Question about the Shipping of Badger Hair Brushes?

[DesertIguana]

Noticed this comment about 2025 Rudy group purchase.


"@Rudy Vey - I believe there was/is a restriction on international shipping of badger brushes from your end. Might be good for non US buyers to know. This is similar to earlier B&B group buys"


What is the deal with the shipping of a Badger Brush in or out of USA by USPS. Yes I already looked at USPS WEB SITE, resulted in no info.

Asking because of curiosity, and we in USA I am sure get Badger Brushes from Germany, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Asia both a retail customers, and to wholesalers?

 

[helicopter]

Noticed this comment about 2025 Rudy group purchase.


"@Rudy Vey - I believe there was/is a restriction on international shipping of badger brushes from your end. Might be good for non US buyers to know. This is similar to earlier B&B group buys"


What is the deal with the shipping of a Badger Brush in or out of USA by USPS. Yes I already looked at USPS WEB SITE, resulted in no info.

Asking because of curiosity, and we in USA I am sure get Badger Brushes from Germany, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Asia both a retail customers, and to wholesalers?

A business like Rudy's is required to have a license from the fish and wildlife service to export badger. Compliance includes fees and lots of red tape. I suspect it isn't worth the trouble for Rudy to maintain a license.

 

[showard]

I suspect the gentlemen asking those questions on that thread have never tried the Muhle SFT knot. But I understand...if you want Badger, that's a pain and a beaurocratic nightmare.

 

[DesertIguana]

I did not Realize the Feds were part of Rudy Business, unofficially. Too many hoops to jump through to be in BIZ.

The post I quote made not much sense, as we in USA, gets Badger Brushs from allele over World.

Plus B & B sell and trade them same brushes world wide.

 

[taiga]

A business like Rudy's is required to have a license from the fish and wildlife service to export badger. Compliance includes fees and lots of red tape. I suspect it isn't worth the trouble for Rudy to maintain a license.

I’m participating in a group buy for a wristwatch, the leader of the group based in the US had to get a fish and wildlife license in order to import ostrich leather straps into the US (even though they don’t fall under CITES laws). Allegedly all he did was fill out one form, pay $100 and he got the license.

 

[Jim in NZ]

This makes a mockery of CITES. Fishing flies tied with peacock herl is another example of overzealous administration and revenue gathering. I can pick up peacock feathers from feral birds but if I use them on a fly, and travel internationally, I could get heavily fined.

 

[Mr Konrad Dundee]

Really a pity, in my case me being in Europe I have to give up or alternatively find a private individual to send me the brush

 

[helicopter]

I’m participating in a group buy for a wristwatch, the leader of the group based in the US had to get a fish and wildlife license in order to import ostrich leather straps into the US (even though they don’t fall under CITES laws). Allegedly all he did was fill out one form, pay $100 and he got the license.

Filling out a form, paying $100 per year, probably maintaining audited records. I guess we have different ideas about what is a reasonable amount of government oversight for a very small volume of shaving brushes made with Chinese badger hair.

 

[ajkel64]

Quite a lot of countries seem to be going the same way. A lot of shaving supply shops out here in Australia now do not sell Badger Brushes. They are only selling Boar and Synthetic brushes. It is starting to get difficult to buy a Badger Brush out there these days.

 

[DesertIguana]

This makes a mockery of CITES. Fishing flies tied with peacock herl is another example of overzealous administration and revenue gathering. I can pick up peacock feathers from feral birds but if I use them on a fly, and travel internationally, I could get heavily fined.

Well it sounds like this nonsense I thought was a USA home grown money grad, has spread to the entire world. Know back in the 1970 place in Montrose California run by Ned Gray, sold all sort of material know to man to make Fishing Flies. US Fish & wildlife Offers used to come check place for the Hair from Polar Bears. It was illegal to buy, sell, or process for commercial purposes.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I had an SV brush returned to them by UPS before it left Italy.... After some discussion, they fudged the paperwork.. "Officially", they sent me out a resin handle brush with a synthetic knot.... I've had a wood handle Feather barber razor held up in US Customs for over a week. I had to fill out paperwork stating the wood was not an endangered species and the Japanese company who sold it to me had to do the same...... It wasn't exotic wood... Just plain old regular wood.... stained dark brown...

 

[WThomas0814]

@DesertIguana....

This has been going on forever. I think it was originally about the risk of transmitting disease through unsterilized hair.

Import/Export restrictions also exist for exotic leathers for watch straps, shoes, luggage, etc. Even wood is impacted. I don't know if it is a concern for ethics, questionable sourcing, potential counterfeiting, or just general bureaucratic falderal.

Regardless, since you're in the US, there'll be no problem with Rudy shipping whichever brush you bought.

 

[DesertIguana]

Sounds like a lot of nonsense, sort of has me gun shy buying out of USA. Wonder how they view duel fiber knots.

 

[Jim in NZ]

@WThomas0814 - you have a good point there - I believe it all started with the intention of limiting trade in endangered species and preventing diseases from crossing borders, but has morphed into a nonsensical revenue gathering, administrative monster.

 

[njpaddy]

International shipping has gotten nuts over the years. In the late 90s, I was ordering CDs from a Norway celtic-punk band, sending them US cash via mail. Shipping was cheap, and I'd have their CDs, before they got my cash. Some 12 years back, I was ordering my brushes directly from Simpson. I'd email Mark at Simpsons, for a brush recommendation, and have him pick me out a good one. I think shipping to US was about $10. I once even PIF'd a Simpson badger brush to a member in Norway, costing me only $9 shipping.

Fast forward to last year, when I tried to ship one lousy DVD with some Dylan mp3s to a member in France, and the USPS wanted $27. I'd shipped the same to other US members for $5. We eventually found a way for him to download.

Going back to the 1990s. Australia, Japan and Indonesia were always the hardest to get celtic-punk CDs. In most cases, I had to find downloads, or order their CDs from ebay.

 

[Mike_68]

...
Fast forward to last year, when I tried to ship one lousy DVD with some Dylan mp3s to a member in France, and the USPS wanted $27. I'd shipped the same to other US members for $5. We eventually found a way for him to download.
...

If you're shipping a CD/DVD without the plastic case within the US, get some flat CD/DVD mailers, or a photo mailer and send it First Class, Non-Machinable Letter. $1.47/2 oz., currently. Make sure you mark it DO NOT BEND -- everywhere.

 

[blantyre]

Just be thankful that you don’t have a real ivory handled brush. I have one that I’d like to sell and I’m not even allowed to advertise it!

 

[brucered]

Just be thankful that you don’t have a real ivory handled brush. I have one that I’d like to sell and I’m not even allowed to advertise it!

You just did.

 

[Guido75]

I suspect the gentlemen asking those questions on that thread have never tried the Muhle SFT knot. But I understand...if you want Badger, that's a pain and a beaurocratic nightmare.

It was actually my comment that Iguana is quoting in the OP. And I know STF knots as I have one set in one of my dad’s wooden handles. Absolutely love it.

But as Dan @helicopter mentioned it requires licenses for Rudy (and Paladin for that matter) to ship badger hair brushes.

Hence my remark in the group buy thread, as if you are outside of CONUS the badger options are pretty much off the table if sites directly from Rudy.