D R Harris brushes

gruffydd3 · Post by **gruffydd3** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:44 pm

Does anyone know who makes D R Harris brushes?
Thanks,
Rick

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 7:41 pm

Ah Rick, I was afraid that one day, someone was going to ask this directly. In a word, 'no', not for certain. Mainly because D R Harris, adhering to an old upper crust code, won't say. I've exchanged a couple of emails with them, on this subject, and basically, got nowhere. They denied that Rooney currently makes their brushes, but declined to say who did. When I pressed them on who made my Harris's brush, which was made several years back, they claimed that they couldn't remember! Please. I'll tell you what I personally think. I'm at least 90% sure that the D R Harris's 'Best Badger' brush that I have, was made by Rooney. If you'd like to know why I think that, send me a PM, as it is rather lenghty. If, on the off chance, that it is not, then it is a Simpson. Regards, Gordon

Vulfix Old Original · Post by **Vulfix Old Original** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 1:05 am

Gordon,

You are wrong in your assumption.

Please try again.

Kind regards

Vulfix Old Original

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:22 am

Vulfix Old Original,
Can I play? I think I might know the answer??

gruffydd3 · Post by **gruffydd3** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:30 am

Are the toothbrushes on the D R Harris site made by Vulfix also?
Rick

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:59 pm

Afternoon, The Harris's brush that I have was probably made toward the end of the 1990s. If it was made by Vulfix, it is quite unlike any Vulfix brush that I have ever seen, and I've seen most of the current models. Also, the handle style seems to be identical to a model that Rooney made for years. So, if the brush that I have is really a Vulfix, I think that I can be excused for thinking otherwise. Regards, Gordon

wellgroomed67 · Post by **wellgroomed67** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 2:57 pm

Um, I'm not trying to stir up trouble here, but the wording of Vulfix's reply seems unnecessarily snippy. If they want to make it clear that they produced the Harris (or any other brushes), they should just say so plainly (and politely). Gordon is a guy who has done his homework; his assumptions/conclusions seem reasonable enough. JMCooper

Vulfix Old Original · Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:21 am

Apologies if the response appeared short.

We are trying to clarify a point, not give an answer.

Kind regards

Vulfix Old Original

rtaylor61 · Post by **rtaylor61** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:45 am

Gordon,

You are wrong in your assumption.

Please try again.

Kind regards

Vulfix Old Original

I would take this to mean that the brush was built by Vulfix. Comments?

Randy

Post by **Sam** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 5:37 am

ok, randy, ill comment. i dont think that the vulfix poster is saying they made it. and it may be that more than one company produced brushed for dr harris - maybe it was a switch from one company to another or purposely for different designs. and it may be that the company can not respond on point because of confidentiality agreements

sam

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:55 am

Randy, Sam is correct, see my above post. I don't know about today, the Harris's brush that I have was almost certainly made in the second half of the 1990s. It does not appear to me to be of Vulfix manufacture. I'm not saying that's it impossible that it is, but I don't think so. Unless either Vulfix or D R Harris said, point blank, that Vulfix has supplied ALL the Harris's brushes, for at least the last decade, I continue to believe that the speciman I have is probably a Rooney made brush. Regards, Gordon

English · Post by **English** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 10:24 am

Gordon,

I can understand your indignation.

My understanding of the simple and very precise Vulfix reply is that they have told you clearly, directly and politely that your DR Harris brush was not made by Rooney.

It's also crystal clear from the second posting that they do not intend to say who made it.

You may never know.

You could put this on your headstone, " WHO MADE THE BRUSH ?"

If it really bothers you, they have left you the opportunity to eliminate the major brush manufactureres one by one.

Ask them if Simpsons made it. You may however be upset with their reply.

Anyway, does it matter if you like the brush?

divotmax · Post by **divotmax** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:26 pm

Hi;

You know, it's really beginning to p---s me off playing games with shaving product manufacturers. One cannot tell what brushes are made from or who makes them. The grading of badger hair is convoluted and imprecise, and allows too many gray (pun intended) areas in broad descriptions of brush composition. No way to tell what you are getting until you have it in hand. Combined with the acknowledged bleaching of bristles, this almost borders on deceptive advertising. What is the big secret about who makes brushes for a given seller? Unless the seller is trying to foist substandard brushes on the public for exorbitant prices. I thought Gillette had that market sewed up with their miserable DE blades, which also conceal where they are made. If I want to pay twice as much for a brush that has been branded by a well-known but actually made (and available from) the actual maker, I would like that to be a knowing choice. That's how Nieman-Marcus stays in business, catering to those who have to have upscale brand names not associated with any level of quality. Apparently creams and soaps are much in the same boat; no one can really say who makes what, except that perhaps one company actually makes the creams to the specifications of a particular seller (regardless of what is printed on the container.) The forum already has posts about the multiple razor handles that are retrofitted for a single manufacturer of razor heads. Yeah, yeah, I know, if I like the product I should be happy with it regardless of who makes it. And for the most part I am, as long as I am comfortable that I am getting a quality product. When someone starts beating around the bush either withholding information or giving out misleading or incomplete information, I get suspicious.

I feel much better now.

BobS

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:36 pm

English, Well, yes and no. It's really just a matter of interest, I'm into this sort of minutiae, and also, sometimes it can help a member make a more informed choice when buying a brush. For example ( this is in the US ), he might want to know that the $120 brush he is about to buy from T&H is made buy Vulfix, and that the identical brush can be gotten for about half that price, elsewhere. D R Harris told me that Rooney does not supply their brushes, TODAY. But mine is not that recent. It was partially by that process of elimination, that I arrived at the conclusion that I did. If the brush I have was made by Vulfix ( or Kent ) it is very unlike any other brushes of theirs that I've seen, either branded, or for sale by another firm. It appears more similiar to a few of the Simpson Best brushes, in it's density and 'feel'. But, when Joel posted some photos of an older model Rooney that he'd gotten a hold of, voila! one of them looked identical to the Harris's brush that I have. So, Rooney seemed the most likely maker. Regards, Gordon

English · Post by **English** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 2:26 am

Hey BobS,

Well said. I'm in your school, branding hacks me off as well. But it does make the US and other economies tick.

Gordon,

Your points as usual are very valid. It's clearly an integrity or legal thing with Vulfix which I can well understand. But the first posting does clearly ask you to "Please try again." I think if it was Kent you'd have guessed that already. So ask about Simpson, it's different somehow to the other manufacturers.

I was annoyed with myself for buying a Crabtree & Evelyn brush I have not enjoyed. It has a super badger head, it's well made but it is not packed dense enough for my taste.
Two weeks ago I purchased a new Kent BK4 from John Lewis £40. It's still a great brush. The head size looks the same as the C & E brush. However with dry brushes, if you point the two heads at each other and push them together, you can clearly see that the Kent has approximately twice the volume of bristle, even though the base of the bristle head is about the same on both brushes. It's a good test. From the good press Shavemac has been getting from the forum members, I believe the shavemac brush may be denser packed again. Try the test with your brushes It's like measuring the thickness of a wheel you know, 12", 14", 17". On my C&E the thickness is 1/4" but the Kent is 1/2". Tell me if this makes sense. Regards, English.

gruffydd3 · Post by **gruffydd3** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:34 am

Here's my take on this. While Vulfix doesn't say they make the current brushes, they don't deny it either. Maybe they aren't allowed to say that they are the makers under an agreement with D R Harris.
Rick

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:36 pm

Rick, Well that could be, if so, then we can't find out for certain. In any case, I did want to say that whoever made it, I have been very pleased with my Harris' 'Best Badger' brush, from the first day that I got it. Mine is slightly over 4" high, and would seem to be about a 25-26mm knot. Although the bristle is quite flexible, it is packed so densely and the loft is short enough, that it does not have any of that 'floppy' or 'mop-like' quality that some members complain of with softer brushes. Of the three high end brushes that I have, the Harris's is my 'go to' choice. Regards, Gordon

honkdonker · Post by **honkdonker** » Tue Oct 04, 2005 7:21 pm

Gordon, in that case, you are probably ready to sell it to me!

JackieMartling · Post by **JackieMartling** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 9:54 pm

Am I the only one here who isn't certain that the Vulfix poster is actually from Vulfix? Why isn't there a name attached to the post so we can verify who is posting, and determine that they are qualified to speak on the company's behalf? It could be a crank who made up the profile and got the appropriate avatar. And if it is really Vulfix, then I'm just outright annoyed at the way they seem to appear like an apparition out of nowhere with cryptic, sphinx-like riddles for us to decode. I'd have better luck asking my Magic 8 Ball.

Me: "Magic 8 Ball, was Gordon's brush made by Rooney?"

Magic 8 Ball: "Outlook not so good. Ask again later."

Humbug. I'm glad I went with a Kent.

gruffydd3 · Post by **gruffydd3** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 4:28 am

Nathan,
That same thought did occur to me, but when no one else questioned it, I figured the poster was known on this forum.
Rick