# Are all horse hair shoe brushes the same?



## HanSoo417 (Oct 24, 2009)

Another noob question.

Does it matter where I get my horse hair shoe brush? They all pretty much seem the same to me and I was just gonna grab one from target.


----------



## Salvatore123 (Jan 11, 2009)

*Some may say no - but horsehair brushes from Franco's*

are pretty darn good.

For some reason, the Germans tend to make excellent quality horsehair brushes - don't know why . . .

As I mentioned in another thread, I am waiting on receipt of some Yak brushes from Manufactum.com.

Regards,

Sam

P. S. See https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=98624 for a large thread on polish/wax techniques and brands.


----------



## HanSoo417 (Oct 24, 2009)

Thnx, I think I'm pretty well read up now on these discussions on wax/cream polish and conditioners, methods, products etc etc.

The last thing i need to buy is a brush but I don't want to get one that might scratch up my shoes. To me they seem all the same.


----------



## Salvatore123 (Jan 11, 2009)

*Natural vs. manmade*

The ONLY thing to absolutely avoid is trying to buff your shoes with manmade material.

Brushes of natural fibers (whether it be horse, boar, yak) will NOT scratch your shoes.

Man-made bristles of any type WILL scratch the polish, if not also the shoes themselves.

That is why you will always hear people, when discussing shoe polishing techniques, always refer to cotton shirts, flannel shine wrags, cotton balls, etc.

Regards,

Sam


----------



## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

Fortunately horsehair shoeshine brushes remain relatively inexpensive, so one can easily afford to be a little selective about which brush to purchase.

A good brush should not be sparing of the horsehair and the hair should be soft and of an adequate, even length.

Also look at the handle. You will likely have this brush for many years, so that handle will eventually have spent quite some time in your hand. Look for a smooth finish and well rounded contours that fit your hand nicely. Also look for a handle that is arced, to allow a natural rocking motion while polishing.

I recently purchased another horsehair shine brush to add to my collection. I ordered it from a reputable company, and was somewhat dismayed to find rough imperfections in the finish that were not at all comfortable in the hand. I should have returned it, but instead tried it out on a pair of shoes.
In so doing I discovered another fault that I would deem far worse than the roughness of the finish. 
Unlike any of the other shoeshine brushes I own, the handle of this particular brush protrudes a little farther out beyond the tufts of horsehair on either end. Not only that, but for some reason, the bottom edges of the ends of the handle were left as extremely sharp right angles, rather than being rounded off. None of this did I notice until polishing the shoes. As I worked, I would occasionally hear little "clicks" when the ends of the brush would just graze the soles or heels. I thought nothing of it until I noticed that the handle was actually putting visible nicks on the edges of the soles and heels.

A little edge dressing ought to disguise the nicks well enough that only a cobbler might notice them, but I would maintain that one should not have to exercise extra caution while shining one's shoes, in order to not damage them with the shine brush!
Look out for this little idiosyncrasy, and avoid it if you come across it.


----------



## tda003 (Aug 16, 2009)

I have several horsehair brushes, both for applying and for buffing. I assume you are referring to buffing. ( The application brushed tend to be the same length od horse hair.)

I use a different brush for buffing black, brown (all shades) and neutral, but this might be considered a bit eccentric.

I have found the the shorter length "blond" bristle brush is starting to shed bristles. I don't know the reason - length, quality, storage, etc.

I've found no difference in the quality of the finish they provide.

FWIW, the largest is a "Nelco" (mod. 80), 8"x2 1/2", unknown country of origin, is the most comfortable to use.

The one shedding is a "Star", 6"x2", made in Israel and with the coarsest bristles.

The other is too worn to make out the logo clearly, but appears to be "?cc? kappa" (mod 450/1), made in Italy.

All are stated to be 100% horse hair.

I don't know if any of these companies still exist.

Based on my experience, I'd opt for a larger longer bristled brush w/ soft bristles.

Hope this is helpful, even if it appears even to me as though I might need an intervention.


----------



## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

I had a KIWI brush but all the hair fell out of it.

What a mess.


----------



## Hobson (Mar 13, 2007)

WouldaShoulda said:


> I had a KIWI brush but all the hair fell out of it.
> 
> What a mess.


In my experience that is common when a brush is brand new, but should cease as time goes by.


----------



## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

A little I wouldn't mind.

This was A LOT and it wasn't new.

It had been years since I last used it however, I think it dried out and failed.

But the other one I have of unknown make keeps right on going!!


----------



## harland (Oct 13, 2008)

HanSoo417 said:


> They all pretty much seem the same to me and I was just gonna grab one from target.


That's where I bought my last shoe shine brush... still using it.


----------



## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

This brush, German made, is similar to the ones I own, which I prefer:
Notice the smooth, nicely contoured handle, with a nice arc, and the density of the horsehair.
This brand also comes in light and dark horsehair, to keep simple the task of remembering which brush is used on black shoes and which on brown. (A nice touch.)

This brush is similar to the one I just purchased and had trouble with:

If you notice, the handle is not as smooth, nor as nicely contoured. (It does have a good arc, though.)
Also note that the horsehair is less dense and less even.

The difference in price between the two is USD $2.96.
For a tool which I will likely be using regularly for decades to come, the extra three dollars is a worthwhile expenditure for me. (Quality shoe shine brushes, well taken care of, can last many, many decades. I inherited two of mine from my father, whom I remember using them from when I was a child.)


----------

