Kent Brushes was founded in 1777 by William Kent during the reign of George III. The business started in a small house at 7 Tylers Street (now called Fouberts Place) in Westminster but then went on to encompass factories across London, including a large toothbrush factory in Bethnal Green. But in 1901, a brand-new factory was built in Apsley, Hertfordshire, to house the entire brush-making business, and it is here that we continue to reside today, nearly 125 years later.
British manufacturing is incredibly important to us, and we are proud to handcraft a large cross-section of our brushes from our UK factory. Few people know how their possessions are made or where they come from, so we are excited to share this new film with you, giving you a little insight into life within our factory.
Our intention has always been to create the world’s finest brushes and to be pioneers, innovators, and leaders within our industry, and we continue to uphold this commitment today. Our philosophy runs far deeper than just creating a great brush; British manufacturing, craftmanship, integrity, and tradition are at the heart of everything we do, and the intention of this film was to capture a snapshot of factory life.
It is beautiful to witness the juxtaposition of traditional brush-making skills, such as hand drawing sitting effortlessly alongside modern manufacturing techniques and machinery. When handmaking something, nothing comes by chance—it’s all a process, and some of the techniques used today have been passed down from generation to generation.
Our team's skill and commitment are a source of incredible pride. The final product is the sum of everyone’s expertise; no one person or process is more important than the other. Technology and modern manufacturing techniques are wonderful, but technology is nothing without humanity. The human element is integral to our final product. The touch, feel and final seal of approval. You need to have ‘the eye’, the instinct to know when it’s perfect; that is something no machine can provide.
Real luxury is craftmanship. It is trust. Luxury means you know the hands that made it. This is our factory, and these are the hands.
Find out more about our heritage at www.kentbrushes.com and be sure to follow us at @kentbrushes.com
CREDITS:
Take a look inside Kent Brushes Factory >
Film by Aaron Kyle at Cinematic Collective
