Frank Shaving silvertip arrives

Now I can finally junk those damn Burma Shave brushes!

JUST KIDDING! Still love my Burma Shave brushes--the one I own and the three I have on order.

But the time has come in this old fool's life to move up and blow a little dough.

Just received my silvertip badger brush from Ian Tang of Frank Shave in the Mysterious East. (No, not Burma . . . but China.)

Model is the "Richmond" and the handle is butterscotch plastic.

To these eyes, it is just beautiful--breathtaking, actually--the way the badger hair fans out and blossoms on drying.

I had already shaved by the time the brush arrived, but I still had to take it for a "test drive" today--albeit a limited one. You might say I whipped up a bowl of lather for lunch.

Now I understand badger's hygroscopic properties, having seen the brush swallow up a whole bowl of lather in one gulp. Where the hell did it all go??? LOL

We'll find out tomorrow morning . . . unless I reach for my Burma Shave brush out of habit.

Cheers,

W.

I enjoy my FS brushes, too. Very nice brush for the $. I am thinking about springing for a silvertip, myself.

Pics, must have pics!

I have a FS Finest & I really enjoy it. If (more likely when) I spring for a silvertip I'll make sure Ian gets me a shorter loft & a fan shaped knot.

SharpSpine said:

Pics, must have pics!

Click to expand...

Okay! Pics on the way. Finally found the QR plate for my tripod, so all is well and we are good to shoot later.

Lack of pix notwithstanding, I love the brush. Soft, elegant, handsome, effective . . . what's not to like. The price, of course, is the real breath-taker: Less than $50, including shipping, from the Mysterious East. (While it was in transit, I followed its adventures on the China Post tracking website. Felt kinda' like a spy.)

To your point, I do understand that Mr. Tang will produce a run of special orders if there is enough interest. That in itself is astonishing, but nothing I can involve myself in yet. Don't know enough about "standard" brushes to even begin to suggest custom design features.

Oddly, it is difficult to say that the badger is somehow "better" than the Burma Shave boar. They are just two very different shave brushes; they affect the ritual and experience of shaving, but do not seem to influence the results to any degree.

Is the Frank Shaving silvertip worth having? Well, to me it is, as are the Burmas. I get great lather from both. But when it comes to enjoying the pure tonsorial ritual for its own delightful sake, Mr. Tang's badger is the brush to use.

While I cannot offer technical, informed comments on its quality, it sure looks and feels good . . . plus I have yet to see a loose badger hair floating around anywhere. To a layman who has just spent $50, this is a ringing and unqualified endorsement of Frank Shaving's "Richmond" silvertip with that beautiful butterscotch handle.

I happen to really like my FS Silvertip (product reveiw link), and it's a great buy for the money!!!

Dimensions:
Base: 3.4cm (1.34inch)
Width of knot at base: 2.3cm (0.91inch)
Width of knot at top: 5.3cm (2.09inch)
Length of knot: 5.5cm (2.17inch)
Total length of handle and knot : 10.5cm (4.15inch)


"Laughter is the [shaving] brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of your heart." Mort Walker

Well, I took the bait. I just ordered my first FS Silvertip. I liked the Pure and the Black so I know I will like the Silvertip, and it is cheap.

I have a custom silvertip from FS (nothing fancy, just a silvertip knot in a handle he usually uses for finest) and it is a superb brush..and for $38?? Simply not gonna beat it.
I also have a FS Turnback in finest badger. As I am a huge fan of boar and horsehair, I must admit I prefer the finest as it is, for lack of a better word, stiffer? More resiliant?
Point is FS makes a fine brush..period

Same her my finest SCUBBY does the job. Lathers great, twice a week when the Dukes having a super dry.

I've got a Frank Silvertip and a Finest, and I like them both a lot. I think the Finest is better overall, as it's a bit firmer - but when I just want luxurious softness, the Silvertip is great.

I have these 2... and the Finest (Chrome Handle) definitely has more backbone to it for soaps. The one on the right is the 28mm knot silvertip.

28 mm bulb.
Looks good!

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!!!

Methinks I should have a look see.......


marty

Enjoy your brush

I have had a FS silvertip for a few weeks now. It is a smaller knot 21/55mm. Surprisingly enough I have used it almost entirely for face lathering with Cella, a task at which it performs admirably. I think it is a very good brush for the outlay, offering a luxurious lathering experience. It has very soft tips and is definitely floppy. A larger knot could well be impractical to face lather with.

I doubt I will add another FS to the stable but I'm glad I took a punt on one.