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How do they harvest badger bristles?

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The royal warrant thing means they will eventually have to comply with EU cosmetic regs. Since I've not looked at the regs, I have no idea if they have any provisions that apply to badger hair or brushes of any kind.

Forum members have posted this info about the EU reg business from a couple of companies who make shaving soap, I think. But since they have some time to comply (not sure how long) what you buy right now may not comply with the regs just yet and still be made from a pre-reg formula.
 
Back to the OP of HOW they gather badger hair for brushes...Sadly most, 95% or more, is gathered post-mortem, but there ARE those that actually use a slightly different species of badger and shear them. The hair is fine all around the honey badger, but is stiffest, and whitest on the back, and BLACK on the belly. The hair is not as fine, but they often use sand paper to "soften" the tips to make them appear softer, and some makers sell this hair as "premium".
 
The royal warrant thing means they will eventually have to comply with EU cosmetic regs.

Interestingly the EU regulations do allow tallow and tallow derivatives to appear - they specify that they have to be traceable and of food grade though.

See here where it mentions:

When used in cosmetics and personal care products in Europe, Sodium Tallowate, Magensium Tallowate and Potassium Tallowate must conform to European Union animal by-products legislation, and the general provisions of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union.

As for the royal warrant enforcing high environmental standards, that will be down to the granter's instruction and nothing else (so the Queen may have one instruction on any given policy area, Phil the Greek another & the Prince of Wales another). Not sure how much store people put by these things anyway - I mean "Brasso" (99p a can) carries a Royal Warrant - other metal polishes are available that do the same (or a better) job that don't carry the warrant. I bet there are plenty of buses at Stagecoach Aberdeen that belch out masses of unnecessary pollution (than if they met the highest environmental standards)...
 
Back to the OP of HOW they gather badger hair for brushes...Sadly most, 95% or more, is gathered post-mortem, but there ARE those that actually use a slightly different species of badger and shear them. The hair is fine all around the honey badger, but is stiffest, and whitest on the back, and BLACK on the belly. The hair is not as fine, but they often use sand paper to "soften" the tips to make them appear softer, and some makers sell this hair as "premium".
I'm interested to know who is shearing honey badgers, aka Ratels... aka the most ornery and cantankerous member of the class Mammalia. Even Chuck Norris checks his closet and under his bed for Ratels before he goes to sleep.
 
Well, I think in this area, ignorance can be bliss. I don't know how the makers go about getting the hair, but it's done. So I think I'll just have to buy one that suits my needs. Hope this doesn't seem too harsh.
 
From wikipedia, hi-light is mine.

"Because badgers are a protected species in North America and most of Europe, virtually all commercial badger hair comes from mainland China, which supplies knots of hair in three grades to brush makers in both China and Europe. In rural Northern China, badgers multiply to the point of becoming a crop nuisance, and village cooperatives are licensed by the national government to hunt badgers and sell the hair to processors. [1]

Boar bristles are available cheaply from many sources. Brushes made in China or India with boar bristle are supplied wholesale for less than $1 each, while even the cheapest wholesale Badger brush costs at least $10; even the cost difference between badger brushes with resin handles vs. expensive horn handles shows that, except with exotic materials such as sterling silver, badger hair is the costliest element of a brush.[2] And while it is common for boar-hair brushes to have part of the bristles dyed to resemble badger hair, at least one Chinese company has begun offering a badger-hair substitute made from small horse hair. [3] Brushes with nylon-only bristles are made in India.[4]"
 
I'm interested to know who is shearing honey badgers, aka Ratels... aka the most ornery and cantankerous member of the class Mammalia. Even Chuck Norris checks his closet and under his bed for Ratels before he goes to sleep.

It's not hard at all if it's a hand-reared RATEL. Sorta like shearing a sheep really. Even hand-reared wolves toenails can be trimmed. I know, I've done it. :tongue:
 
According to the Royal Warrant Holder's Association, "Does having a Royal Warrant mean that the products or services supplied are the best?

No – it only means they are the preferred product or service."

I couldn't find any restrictions on warrant holders, other than they provide a product preferred by the royal family.

This suggests that there is no requirement to procure materials that meet a given standard. Of course, it looks like the royal warrant for cigarettes was revoked in keeping with public policy, so who knows?

I tried to find where I read the bit about t&h brush sources, but cant.

I dont think its a hard and fast regulation, but like the smokes, to keep with public policy of being nice to animals, they had to show that they have the hair sourced from a nice place. (ie, phill the greek doesnt want to be associated with cruelty to animals. well, he probably doesnt care, but the PR people at the palace do :biggrin:)
 
If you live anywhere near Distraction, TX, you'll find that we've shot, skinned, and ate just about anything that moves. There ain't no stinkin' PETA clubs 'round here. No badger's though. Otherwise Distraction would be the shaving brush capital of the world! :biggrin:

Have a nice day.
 
Really? That would explain how that stuff is ubiquitous in the military and police.

"Traditiiiiiiioooon! Tradition!" - Tevye

Not really - I looked closer at the warrant on Brasso and it's for "Household and Cleaning Products" so it might be that Reckitt's supply some other cleaning product to the Queen's household...

It's popular (here) because it's the market leader - it does not follow that they're the market leader because they have a warrant. (Compare Aston Martin - nice cars, but not the market leader)
 
The Royal Warrant doesn't really mean anything these days and hasn't done for around 30 years - many companies who hold royal warrants have held them for years. There is no system for "re-testing", so a product could have been reformulated several times and bear no resemblance to the thing that was awarded it originally, nor does it mean that the royal house use or prefer said product today either.

There will be some rules, regs and standards that the product and the company who produce it have to follow by law, but that's about it. After that, a royal warrant should not be used to guage the quality or royal preference for the product. After all, Coca Cola have a royal warrant.
 
They have to have supplied for a continuous period of 5 years in the last 7 or the warrant lapses - this I know from former employment where the registered office moved and there was big hoohar about retaining the warrant (and lots of proofs of delivery required by Buck House before they'd allow it to be retained).

Royal Warrant Holders Association FAQ said:
A firm should have made a continuing supply of goods and services ordered and paid for by the Households of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh or The Prince of Wales over a minimum trading period of five years within the last seven, which should include trade within twelve months prior to the date of application.

After all, Coca Cola have a royal warrant.

Schweppes Tonic Water - to go with the other holder... Tanqueray Gordon and Co
 
All I know is I will pay to watch someone shear a badger! And it will be from behind armor and bullet-proof glass!:eek:
 
It's not hard at all if it's a hand-reared RATEL. Sorta like shearing a sheep really. Even hand-reared wolves toenails can be trimmed. I know, I've done it. :tongue:
I imagine a honey badger could be hand-reared like those lions and tigers and trained bears you see in circuses. Generally those are attractions because it is so very rare to see a tame dangerous animal like that. A lot of hard work goes into keeping those animals from killing their trainers, and still, they do it all the time. So you'll forgive me for being a little skeptical of the idea of a farm full of tame badgers that you can shear. They sure don't shear minks and foxes to get their fur.
 
I imagine a honey badger could be hand-reared like those lions and tigers and trained bears you see in circuses. Generally those are attractions because it is so very rare to see a tame dangerous animal like that. A lot of hard work goes into keeping those animals from killing their trainers, and still, they do it all the time. So you'll forgive me for being a little skeptical of the idea of a farm full of tame badgers that you can shear. They sure don't shear minks and foxes to get their fur.

lol I never said there were farms full of hand-reared ratels being shaved, but the Chinese Badger is not the same as a Ratel, or any badger most of us are familiar with, for that matter...It is really the same as a ferret, and THEY love to be petted and cuddled, hence so many people keeping them as pets...They do bite like hell tho...Some People here in the States even keep the Chinese Badger as a pet...They are not Josie Wales idea of what a Badger is..."Here stick yer hand down there an git the can o money out!"...As the badger sharpens his teeth... The Outlaw Josie Wales is a Great Movie! :lol:
 
I'm interested to know who is shearing honey badgers, aka Ratels... aka the most ornery and cantankerous member of the class Mammalia. Even Chuck Norris checks his closet and under his bed for Ratels before he goes to sleep.

Pure blasphemy! Chuck Norris isn't scared of anything! :lol::lol:

Hell, Chuck Norris's beard could kick a badgers @$$! :lol::lol:
 
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