Making the Beard Brush Brush Handle - Part 3 of 5

One of the longest parts of making a beard brush is making the handle. From the time the lumber arrives at the factory, and waits up for eight weeks to reach the right level of humidity, it goes through multiple steps each of which requires expert artisans.

Our brushes are not lacquered. This is because lacquer not only adds unnecessary chemicals, but also because it contributes to creating static when brushing. To avoid that we oil the wood, this means keeping your brush in perfect shape requires oiling it. For more information on caring for your brush, you can check our guide.

Blocks are sorted for milling

Each of our brushes are milled from a single block of wood. Once the wood has been cut to the right size in blocks, it is checked for any cracks in the wood.

This part is important and requires some patience, wood as a material is “alive” it changes with time so even when dry, we need to ensure it doesn’t further change after it has been cut.

The milling

Each handle is run through the mill. The mill is set up with a steel template of the brush’s shape and turns around the rotating blade which routes the shape of the brush of the wood.

This is the most automated process of the entire brush handle manufacturing.

Handles are sanded

Once the brush handles are milled to the right shape and checked for quality they are brought to the sanding stage.

The handles are loaded into a tumbler, the tumbler contains thousands of small pyramid shaped pellets. The handles are then left in the tumbler for several hours where they are sanded on all parts to achieve a smooth surface.

Then the handles are oiled

As mentioned above, our handles aren’t lacquered, they’re oiled. While this is better environmentally, it also reduces the static created by the brush when brushing one’s beard or hair (this isn’t a big deal for short beards).

Additionally, oil means the contact with the wood in the hand is much nicer. One can actually feel the wood one is holding rather than touching a layer of lacquer or plastic.

The oil is applied in a tumbler, but this time with thousands of round balls which distribute the oil to all parts of the brush handle.

Etching the brush handle

Once the brush handles are oiled and ready they are let to rest while the oil is absorbed into the wood.

Each handle is then checked again by hand and placed in the etching machine which takes handle by handle and etches the ZilberHaar logo, and of course the fact that each one of these brushes is entirely made in Germany, by craftsmen who have been making brushes for generations.

The ready handles are now prepared to get sent to tufting, when the boar bristles and handles get joined, finally turning the wood into a brush.