Plastic handles of ABS or polyacetal are injection molded. Wooden ones in beech or rosewood are cut, shaped and sanded.

Cushion brushes get a rubber mat that sits in the head and lets the pins flex, so tangles give before hair snaps.

Bristle arrives in bundles already sorted by thickness and length. It is boiled to clean out impurities, and some is bleached white.

Each bundle is checked by hand and run through a heavy trimmer top and bottom to an even length. Nylon pins are cut from filament for detangling brushes.

A tufting machine clamps each head and drills rows of small holes. Hole angles vary slightly so the finished tufts splay in the right directions.

The machine grabs a measured pinch of bristles, folds it over a small piece of steel wire, and drives the fold into a hole. Too much force snaps the bristles, and too little leaves them loose.

A shaver clips bristles that stick out too far. Many brushes keep deliberately uneven lengths so the tips reach the scalp.

Inspectors look for loose or uneven tufts and test that the handle is solid before packing.