History and background

Mason Pearson, founder-engineer-inventor, went from Yorkshire, Northern England to London in the mid 1860s to work at the British Steam Brush Works, in London's East End, in a partnership later known as Raper Pearson and Gill. The business was in general small-brushmaking. The brushes were made by hand. Mason Pearson invented an automatic brush-boring machine to speed up the whole process of brushmaking in 1885, for which he won a Silver Medal at the International Inventions Exhibition in London in that year. In the same year he invented the "pneumatic" rubber-cushion hairbrush. It took until 1905 to improve his technique, much of which was still required to be done by hand. His widow continued the business on her own for a further 20 years, when the next generation was ready to take its part.

During this period, the decision was made to concentrate on Mason Pearson's rubber-cushion hairbrush. The product design used nowadays is similar to the original 1885 model with the improvements of the fully developed models of the early 1920s. The basic product has not changed since then and some of the model names are still with us: Large Extra, Small Extra, Popular and Junior.

What is different?

• The unique rubber-cushion pad, made by hand using Mason Pearson’s original techniques, allows for effective and efficient brushing. It is kind to use and massages the scalp.
• The cellulose plastic handle is hand-polished and any sharp edges are removed to make the hairbrush more comfortable to hold. This handle was developed from the original wooden design which we continue to make in small quantities.
• We continue to try to improve on the established design: for example, the "Child" brush is in response to a customer’s request. This is designed to enable a child to become accustomed to the activity of brushing. Similar to this, in the materials used, is the "Sensitive", which has been developed for people who have thinning hair or very fine hair. This brush gently stimulates the scalp. The natural extension has been to have a "Sensitive" model for those men who are "thin on top".
• We build our products to last as long as possible. While we cannot make indestructible products, we use the best materials available so that, with a little care, they should give good service.We try to make improvements continuously. We have developed our own special nylon and take particular care in our selection of natural bristles to use the best combination for each brush.

Choosing a hairbrush

To maintain the quality of the Mason Pearson Hairbrush it is not mass produced. Most of the work is carried out by hand, using techniques pioneered and patented by the founder - Mason Pearson - over one hundred years ago and improved over succeeding generations.

Boar Bristle tufts: generally used for fine to normal hair, except where specified.
Boar Bristle & Nylon tufts: generally used for normal to thick hair.
Nylon tufts: generally used for thick hair.

The pads are selected for the type of hair to be brushed. If we assume that you need to feel the brush on the scalp and the massage effect, we make the following suggestions. We have established the guidelines below based on our customers’ experience over many years; please note that these can be general only.

Pure Bristle brushes: For fine to normal hair, fine long hair.
The models: Large Extra, Small Extra, Handy Bristle and Pocket Bristle.
The Sensitive models are for very fine or thinning hair.
The Child’s model for children aged between 3 and 6 years.            

Bristle & Nylon Mixture brushes: For normal and short thick hair.
The models: Popular, Junior, Handy Bristle & Nylon and Pocket Bristle & Nylon.

Nylon brushes: For very thick hair.
The models: Universal, Handy Nylon (Detangler) and Pocket Nylon.                      

Long Hair: In general, the longer the hair the bigger the brush required. However, if a person is more comfortable with a smaller brush, it may be necessary to use a smaller mixture model instead of a larger pure bristle one.

The range of the brushes

• The Pads: natural pure boar bristle; A mixture of natural pure boar bristle and nylon; All nylon.
• The Sizes: Large (8 Rings of tufts); Medium (7 rings); Handy (6 rings); Pocket (5 rings).
• The Colours: Dark ruby; Ivory/white; Pink; Blue; Lightwood.

Dimensions of the brushes

Maintenance

Good general care of the product will prolong its useful life:

• It should not be left continuously in strong sunlight during a large part of its life. The ultra-violet light can perish the rubber and the heat can distort the handle.
• Do not use oils or spirits on your hairbrush. These can destroy the rubber. Oil-based preparations used on the hair can do the same if allowed to accumulate.

Cleaning:

The pad and bristles need to be cleaned periodically . For the best results, use a Cleaning Brush, which comes with all the larger models and can be purchased from us for the Pocket size. Otherwise, use a narrow toothbrush. Follow the cleaning instructions below to keep your Mason Pearson Hairbrush in good condition, even after many years of use.

• Dry clean it frequently. The dead hairs and scales from the scalp can clog the pad and bristles of your hairbrush.
  1. Loosen any 'woven' strands with a comb. Insert the comb at the sides of the brush as near to the pad as possible and follow round the whole circumference of the brush, lifting the hair away.
  2. Draw the Cleaning Brush across the bristles from one end of the pad to the other and then diagonally. If there is an accumulation of dust on the surface of the rubber pad, use the tips of the filaments of the Cleaning Brush to dislodge it using a light scrubbing action.
• Wash it occasionally. However, you are advised to wash it more frequently, if it becomes apparent that grease is accumulating quickly, because grease in contact with the rubber pad can cause it to deteriorate. Similarly, this applies to hair preparation, oils or chemicals which are likely to remain on the brush after use.
  1. Dry clean as above.
  2. Make a lather of lukewarm (never hot) soapy water. Do not use detergents, ammonia, petroleum-based products or shampoos to clean the hairbrush.
  3.Dip the Cleaning Brush only, and NOT the hairbrush, into the soapsuds and draw it across the bristles from one end of the pad to the other and then diagonally. Use the tips of the filaments of the Cleaning Brush to brush the surface of the rubber pad, with a light scrubbing action in the same way. Hold the hairbrush so that the head is pointing downwards, with the hole at the bottom. This should never be blocked, either when cleaning or when the brush is in use.
  4. Dip the Cleaning Brush in clean rinsing water and apply it to the hairbrush.
  5. Shake the hairbrush to remove any excessive moisture and leave it to dry with the handle uppermost, and the pad facing downwards.
• Never dry the bristles with a towel. The bristle and nylon are softened if they become too moist. In the case of a nylon hairbrush only, leave it to dry in an airing cupboard for an hour. If the hairbrush is pure bristle or a mixture of bristle and nylon, then this method should not be used. Natural bristle can become brittle if exposed to dry heat for an extended period. So, leave the brush to dry naturally at a comfortable temperature.
  Important: Do not use oils or spirits on your hairbrush: these will destroy the rubber.

Care of the handle:

For plastic handles to maintain their shape, do not boil in water or apply heat to them. Strong chemicals , notably nail varnish remover , can attack the surface or cause the plastic to sink . In addition, these can draw out the coloured dyes and pigments from the plastic. For the wooden handles, all the foregoing applies. Also, the presence of water inside the hairbrush will cause the wood to swell and the coating to crack.