Ed & Sharpless Jones: The Brush-Back Brothers
Brothers, Ed and Sharpless Jones entrepreneurs, inventors and extremely passionate about the game of golf. Driven by their combined competitive spirits and a fierce desire to better their scores on each course they have conquered, this pair created the Brush-Back™, club and cleat cleaner.
"Somewhere, either in a barber shop, doctor's office or while getting my oil changed, I read a magazine article that claimed dirty golf club heads could potentially add three to four strokes to your game," states Sharpless. "Following an extremely trying day in the rain on our local course, Ed and I discussed how we might develop a quality product to remove unwanted debris from both our clubs and our clogged and now slippery golf shoes."
Ed quickly remarks, "A close friend and excellent golfer (played in two U.S. Amateur Tournaments) handed me a golf brush and asked what I thought of it. The brush was about the size of two matchbooks and had a nylon brush on one side and a steel brush on the other. I took it with me to the course and played a couple of rounds with it in my pocket."
"The first thing I wanted in a golf brush was NOT to have it in my pocket. I putt with my hands close to my thighs, and anything more than a coin for marking my golf ball is a no-no for me. Even golf tees are carried in my back pockets. Our journey to a better golf brush started with where to put it, and we both agreed that the golf bag was the most appropriate Brush-Back holder", Ed adds. "If the golf brush is attached to the golf bag you can’t lose it, you can’t leave at home, and the golf brush is always within reach."
Ed and Sharpless spent the next several months determining how to build a better mousetrap and eventually invented the award-winning Brush-Back, golf club, and cleat cleaner.
Sharpless goes on to say, "Upon examining a Brush-Back, you will immediately notice that instead of a fragile plastic shell, we have encased the swivel housing with polished steel. First, you pull on the brush to extend it from the bag to use it, and then you let it go to retract back to its home base on the bag. Use and repeat. Never in your pocket. Never lost in the golf cart or on the course."
The brass-bristled brush, attached to the retractable 42" lead has been ergonomically designed to comfortably fit your hand, while the brush head is angled, for optimal performance.
Both of the brothers eagerly explained their decision to use Dyneema, described as the "world's strongest fiber," for the 3.5-foot retractable cord. "While well into the prototyping stage, we quickly became aware that the wire cable initially specified for the project would either fray or merely break." Ed goes on to say, "We intended to develop a product that was of top-quality and designed to withstand many rounds. Despite the increase in production costs, we knew that switching to Dyneema was the right answer for it is stronger than steel and perfect for our purposes."
Coincidentally, today's Brush-Back is exceptionally similar to the initial prototype and the company's first product offering. There are, however, two features that vastly increases the marketability of the product.
The first is the 2-sided, 2-inch, steel shell. These spaces are perfect for customization using stock imagery, uploaded graphics, as well as custom type messages. Customers have designed custom Brush-Backs for company events, charitable golf outings, club tournaments, wedding parties, as well as 'one-offs' for gift-giving occasions.
Secondly, their swiveling bag attachments allow the messaging area to flip from one side to the other quickly so that both surfaces receive equal attention.
The Jones brother's long journey has resulted in their invention of the highest quality golf brush in the industry. The Brush-Back has won many awards including the best new accessory product at the prestigious Orlando PGA Golf Show, the highest rating from PGA Tour Partners as well as being awarded a patent (Utility Patent #5,815,873) from the U.S. Patent & Trademarks Office.
Brush-Back is still currently headed by the Jones Brothers. However, due to the rapid increase in demand, other family members and friends have been brought in to handle the bustling daily activity. Besides, from time to time, Ed and Sharpless must return to the golf course to dream up the next great product!
Should you have any questions (there are no bad ones), please feel free to give us a call or drop us an email. 781.476.3047 | sharpless@brush-back.com