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FAQs

What is the difference between black and white bristle?

There is no difference between the colours of bristle, it is purely down to personal taste, some people prefer black bristle filled brushes, but its normally blondes and light coloured hair types that prefer white.

What is the difference in silver tipped badger bristle, grey badger bristle, badger effect and normal bristle?

Grey badger hair is taken from the main body of the animal, and Silver tipped badger hair is taken from the neck area. Both are then boiled, bleached, treated, and both used to fill luxury shaving brushes. The silver tip is regarded as the ultimate in quality for its softness and resilience, whilst the grey is slightly coarser and more suitable for stronger beards. Badger effect is made up from a mixture of synthetic hairs, goat hair and various other animal hairs, but no badger. Bristle, which we use to fill most of our hairbrushes, comes from long haired boars.

What are the differences in the woods you use?

The reason we use a variety of different timbers for our brushes is primarily for aesthetic reasons. The second reason is price. A brush from the less expensive end of our range would probably be made from beech, the heartwood is very pale pinky brown with a straight grain and fine, even texture. European Beech is readily available which keeps its cost down. In fact more European Beech is consumed in the UK than any other hardwood. All timber we use is taken and managed from sustainable forests.

Our Finest brushes are generally made from finer timbers such as satin wood, ebony, cherry and danta wood. Satin wood is probably the most popular timber with customers. The heartwood colour is golden yellow. It is lustrous, fragrant and smooth. The grain is narrowly interlocked and variegated, producing various mottled patterns called roe and ribbon striped figure, broken stripe, and so called "bee's wing" cross-mottled figure.

What type of brush do I need for my particular style, length or thickness of hair?

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My comb/brush has broken, what can I do?

Kent brushes are guaranteed against defective materials and workmanship. Any items revealing such defects will be repaired or replaced free of charge.This guarantee is offered as an extra benefit and does not affect consumer statutory rights.

My brush/comb is not working as it should, i.e. not going through my hair. What do I do?

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How do I clean my brush/comb?

Regularly remove loose hair from the tufts by inserting a Kent hair brush cleaner (LPC2) or a comb at the side of the brush, and lift the old hair away. Be careful not to scrape the cleaner back and forth over the top of the tufts as this can cause damage especially to pure bristle. Wash occasionally using warm soapy water, but never use ammonia or harsh detergents. Submerge just the tufts, and not the brush back, and jiggle the brush to clean. Rinse in cold water and flick off surplus water and gently wipe dry with a clean towel. Allow to dry naturally with the bristles facing down away from sunlight, radiators, hairdryers and any artificial heat.

Why is my old brush different to the new one I have bought?

Over the past 224 years of business some of our production methods have understandably changed. These changes coupled with new fashions and divergent manufacturing systems have bought in a few slight differences on certain models. In a way it's very similar to car manufacturing. If you bought a certain model of Ford car 30 years ago and wanted to purchase their new model of the same car today, you wouldn't expect it to look exactly the same as the original car!

What is Penetron?

Penetron is the name given to our brushes that have a single quill of nylon running up through the middle of each tuft of bristle. This nylon quill is slightly longer than the surrounding bristle and when brushed through the hair the nylon penetrates the top hair layers and stimulates the hair closest to your scalp.

Why are some of your brushes so much more expensive i.e. the wooden ones?

Kent wooden handled brushes are made in our UK factory in Hertfordshire by craftsmen using a mixture of traditional skills and modern machinery. We are proud to still make a Handmade range, which are probably the best and most beautiful range of hair brushes in the world and time pieces for the future. Each brush starts with a block of wood and can take up to 540 hours from start to finish. It will go through endless processes of drying, shaping, drilling, hand drawing, buffing and lacquering before inspection and presentation in handsome red boxes. Of course these are expensive brushes, but they do literally last a lifetime, and the quality has a timeless beauty.

Our ‘Finest’ range is made with the same care as our Handmade brushes but many of the processes are carried out by machines so although the raw materials are the same the price is considerably less than our Handmade range.

What are the origins of badger hair and normal bristle?

Click here to read about the origins of badger hair and normal bristle.

What is Ion and why do Ion brushes help hair that has suffered environmental damage?

An Ion is an atom that has lost or gained one electron making it negatively or positively charged.

Volcanic Andosite quartz crystals emit negative ions and when added to resin can be formed into brushes. This produces brush quills that have a safe natural energy when used in brushing which has been proved to have restorative benefits on hair. The capillary vessels become stimulated and the cuticle layer is tightened which seals in natural oils, helps to promote hair growth, and leaves hair soft, smooth, and vitalized.

Why should I use a body brush?

Did you know that your body gets rid of over ½ kg of waste products from your skin daily? so cleaning your skin effectively is an essential part of caring for your body. Ignoring this leads to blocked pores caused by dead skin cells unable to release the impurities which then create an overload for liver and kidneys.

Skin brushing is a simple way to avoid this, and a vital part of any detox programme. Brushing with pure bristle keeps the skin clear and free to breathe, making it brighter and feel softer, while the vigorous action stimulates the blood and lymph flow to give a feeling of well being.

Kent has a full range of bristle brushes which can be used wet or dry, you choose, but the bristles will feel firmer dry and softer when wet as they absorb water.

Brush from the soles of your feet, working up your legs, front, chest, back and finally your hands and arms. Avoid your face as the skin is too delicate. It is best to use long strokes, as firm as you can tolerate, and always in the direction of your heart to encourage blood flow. After about 5mins the circulation will be stimulated and you should feel invigorated and warm. Do this regularly and your skin will loose its dullness for a healthy glow.