Friction in bouldering is as dependent upon the brush as it is upon chalk. We currently have three brush models in our lineup for different applications… Rocket, Monster and Duo.
Our brushes are made using the highest quality animal hair to achieve the best performance and long life. However, we do keep getting requests for brushes with alternatives to animal hair from many climbers. We believe in taking every single product request seriously, which meant coming up with a plant based or synthetic alternative in this case.
The primary challenge in using any plant fiber for bouldering brushes is the lack of resiliency (springiness) as compared to animal hair. While synthetic alternatives do match up on the resiliency parameter, they are generally way too hard for use on natural rock and can cause damage over the long run. Hence, we have been on an extensive search for plant fibers that can reasonably match the performance characteristics of animal hair these past few months, and think that we may have finally found the right candidate.
The picture above is the first sample brush which will undergo testing this weekend… Keep watching this space for further updates.