Men's shaving brushes once had an interesting history

According to an article by Rachael Rettner in ‘Live Science’, 12 April 2017, this was not a new phenomenon. Hundreds of cases had been reported between 1915 and 1924, related to shaving brushes purchased from various countries, including Russia, Japan, or China. Shaving brushes were traditionally made from the hair of badgers, pigs, or horses. It was thought that horsehair may have been taken from horses that had died from anthrax.

According to an article by Rachael Rettner in ‘Live Science’, 12 April 2017, this was not a new phenomenon. Hundreds of cases had been reported between 1915 and 1924, related to shaving brushes purchased from various countries, including Russia, Japan, or China. Shaving brushes were traditionally made from the hair of badgers, pigs, or horses. It was thought that horse hair may have been taken from horses that had died from anthrax.

Sources

• Rettner, Rachel (2017). ‘The Strange History of Anthrax Cases Tied to Men's Shaving Brushes’. Live Science.
• https://www.livescience.com/58667-shaving-brushes-anthrax...
• South African Medical Association NPC. South African Medical Journal, Volume 18, Issue 5, Mar 1920, p. 96 https://journals.co.za/content/m_samj/18/5/AJA20785135_1191
• Picture: https://pixabay.com/photos/razor-knife-carbon-steel-1708642/