Very elegant design. This would make a truly exquisite brush and I cannot wait to end my 2014 sabbatical so I can order. I have 11 knots waiting and two of them will be getting these handles.
Sorry for lack of updates recently. We've been busy.
We turned our first, for-real batch of handles about a week ago. That produced 44 PK-47s (the shorter of the two styles shown above in this thread) and 44 Chief IIs (slightly modified in comparison to the M&F Group Buy version). Half (i.e., 44) of those are Alternative Ivory, 22 are Alternative Horn, and 22 are Butterscotch Marble. I got a little derailed over the past several days, but hope to have all of those packed up and shipped off to the UK for completion within 2-3 days. I'm still not sure whether/how we'll label this first offering, but expect to have that settled fairly soon.
I intend to offer all of the brushes made from this batch here on B&B exclusively, at a special, introductory price that won't be as sweet as the group buy price (this is business; that wasn't), but will aim to be highly competitive with brushes of comparable quality.
I received a text message from DHL alerting to a delivery tomorrow of more rod stock, which should include Faux Jade, Faux Briar, Purple Haze, Faux Ebony, Amber, and Tigris Perla Orange. We'll start cutting into that as soon as we can. Also, several rods of colored Ebonite arrived last week, from which we've turned a couple of matched pairs (one Mottled Cumberland and the other Marbled Denim) of the PK-47 and Chief II. Given that we don't have any experience with Ebonite, we may hold back offering handles made from it until we've had an opportunity to trial it in use ourselves. In any case, if/when we do sell brushes with Ebonite handles, they won't be cheap. Ebonite stock is much more expensive than the resins commonly used in making shaving brush handles; the stuff chews up our cutting tools like potato chips; and although I'm sure there are more efficient ways to go about polishing it, for us, Ebonite requires considerable time, attention, and effort to achieve what we're after in a finished handle. But we think it's worth it.
Just so there is no confusion, this was my idea(see the group buy thread).
Ken, I eagerly await my Dark Holler/Paladin/Chiefbroom.... If there is a waiting list, please add my name, twice.