A brush with greatness: If you only buy one hairbrush, make it this one

Brushing hair is a time-honoured ritual (Julius Caesar combed his locks forward to make his hair look thicker and the Victorians swore by ‘100 strokes nightly’). Kent Brushes have been providing the wherewithal for nearly 250 years.

Ebony, beechwood or satinwood is billeted (cut from raw timber), shaped and sanded by hand before holes are drilled and bristles manually threaded with wire. Wood is chosen for its quality and grain; fine boar hair helps distribute natural oils and promotes shine. These processes are used ‘not out of nostalgia, but because we believe in the artistry of manufacturing, transforming raw materials into dependable, long-lasting tools,’ says Zoe Cosby, whose family acquired the company in 1932.

Established by William Kent in London in 1777, it is thought to be the oldest brush manufacturer in the world and has been steered by only two families — the Kents, until 1932, and the Cosbys, who moved operations to a larger factory in Apsley, Hertfordshire, in 1940, where the company remains.

It provided brushes to troops during both World Wars: for personal care, shoes, buttons and cleaning aircraft fuselages, even masterminding a ‘top-secret’ brush for concealing maps and compasses. In 1955, some brushes were made with timber from the foundations of the old Waterloo Bridge and others with wood from Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory.