New Forest Brushes - What's the story?

factormax

factormax

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Finally took the plunge and invested in my first New Forest brush - the High Mountain Badger 2221, which arrived next-day-delivery this morning. Very much looking forward to taking this one on its maiden voyage!

New Forest brushes are rapidly gaining a reputation for quality here in the UK, and indeed internationally. Examining my brush, it made me wonder - who makes these brushes? How are they made? Where are they made?

The name 'New Forest' conjours up an image of a cabin-like workshop in a woodland English idyll, operated by a pipe-smoking Jack Hargreaves type character. I don't know whether Fido smokes a pipe, but I do know that he doesn't look like Jack!

So, Fido - where do you make the brushes? In a small workshop by a stream, with lathes powered by a watermill, a la Simpsons? Or perhaps you have a small unit on a light industrial estate? Or maybe you operate from a shed at the bottom of the garden?

Do you make them all yourself? Or has your manufacturing reached the level where you have a team working with you? It would be great if your endeavours were to give employment to others! And what inspired you to start in the first place?

What is the scale of your production? How many brushes do you produce per week? Can you keep up with the demand now? I know you have a great number of hobbies - how much of your time does this brush-making take up?

Questions! Questions! But I'm sure some of them will have crossed the mind of others!


*Older members will remember Jack Hargreaves as the presenter of the TV programme 'Out of Town'. Usually shown on a Sunday, it dealt with different aspects of country living - tools, sports etc. It was latterly affectionately lampooned in The Fast Show with the 'Bob Fleming' character.
 
as far as i know... fido simply gets a 3rd party to manufacture the brushes to his specifications and designs. The knots are bought in and glued into the afore mentioned handles. he negotiates a price per quantity and by staying small and under the radar, can avoid incuring huge tax penalties and avoids passing the costs on to us.

That and his very very modest markups, mean we end up with well made brushes for budget prices. My 2201 is a delight, and on par with the EJ brush i had before (which cost twice as much)

If fido ever releases an ebony brush with the characteristics of the 2201... i'll be buying it.
 
My first three jar shape brushes, the New Forest 2201, 2211 and 2221 were made to my specification by a brush making specialist in China.

I am now making brushes in the New Forest, using imported brush heads and a variety of materials including imitation ivory, ebony, alpolina, horn, and bone. All the brushes are individually made by hand on a lathe by an experienced craftsman who has a small workshop two miles from my village. I decide the specification and deal personally with all other aspects of the business with a little help from my family. It is time consuming. I get a lot of enquiries, and have customers far and wide - including China!

As to the scale of the business. It's early days. My first brushes were in batches of 150. Making brushes locally enables me to have more flexibility. I will be making smaller batches and assessing demand as I go along. I have other options for increasing production but I have no wish to expand to a size which takes up too much of my time. I do have other interests!

As to just how much time. Probably too much. But while I'm "working" I seem to follow a lot of sport on the TV beside my computer!

What inspired me to start? The research for my Fido's Shaving Brush Blog. It seemed to me that it would be a viable niche business which I would enjoy. It really is a delight to decide the specification for a brush and prove to yourself that it performs as you intended.
 
Thank you, Fido, for that fascinating report! More power to you!

You mention "ebony, alpolina, horn, and bone" as possible future handle materials. Will these be imitation, or the actual materials described? That sounds an exciting possibility!

And - forgive my ignorance - what is 'alpolina'?
 
All the materials are cast polyester resins. Sorry - no real ebony, ivory, horn or bone! They are variously called imitation, faux or in my case, alternative. Alpolina is a mixture of colours - mine is simply different shades of white. Here's an example:

Alpolina2b.jpg
 
Thanks again, Fido. That apolina is certainly a beautiful looking handle. If some of your handle styles are made only in small batches, or are one-offs, I daresay they'll become highly collectible.
 
firstly its so nice to have top quality made brushes that perform in all areas of larthering soap/cream/artisan soaps. i have never faild to have a larther that would make for 5/6 passes with new forest brushes.i have the full collection of new forest brushes i think i have 7 in total and i alweys return to them.i have a couple of semouge but honestly i could stick to new forest without aney problems.
they ar well made love the new handles and colours the brisle is first class top class brushes at afordable prices i must take my hat off to fido for thinking of us shavers and bringing us quality brushes at a price that we would not find else where.i love all my new forest and look forward to the next new forest baby.
thanks fido :mrgreen:
 
Fido, I don't think you need to be apologetic for using polyester resin handles. It's a much more suitable material for the purpose than the natural versions - more stable, water-resistant etc. I would prefer polyester to real ebony, bone etc.
 
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