retain their soft nature while also being incredibly long-lasting and reliable.
While they are great in terms of bristle quality because they come from a live animal, they cost more than other brushes, particularly brushes made out of artificial bristles like nylon. Horsehair brushes these days aren’t cheap, but if you compare the prices head-to-head, they cost significantly more than your average nylon brush.
Nylon brushes
As a modern alternative to horsetail brushes, nylon brushes are popular because they’re easy to make and manufacture. This makes them very easy to afford, and you can even get a single nylon brush at your local dollar store. Nylon brushes are very easy to find, too, as they’re present in just about any grocery store.
Another reason why nylon brushes are preferred by a lot of people is that they’re quite durable. While not made of hair, nylon is fairly strong, and it’s able to withstand a lot of force and pressure without breaking. You’d have to intentionally try to break a nylon bristle if you wanted it to snap in two.
Unfortunately, while nylon brushes may be tough, they’re actually a bit tougher than what’s ideal for jewelry and other sensitive items. Nylon bristles are usually rough, and while some bristles are made to be smoother (such as brushes for painting), they have the capability to cause damage to jewelry, leather, and the like if not used carefully.
What’s better?
At the end of the day, both brush types have their pros and cons, so it’s very difficult to say which type of brush is better. In general, you’ll want to pick horsehair brushes for more sensitive objects such as shoes, leather, jewelry, and the like, while nylon and other plastic brushes are useful for rougher stuff like floors and walls.
How To Maintain A Horsehair Brush
Clean between the bristles regularly
The bristles of a horsehair brush, or any brush in general, are great for removing dust, but they’re also the perfect spot for the dust to get trapped in. This is especially true for brushes with bristles that are close enough to keep the dust in place but not too close that it doesn’t leave any room, and horsehair brushes are a great example of this.
That’s why if you want your horsehair brush to actually help with cleaning things, you’ll need to clean the brush every now and then, too. There are a couple of ways to do this depending on how well and thoroughly you want to clean them.
If you want to really give the brush a good cleaning, consider soaking the brush in warm water. You can even add a bit of soap to the water so that it really gets rid of all the debris in the bristles. Be sure to give the bristles a good shaking so that the soap really gets into the deeper portions of the brush.
Alternatively, you can just give your brush a good old tap every now and then. Bring the brush to an area that’s fine with getting a little dust on it (like your lawn) and just tap your hand along the back of the brush. The dust particles should fall off, especially those that came from your last brushing session.
Don’t be too rough with the bristles
The bristles of horsehair brushes are pretty strong, but they aren’t impervious to damage. If you’re extremely rough with the brush, you can end up bending bristles, causing some bristles to fall off, and so on. To ensure that the bristles stay in good condition, be sure to use the brush safely and without excessive force.
Are Horsehair Brushes Ethical?
Because horsehair brushes are made using horsehair, some people may be worried as to whether or not they require the killing of an actual horse. Fortunately, this is far from the truth - horsehair can be taken from a horse without actually killing the horse, so as long as the hair doesn’t come from horses, they can be ethical and cruelty-free.
