The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-04
MAKING OF BRUSHES.
Bristles Used by American Manufac-
turers Imported from Abroad.

New York Times.
In the manufacture of brushes the Amer
lean hog cuts no figure at all. In the first
place he is not given time enough to grow
his bristles before he is sent to the slaugh-
ter house; and in the second place his hair
is not good at all for the finer grades OF
work even If it does grow.
Russia, China, and the Philippines raise
hogs with fine. long hair, especially suit
able for brushmaking, and the American
manufacturer is glad to pay substantial
duty upon all he can import. Hair on the
American how seldom grows longer than
three inches. On foreign hogs, raised for
shearing. 1t grows from seven to eight
inches, and is Of far softer fiber. 1t comes
through the custom house undyed. but In
punches about as thick as horses TAIL
and packed in large barrels.
Brushmaking is one of the trades In
which machinery does not encroach very
far on the handmade article. 1t Is only
of use in making the cheaper and less
durable grades. Human fingers are neces-
sary to bind the bristles firmly with thin.
strong wire into fibrous back. 1t Is
not trade for rapid work. paid by the
piece. A fast workman cannot turn out
more than six good brushes day.
Finding substitutes for hog bristles in
making brushes is as difficult as finding
and other materials used in their manufac-
ture, 81 per cent. of all the brushes manu-
featured are made of bristles. Scalp doc
tors and writer's in the newspapers and
magazines about proper treatment of the
hair soon killed the wire electric" makers
Of hair brushes, so the manufacturers say.
i was T found that they scratched the scalp
customers stopped buying them. A hair
brush made of the best imported bristles
costs from 50 to IS. A dozen years has seen
very little, IL any, reduction in the cost
of this grade Of goods.
1t was fad at one time to make high
priced shaving brushes from eamers hair.
but very few of them are called for now.
Imported badger bristles go into the better
grade of brushes made for men who can't
bear the thought of hogs bristles. But 1t
soon becomes as soft as camels hair, and
is about the same as lathering with a
sponge to man with a. stiff beard. Bar
bers and experienced men who shave them
selves agree that there Is nothing SO COM
Portable or so durable as hogs bristles
for shaving brush. But there are va
rious grades of them. 1t is important to
very nearly as much as a camers hair
brush.
| Bristles from the wild boar are put in
large number of brushes made to order.
There Is good deal Of mystery about this
class of work. The man who makes a
brush from a drawing is not encouraged
to ask questions. Aside from the seventy
different varieties Of stock brushes made
for the New York market, a great deal
Of money is spent on brushes of special
design made to clean machinery and for
other purposes in factories AS high as
$50 is often paid for brushes Of this sort.
A few weeks ago cloth manufacturer
went to a brushmaker in Center street and
ordered peculiar spiral brush, tapered at
both ends.
What do you. want it for?" asked the
maker.
81 don't know that ii concerns you," re-
torted the manufacturer. II am willing to
pay your price, and that should be suffi-
Gent"
The brush, which cost $50, was not a sue
cess The man made a slight alteration
in the design and ordered another one.
The second one did not work exactly right,
and he ordered another. The fourth time
this happened the maker said:
II don't feel like offering you advice after
the way you spoke to me the other day,
but 1 hate to see q man who has pluck
enough to spend money carrying out an
idea throw away good dollars. I know
what you want that brush for. You have