# black bristle toothbrushes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 14, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911 "2007-03-14T17:04:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911/1 "2007-03-14T17:04:02Z")

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The other day I was at a Tag Sale (the owner of a house died and the in-laws were selling the contents of the house), and checking out the bathroom I noticed a toothbrush with black bristles.

Not stained, mind you, the bristles themselves were black.

Why would someone buy a toothbrush with black bristles?

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911/2 "2007-03-14T17:09:41Z")

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Are you sure it was a toothbrush? I’ve had black-bristled brushes that look like slightly larger than usual toothbrushes, but they were sold as cleaning tools.

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911/3 "2007-03-14T17:26:27Z")

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If they were actually mixed black and white, which could appear black at a quick glance, they could have been natural badger bristle, which probably sells to the people who’ll buy anything that says “natural” on it. I don’t know if depilitating badgers yields any better a toothbrush:

[http://www.edentalstuff.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=132](http://www.edentalstuff.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=132)

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**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911/4 "2007-03-14T18:10:49Z")

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“This handcrafted personal care item was designed by Europe’s finest craftsmen.”

Don’t we have a better use for Europe’s finest craftsmen? Like back scratchers or toenail clippers?

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911/5 "2007-03-14T18:17:13Z")

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I used a hog bristle toothbrush once. It felt like brushing with nails.

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**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911/6 "2007-03-14T19:48:14Z")

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It could also have been a toothbrush used for cleaning dentures. The black brushes mentioned by **gotpasswords** have bristles much stiffer than those used in toothbrushes for the mouth and so it may have been a cleaning brush and not technically a toothbrush, even though it was found in the bathroom.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911/7 "2007-03-14T20:20:34Z")

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Same reason you’d want [black TP](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/black-toilet-paper-128466.php), I guess.

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-bristle-toothbrushes/395911/8 "2007-03-14T23:38:09Z")

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Eww…how can you tell if you’re done wiping?  
:o