Two questions about my new horsehair brush

Did I need another brush?  Who asks silly questions like that?
I just received a new Zenith brush with a horsehair knot.
First comment: I love it.  The design is beautiful, the handle is really comfortable and I love it.
I have two questions:
1. Will the tips of the horse hair bristles eventually split and become soft like boar?
They are okay now, they seem a bit scrubby, as if the hair has squared off tips.
Just curious.
2. Other than time, how do you get the funky animal smell out of a new brush?
I mean I can deal with it but wow, those Italian horses are "fragrant"


As I said, I love it, the customer service here in the US was great. No complaints.

Good questions as I have been curious also about horse hair.  

I haven't used a horsehair brush in many years.  My recollection is that it did not split like boar.  It did get softer with time, but it took longer than boar.  The smell will eventually go away with use.

By the way, that's a nice-looking brush.

Horsehair don't split. It will get a little softer, but softness and backbone is more governed by the ratio of tail to mane hair, and the loft.

Love my horses 

I have no problem with the backbone. Just curious if the tips get less "sharp" and it sounds like they will. Thank you gentlemen.

I have used horse one for years. I can agree with the previous statement as horsehair doesn't split butnitwill soften with time.

As for the funk of the brush, I never tried it as the ones I bought wasn't that funky scent was, but apparently a couple of run with shampoo and conditioner help a lot to get that smell to dissipate more quickly. 

I even heard of some soaking the brush in a glass of water in the fridge for a couple of days... is it working? I dunno!

I prepped my horsehair brush with shampoo and conditioner a couple of times before using it, and that got rid of the smell quite efficiently. I had forgotten that it stunk when it first arrived, until your post refreshed my memory! I like my Vie-Long horse hair brush a lot.
:-)
- Bax

I never liked horsehair,  not even the 20$ badger that turned out to be horse hair from china. 


For me they were like using a wet noodle.

I never tried a horse-only brush, however I had a horse/boar combo at one time. Never felt the need to try another.

Vie-Long is the way to go with horsehair, IMHO.  I ordered one on a whim, and was pretty impressed with the quality of the brush.  Center is a bit stiff (great for whipping up lather from a recalcitrant puck) and the outer layers are pretty soft (on my sensitive skin).  It's become softer with use.
  :-)
- Bax

The Zenith horsehair is not floppy.  That's something I really like about it.

Lather the brush with your most fragrant soap - my guess is the brush will come around in a few days of lathering if not sooner

btw - horse hair brushes are quite nice

I find horse hair prickly. It a nup from me.

Horse hair is mostly cut from either mane or tail hair. It does not have the thinner tips like a badger has.

(07-18-2022, 02:01 PM)Rudy Vey Wrote: Horse hair is mostly cut from either mane or tail hair. It does not have the thinner tips like a badger has.

Rudy, it's good to see you here again.

I'd suggest shampooing the brush to help get rid of the odor. I carried horsehair brushes for many years and this is what I always recommended. One other thing to be cognizant of...horse hair has a tendency to tangle which can lead to a "hole" in the knot. In order to prevent this, you may wish to brush the knot out periodically.

Horse hair is cut hair, it has no tips, it's all shaft, so you just have blunt tips. The tips don't split but the hair loses stiffness with use, so it will feel softer eventually. The funk can be staggering at first, but it goes away pretty quick, I've not done it myself, but others have said to lather it thoroughly and leave the lather in it overnight, then rinse it out. They can be nice brushes, but I've changed my horses to boars, they work best for me.

(07-18-2022, 08:41 PM)bullgoose Wrote: I'd suggest shampooing the brush to help get rid of the odor. I carried horsehair brushes for many years and this is what I always recommended. One other thing to be cognizant of...horse hair has a tendency to tangle which can lead to a "hole" in the knot. In order to prevent this, you may wish to brush the knot out periodically.

I hear the tangle thing a lot, but never experienced it myself, mine always fanned out nicely on their own. It must have something to do with one's lathering method or something.

(07-20-2022, 03:29 PM)TobyC Wrote:

(07-18-2022, 08:41 PM)bullgoose Wrote: I'd suggest shampooing the brush to help get rid of the odor. I carried horsehair brushes for many years and this is what I always recommended. One other thing to be cognizant of...horse hair has a tendency to tangle which can lead to a "hole" in the knot. In order to prevent this, you may wish to brush the knot out periodically.

I hear the tangle thing a lot, but never experienced it myself, mine always fanned out nicely on their own. It must have something to do with one's lathering method or something.

Yes, I think lathering method plays a large role. It is more apt to tangle if you face lather as opposed to bowl lather. In addition, bleached horse is more apt to tangle than natural brown horse.

(07-20-2022, 03:32 PM)bullgoose Wrote:

(07-20-2022, 03:29 PM)TobyC Wrote:

(07-18-2022, 08:41 PM)bullgoose Wrote: I'd suggest shampooing the brush to help get rid of the odor. I carried horsehair brushes for many years and this is what I always recommended. One other thing to be cognizant of...horse hair has a tendency to tangle which can lead to a "hole" in the knot. In order to prevent this, you may wish to brush the knot out periodically.

I hear the tangle thing a lot, but never experienced it myself, mine always fanned out nicely on their own. It must have something to do with one's lathering method or something.

Yes, I think lathering method plays a large role. It is more apt to tangle if you face lather as opposed to bowl lather. In addition, bleached horse is more apt to tangle than natural brown horse.

I avoid bleached knots of any kind, and I do face lather, but I'm horseless now except for a vintage brown and black mix, and it's pretty stiff, but you're right to warn folks of the possibility.