geoffrey fisher handcrafts natural brushes from hog bristles and local hardwood

geoffrey fisher is a buckinghamshire-based artist, designer, and maker that’s crafting beautiful brushes entirely by hand using wood and pure hog bristles. this brush and pan set is one in a range of products and it uses locally sourced hardwoods that are coppiced as part of an ongoing program of traditional woodland management to maintain a healthy balance of native flora and fauna. the brushes are specifically designed using the natural shape of the wood to create a product that is both unique and practical.

images courtesy of geoffrey fisher

the natural qualities of the wood mean that not only is each product unique because of its grain and texture but also due to the different soil and climate conditions in a particular locality. wildlife can also create differences and, as wood is a living material, small cracks and twists can appear in response to temperature and humidity changes.

the brush is made from pure hog bristles

fisher‘s handmade table brush and pan set is equally at home on the breakfast table as it is on the workbench or office desk. the naturally formed shape of the wooden stock provides a comfortable grip and its smooth untreated surface is the ideal place to appreciate the markings of the exposed wood grain. generously filled with pure hog bristle, this brush fits neatly into its pan, which is made from high-quality european birch plywood. the pairing of both makes an interesting contrast between the manufactured and naturally formed.

each brush is similar in some respects but entirely unique in others

‘I aim to make my products equally elegant and practical and where possible affordable. this product shows my interest in contracting the natural appearance of wood with the manufactured,’  says the designer. the set retails for £55 on geoffrey fisher’s website here.

packaging for the table brush and pan set

a tree that came down in some woodland not far from fisher’s studio — it would either be made into firewood or nature would take its course

in another area of the same woodland, there are saplings growing that need to be coppiced in order to maintain a healthy balance between native flora and fauna

before the coppiced wood can be made into products it needs to be roughly sawn into sections to allow the moisture content to be reduced

marking out the brush stocks before cutting to size

using a japanese crosscut saw to cut the brush stocks to size

using birch plywood to make the pan for the table brush and pan set

completed brushes for the potting shed brush and pan set

fisher working in the studio

project info:

name: table brush and pan
designer: geoffrey fisher

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom