Horsehair Hand Broom

From a factory founded in 1907 by George Zehetner in Houston, Texas, these brushes were originally made as scrubbing tools and horse grooming brushes for the U.S. Army. 

After World War II and the wane of martial activity and soldiers on horseback, the factory turned to making goods for the home front, becoming the sole supplier for Sears.
 
After a few years, however, Sears demanded that the factory cut the price of their brushes by half, or they would buy from someone else. To meet Sears’ demands would have meant a tremendous drop in quality. Zehetener turned Sears away. The family decided that an account, no matter how large, was not worth sacrificing the craftsmanship of their brush.
 
Manufactured on Italian Borghi broom and brush machines, all of the brush fibers are flagged on the factory premises, ensuring the consistency of the bristles’ soft, even finish. The black horsehair brushes are made from the tails and manes of American, South American, Canadian, and Australian-bred horses.  They are set into clean, hardwood blocks, all cut and sanded in their own wood shop. The brushes are tumbled for four hours in a dryer with Carnauba wax. The waxy tumble gives the brushes a glossy finish and makes the bristles feel soft and smooth.

When finished hand sweeping dirt, sand or any other kind of soot, simply hang up the brush from the little hole on its handle. The brushes are sturdy enough to clean counters of wood and paint chips and other large debris. If a deeper cleaning is needed, soak in a little water and soap and let it dry overnight.
 
The brushes have an unconditional lifetime warranty on faulty products. 

All brushes are made from start to finish in Texas, from the sanding of the wood, to the staple-setting of the horsehair bristles, and the waxing of the whole brush. Since moving out of Houston in 1947, the factory has been employing roughly a hundred people from the small town of Clarksville, Texas (population: 3000). One of these employees, Kenneth Backus, had been working there since 1967. In 1995, Backus bought the factory from the family, and the last Zehetner hung up his broom and retired. 

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