Handmade Arenga Bench Brush with Leather Handle and Oak Strip (made to order)

Simon's handmade arenga brushes are the perfect mix of practical and pretty. The bristles are carefully wrapped by hand in a colour of your choice, finished with an oak bark tanned leather handle.

A strip of woven oak is integrated into the design - a thoughtful nod to Simon's specialism in the critically endangered craft of oak swill basket making.

This isn't a brush for hiding away - hang it by its handle and brighten up your kitchen, workshop or garden.

Arenga is a natural plant fibre made from the Arenga Pinnata Palm, native to tropical Asia. Its stiff bristles are perfect for dusting corners and tricky spots - noticeably stiffer than tampico fibre brushes.

Each brush connects you to two rare traditional crafts: the precision of hand-wrapped brush making and the heritage of oak swill basketry. Also known as spelk baskets, swales and spales, oak swill baskets are native to the southern Lake District and so strong that apprentices would traditionally test them by standing on them. Making these baskets involves splitting oak along the grain, cleaving, dressing, and weaving each piece by hand - skills passed down by the last remaining swill makers in the UK.

This is a handmade item, so no two brushes will be exactly the same.

Lead time: Please note that these brushes are made-to-order. Allow 2-3 weeks for your order to be made and shipped, although we'll endeavour to exceed expectations.

Materials: Arenga plant fibre, nylon cord, oak bark tanned leather, woven oak strip

Dimensions: 18-20 cms long x 13-15cms wide (at its widest point)