Year of the Horse...

[Col Finley]

I have shaved with various catagories of badger, cleaned weapons in Iraq with boar, but I am curious about horse hair brushes. According to the web, horse used to be the issue brush of the armed forces but cancelled due to an anthrax threat (it ain't just hype if you have seen tens of animals slaughtered due to just a rumor of anthrax...freaks you out when patrolling amongst the Arabs!) What say ye?

[LeftyT]

My Vie-Long dyed horse hair 13061 impressed me so much that I ordered a vintage V-L from Juan at giftsandcare, and picked another one up for a friend of mine. I now own three horse brushes and have gifted another, because I'm so impressed. In fact, this morning, I was holding/looking at my vintage one thinking, "Now this is the kind of thing you pass on to your son".

[Bengal Tiger]

A reputable company like Vie-Long is not going to give you questionable hairs on their brush. They have strict quality and safety standards.

The origins of the anthrax story:

http://www.bruceonshaving.com/2010/1...t-more-common/

[Red-Leg]

I have a pair of Vie-Long horsehair brushes - a dyed 13061 and a natural BGS2012. Between the two, I have become more fond of the 13061, but I'm using a four brush rotation (the Vie-Longs, a Vulfix 404 Grosvenor mixed, & a Semogue SOC boar) with the SOC in use every other day to facilitate a long break-in process, so I'm not sure the Vie-Longs have fully broken in yet. I find the horsehair to be a very good compromise between the softness of badger and the backbone of boar.

[Songwind]

I have a Vie-Long 13800, and it use it regularly. The small knot and short loft makes for a lively feel on your face. The hairs are pretty soft on the tips, but if you happen to run into one at just the angle it can give you a bit of poke due to the strong backbone. I don't find it uncomfortable at all, but people who are very sensitive might be prone to beard burn if they try to make swirls instead of painting motions.

The 13061 or a similar brush is definitely on my list for the future.