Technology is a very weird thing. Some of it represents the highest expression of human ingenuity: writing, telephony, computers…these sorts of areas. Not all of it is quite so charming however – and specifically now, let’s talk about the shaving brush. Simple enough device, delivers soap to a man’s face to lubricate skin in anticipation of contact with the straight razor
So, what do you give the man who has everything? Right, got it, an ivory-handled shaving brush with bristles made from finest BADGER fur.
While you recover from the ‘ick factor’ associated with the suggestion above, let me fill in a couple of details. First, blame it on the French, obviously… Know what the French phrase for ‘shave brush’ is? Yep, blaireau, French for badger, as in ‘Bonjour, mon ami, avez-vous vu un blaireau ici? J’ai besoin d’un rasage.’*
Of course the French are not alone in their disregard of badger rights – in 2012 after many years of badger-positive activity, a major Badger-cull was conducted in the UK, with another scheduled for this year. Ever heard of a Dachshund? Dachs-hund… German for badger-hound. Of course now almost all commercially-produced badger pelts come from China…
We found this American Badger, Taxidea taxus, just north of the NE Entrance Road, at the base of Specimen Ridge, about 300 meters west of the Lamar River Bridge. Images were record at 13:30 MDT on May 14, 2013, using the Nikon D7100 and the AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR. Exposures were f/5.6 and 1/1250s, ISO 400.
Copyright 2013 Peter F. Flynn. No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.
* Hello my friend, have you seen any badgers around here? I need a shave.
Tags: American Badger, Badger, Specimen Ridge, Taxidea taxus, The Stone, YELL, Yellowstone National Park, YNP
“Badgers? We don’t need no stinking badgers!”
Sorry. Bad movie. I had to say it! Great photos, though.
Hi A,
Thanks for checking in. That line is from UHF right? As weird as that scene was, (Trinidad Silva, I think), it is a pretty good imitation of Gold Hat from Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
Cheers,
P.
Very nice sequence showing the badger digging a hole, then backing out of it with soil being pushed behind him, and always watching his surroundings. I would not want to mess with him. I wonder what properties the badger hair brush possesses which make it the desired fur for such a brush? Perhaps a mixture of softness the tip of the fir, coupled with firmness a bit lower. Save the badgers go electric..
Hi B,
Thanks for the note. Yes, hyperactive and hyper-vigilant keep Mr. Badger from becoming someone’s lunch, or exotic tool. I don’t have a shot of this in the sequence, but as you know, badgers come equipped with claws that would make a grizzly bear jealous. Apparently badger hair is very hydrophobic, e.g., sheds water, which allows soap to become highly concentrated, resulting in a dense lather.
Cheers,
P.