- Established
- 1777
- Founded by
- William Kent
- Based in
- Apsley, Hertfordshire
- Craft
- Brushmaking
The Local’s perspective
Everyday objects, carefully made
A brush is a small thing to spend time with. Yet the weight of its handle, the feel of its bristles and the way it is presented can make it memorable. The two Kent brushes we tried had that quality: useful objects with the presence of a considered gift.
The story
A working history in Apsley
Kent began in London in 1777. Through changing materials, machinery and habits, brushes have remained its business. Since the turn of the twentieth century, Apsley in Hertfordshire has been its manufacturing home.
In 1932, engineer Eric Cosby acquired the company from the Kent family. The Cosby family continues that custodianship today. The heritage is not simply an archive: it belongs to a business with a working factory, specialist skills and customers to serve.
Inside the making
The work behind the brush
Timber, bristles, machinery and hand-finishing all have a place in Kent’s factory. Its handmade hairbrushes offer a particularly close view of the work: shaping and finishing the object around the materials it uses.
Origin varies across the range. Kent identifies its clothes brushes and handmade hairbrush collections among its UK-made lines; other products are manufactured overseas. Packing and dispatch at Apsley are not the same as making there.
Our recommendation
Two thoughtful gifts, tried by us
BA10 Baby Brush. Exceptionally soft-feeling bristles, a lovely weight in the hand and thoughtful pastel-pink presentation. To us, it has the feel of a keepsake—a different sort of gift from the usual clothes, blankets and toys.
CP6 Clothes Brush. The dark wooden handle stood out, especially its grain and texture. We liked the substantial feel and the bristles. We would pair it with a beautiful jumper or scarf: a gift accompanied by something intended for its care.
A sense of place
Apsley, Hertfordshire
Kent’s Apsley factory links Hertfordshire’s industrial history with a specialist business still at work today. It has been the company’s manufacturing home since the turn of the twentieth century.
