Set shaving brush badger hair and razor ebonite with stand

This set from the shaving brush manufacturer Mühle comes up with two special features. The shaving brush is trimmed with the finest badger hair silver tip, the handles of brush and plane are made of marbled ebonite and thus a rarity in two respects: on the one hand, because plastic, porcelain or horn is mostly used for shaving utensils. On the other hand, marbled ebonite has become rare because there are hardly any manufacturers left who are able to produce ebonite, let alone colored ones. From the middle of the 20th century, the industry shifted to petrochemical plastics, which were easier and cheaper to produce - and along with ebonite, the machines and know-how for production also disappeared.
At Schönberger Ebonite Manufaktur, a great deal of time and heart and soul has been invested in reviving ebonite production, and the company now produces ebonite in every conceivable finish, including the so-called mottled or "marbled ebonite". Production is carried out on historic machines from the 1930s and 1940s, which are equal to the material: This is because after the initial vulcanization of the basic materials (rubber, sulfur and linseed oil), the "baked" hard rubber is ground into fine powder, which is distributed everywhere as a fine, gold-braun shimmering dust during further processing.
For the colored ebonite, natural pigments are added and the mixtures are vulcanized again. In the process, the marbling turns out differently each time. Basic colors and mixing ratios can be reproduced, but the color gradient and type of marbling are always different. However, this is not only due to the unpredictable color swirl in the extruder; other factors also play a role. For example, the outside temperature affects the color, as the color pigments combine differently depending on the temperature. A compound will turn out differently in summer than in winter, even if all other parameters are absolutely identical. Thus, each piece made from it becomes unique.

The razor brush is studded with fine silver tip badger pluck, only with the fine tips of the badger hair can create a creamy, fine-pored foam for gentle wet shaving. The conical tapered hair can absorb a lot of water and whip up a particularly dense and creamy lather - provided a good soap. The high quality of the fine silver tip can be recognized by the typical three-colored pattern: light in the lower area, dark, almost black in the middle (the so-called mirror) and lightly set off at the tips. The clearer the pattern and the darker the middle band, the more carefully the hairs were obtained and processed - both are done by hand - and the higher the quality of the shaving brush.
With proper handling and care (gently lather the skin, wash out soap completely from the trim with warm water, let the brush hang to dry), a badger hair trim can remain in use for a good ten years.

While not every craft business succeeds in balancing tradition and modernity, the Mühle shaving brush manufactory does: The still family-run company has preserved the traditional knowledge of the craft while welcoming new materials, manufacturing methods and contemporary designs. The manufactory in the Ore Mountains produces articles, 90% handmade, for wet shaving. The heart of the company is up to the present day the manufacturing of the shaving brush. The brush makers need a sure touch, a steady hand and a good eye to work with the fine badger hair. In the first step, they carefully sort the hair, weigh the fibres out to the tenth of a gram and then tap them into shape in a box. Then they take the 20,000 or so hairs with great care out of the moulding box and, without a single hair slipping out of place, tie them firmly into a tassel called loft. When they have finished the form of the loft, they glue and mount it on the handle of the shaving brush. They manufacture all brushes with extreme care, whether made of badger hair or special synthetic fibres; we offer both hair and fibres in a range of different qualities. Mühle produces the shaving brushes and razors in full at the company’s headquarters in Hundshübel. Parts are sourced as far as possible from the region.

The course of the marbling and the color distribution are individual due to manufacturing - each piece is unique.