Rudy Vey Custom Shaving Brushes and Restorations

[hermy65]

I fell in love with Jake's brush so I decide to take the plunge and get my first brush made. I went with a chubby style handle and a 22mm 2 band finest at 47mm. Im excited to see if it works as well as it looks!

[RosaryMan]

Rudy's work displayed on B&B has ALMOST made me buy a non vintage brush !!!!

Fine work from a fine artisan

One day it will be vintage.

[ESTEBE VERDE]

One day it will be vintage.

+1!

[Hex]

One day it will be vintage.

+1

And mine will be more vintage, in that it has the RV logo that was one of the interim designs. It eventually led to the final logo design.

Someway I am trying to get a LE #1 counterfeited onto it.

[Rudy Vey]

Last week I was writing about knots, this week I will talk about handle materials.
My all time favorite material for shaving brushes is the alternative, or faux, ivory. It turns beautifully and takes a great shine when polished. It is impervious to water and makes the best material for brush handles, from the standpoint of cost, workability and end result. Many of the famous brush maker use a similar colored material. The first picture shows a brush (beehive) made from this material.

My second choice is any other resin material, some are readily available or I have them made by a friend who casts polyester resins for me. He can pretty much copy any colors, and also can make bi-colored handle blanks for me. The second picture shows a brush with a black resin.

My third choice in materials is resin stabilized wood. Here the wood is impregnated under high pressure with an acrylic resin. This resin makes the wood also (nearly) impervious to the wet environment of the bathroom. I have pens that are about 10 years old and do not show any signs of wear.
My stock of the resin stabilized woods are normally Boxelder Burl (a kind of Maple) in natural color, and red, green and blue dyed versions of this stunning wood. I also have Redwood Burl, Mesquite and sometimes Buckeye Burl. In the past I also have sent wood out to be stabilized. My personal choice is the resin stabilized wood over the standard wood. The third picture shows a brush with a Boxelder Burl, natural color, handle. The figure in this wood is stunning!

I stock a wide variety of woods, but still experiment with a perfect finish for it. I cannot spray varnish and apply all my finishes by wiping them on with a rag. It takes a long time since I apply several coats and they need to dry between coats. I have no personal brush in use I made from wood and finished with varnish or lacquer, so I cannot give any testament how good they will hold up. My stock of Irish Bog Oak has twindled down to a few smaller pieces, good for only small brushes. One of the rosewoods, Kingwood, was used for handle shown in the fourth picture, an unfinished handle as per my customers request (the inside, however, is sealed with epoxy before the knot was installed).

One of my favorite materials to make handles from are horn, antler and pre-ban ivory. Although my basement shop stinks often to high haven afterward the materials were worked with, the results are excellent. These material do turn and sand and polish well. The only problem is that they are not easy to obtain in a decent quality and if the quality is good, the prices are very high. My stash of solid Black Buffalo horn is depleted and what is left is only good for brushes with a small knot, say max 20 mm.
Sambar stag antler is my absolute favorite of the natural (non-wood) handle materials. This material is hard, very hard, but when turned, sanded and polished, it has the finish like glass. My #1 brush is the little face lather monster, a Shavemac extreme Flattop in a Sambar stag antler handle, it is shown here in the last picture. I do from time to time use pre-ban ivory, and this always stresses me a bit out: one small mistake with a tool on the lathe and there go a couple hundred dollars or more....

[Pkrankow]

Pics 3 and 4 are incredable brushes. I love how the 4th is set off at an angle, and wonder how that would perform.

Phil

[Loric]

My second choice is any other resin material, some are readily available or I have them made by a friend who casts polyester resins for me. He can pretty much copy any colors, and also can make bi-colored handle blanks for me.

I just wanted to put in a good word for Rudy's resin guy. I had asked for a very bright and bold cobalt blue with some depth, and boy did he deliver. Here is my slightly marbled, slightly pearled, lustrous cobalt blue, and its truly striking. I wish I could take video, because my photo skill in no way do this color justice. It almost seems to move inside as you turn it in your hand.


Dont mind my shaving soap in the nooks and carnies.

[DunEdinRanger]

Thank You Rudy, now SBAD has returned in full force.

[BladeRunner001]

Pics 3 and 4 are incredable brushes. I love how the 4th is set off at an angle, and wonder how that would perform.

Phil

Phil,
Rudy made Brush #4 for me based on some specs I sent him. I love the performance . Ergonomics is fabulous...very easy on the wrists . As per Rudy's recommendation, I watch the handle very carefully, making sure I don;t wet it or soak it in water. I dry and Renaissance Wax it after a few tries. Fabulous brush.

[Pkrankow]

Phil,
Rudy made Brush #4 for me based on some specs I sent him. I love the performance . Ergonomics is fabulous...very easy on the wrists . As per Rudy's recommendation, I watch the handle very carefully, making sure I don;t wet it or soak it in water. I dry and Renaissance Wax it after a few tries. Fabulous brush.

Thank you.

Phil

[Jake]

Great information from RV about the knots and handle materials. And he really does seem to have the perspective that what your heart desires is what he wants to create.

My buckeye burl with the Shavemac flat top is blooming quite well. The handle continues to impress my friends and family. The bristles are excellent for face lathering.

Thanks for the workmanship and great service!

[Loric]

Jake I love that handle, especially combined with the colors of the two band knot. Very sexy design work there

[Rudy Vey]

There are questions I get asked a few times every month:

How do I take care of my brush??
I have a wooden brush, what should I do, I am afraid it may crack?
I don't have a brush stand but I have been setting it down to dry, is this OK?

Well, the best way to take care of a brush is like follows:
After your shave rinse your brush out well under warm running water so that all soap or cream residue is removed. Shake the brush out gently (don't let it slip out of your hand....) or carefully squeeze the knot out lightly. Then brush it lightly over a towel, and dry the handle. Then set it down or hang it on a stand.
I do not believe a stand is a necessity, but I have a number of them, bought a handful when a local C&E closed for a couple bucks a piece. Stands can be handy to organize brushes in a small bath room as ours. I have glued a few of the stands on the sides of the cabinets. Works like a charm and it takes care of 6 brushes that do not clutter up valuable counter-space. There is enough space for a growing collection....I attach a picture here.
Some guys have put a string loop around the brush and hang them from a hook on the wall or the bath room door.

One thing should never been done to a wet/moist brush: put it away in a cabinet or any other enclosure!! This may lead to mold and the brush will take on a musty smell.
Let the knot thoroughly dry before putting a brush back into a cabinet or in an air tight container.

Don't forget to take your travel brush out of your kit when coming home, let it completely dry before you put it back in it container.

Handle materials are mostly resistant to water if they are made from any kind of resin. The stabilized wood I use is also well suited for shaving brushes. There are a few materials that need some attention:
all kinds of natural materials, i.e. wood, horn, and real ivory.
Dry your wooden handles well, even if they are nicely lacquered. Horn should be oiled from time to time, best is Neatsfoot oil for this; apply a light coat, let soak in a bit and then wipe the residual off. Ivory should be also dried well after use, generally not be stored in a cabinet as it will darken over time. From time to time the handle should be treated with Renaissance wax; apply, let haze over and them wipe the excess off.



I also have a brush for sale: a very lightly used Rooney Ali Baba 3, this is a very nice brush, but not for a face latherer like me. It is a great brush for bowl lather and will do well with creams or soaps. The price is $130 and includes shipping in CONUS.

[Raithskar]

Well I have used it a bit. Been so busy with work I have not had much free time. Here it is. My Boxelder Burl RV Shaving Chubby 1.



Rudy...I cannot thank you enough! I can't wait to get another

Jon

[brianw]

My wife bought me a nice English Teakettle a few years ago. Unfortunately the handle was a cheap piece of painted wood. The handle was disintegrating and I asked Rudy if he could copy the handle.... he did and here is the result... 2 handles...please don't ask me what the woods are...but they are stabilized and absolutely beautiful and a exact match.

[Rudy Vey]

My wife bought me a nice English Teakettle a few years ago. Unfortunately the handle was a cheap piece of painted wood. The handle was disintegrating and I asked Rudy if he could copy the handle.... he did and here is the result... 2 handles...please don't ask me what the woods are...but they are stabilized and absolutely beautiful and a exact match.

On the kettle: resin stabilized Irish Bog Oak, the other (spare one...) is Ebony...

[TLetums]

Rudy,

On that photo showing three brushes hanging on the wall, what is the size of the Everready (?) with red-and-black handle? Knot looks like TGN finest. Thanks.

[Rudy Vey]

Rudy,

On that photo showing three brushes hanging on the wall, what is the size of the Everready (?) with red-and-black handle? Knot looks like TGN finest. Thanks.

It is actually a Fuller brush - catalin (butterscotch) and black, knot size is 20 mm set at 42 loft, two band TGN Finest in Fan.

[TLetums]

Thanks!
Are there any vintage handles that can accomodate bigger knots (22-24 mm)?

[ESTEBE VERDE]

My wife bought me a nice English Teakettle a few years ago. Unfortunately the handle was a cheap piece of painted wood. The handle was disintegrating and I asked Rudy if he could copy the handle.... he did and here is the result... 2 handles...please don't ask me what the woods are...but they are stabilized and absolutely beautiful and a exact match.

Brian,

How do you like this kettle? I see it all the time and am tempted but haven't quite been sure yet. Do you use it on electric or gas???