Ever Ready 75K, ER 200T, and Rubberset 155 Restores

[willwhatyoudo]

Here are my latest restorations:


Brush #1: Rubberset 155 in Black and Butterscotch
Hole Size: 20mm (I had to expand this just a bit to get the knot to fit)
Knot: 20mm TGN Finest Bulb
Loft: 48mm

I forgot to take a "before" pic, but this brush didn't look too bad when I got it. This knot has some great backbone and it lathers up hard soaps and creams nicely. Unfortunately, the tips are just a bit too scritchy for me (the lower loft and the bulb shape probably contribute this feeling). I really like soft tips and I may lean more towards slightly floppier brushes. Maybe it will bloom more and the tips will soften up with more use. I won't give up on it yet!





Brush #2: Ever Ready 75K in Cream and Green
Hole Size: 21mm
Knot: 20mm TGN Silvertip Grade A
Loft: 49mm

I really love the handle on this brush. This one was a diamond in the rough. When I first saw the brush on Ebay, I thought that it had a beat up white/black wooden handle. When it arrived, I was quite surprised to see that the top is made of a nice porcelain-like material and the bottom half is a pretty cool hunter green / deep blue catalin (the camera doesn't do it justice).

Unfortunately, the tips on this TGN Silvertip Grade A turned out to be kind of funky. The last .5-1mm of the tips curl over into a J shape when dry, and a few of the outer tips have split ends. I definitely didn't soak the brush in hot water, so I don't think that it's anything that I did (unless my shampoo did something to the tips during the defunking process). I looked around on B&B and found that a few other folks have run into tips like this. Apparently, it doesn't affect the performance of the brush, so it shouldn't be of too much concern. When wet, the tips are somewhat softer than the TGN Finest, but to me they don't feel luxuriously soft. The tips are actually kind of pointy and scritchy when wet (especially the hairs that are 100% black). Maybe it has something to do with the weird curling tips and the split ends? Or...maybe I'm just spoiled by my 24mm Whipped Dog Silvertip (I think it's much much softer than the TGN Silvertip Grade A!!). Again, I'll keep using it to see if the tips soften up at all. Edit: I hand lathered the heck out of this brush last night and really got it to bloom. MUCH SOFTER!!!!!!!!! This morning, this knot was everything I could hope for--a super soft lathering machine!

Do I have a dud knot that really should have softer tips? Any thoughts on the weird curling tips and the scritch are much appreciated!






Brush #3: Ever Ready 200T in Blue and Cream
Hole Size: 22.5mm
Knot: 22mm TGN Finest
Loft: 51mm

I made this brush for my dad. The shelf was an absolute nightmare to remove. I spent forever trying to drill it out, but I eventually resorted to a hammer and chisel. Once I removed the shelf, I found a removable sleeve that originally went around the plug. With the sleeve removed, the hole expanded from 18mm to 22.5mm. This handle was completely hollow, and I didn't think that a regular cork shelf would do the trick--too much empty space around the cork, which could lead to it moving back and forth. I tossed around the idea of plumber's putty or some other materials that other members have used, but none of them seemed appropriate for this handle. Instead, I cut up a champagne cork and added a few nickels & quarters to the bottom. It fit perfectly!

Here's the removable sleeve and my champagne cork shelf:




Here's the before and after:




As always, these were some really fun projects. I've heard a lot about TGN knots, so I'm glad that I got to try out a few of them. Tony was very helpful in answering my questions, and he shipped the knots super fast!!!

On a side note, I just went back to Whipped Dog to look at getting some more silver tip knots, but it looks like he no longer carries them.

[Steadfast]

Very nicely done.

My experience with a 22mm STA knot has been very pleasant and I'm surprised that you're having issues with yours.

[FL shaver]

Nice work. It was interesting to see the exploded view of the 200T.

I don't feel scritch in any knot until I get down to Pure or black badger. I only get varying degrees of backbone. All of my finest knots have had soft tips without any scritch. Scritch stops me from using a pure badger on consecutive days.

[Mike'sWorld]

Nice restores. The Silvertip A is one of my favorite knots, I'm going to put one in my next restore. I've never had a problem with mine.

[hig789]

These are very nice. I especially like the first one. Nice job.

[Trenton]

Nice! I like them all.

[Snargle]

Nice job...they all look great, but that Black & Butterscotch Rubberset 155 is a real beauty. The proportions of the knot and handle are right on.

[NexlevMM]

Nice Restore! I have the 200T but it doesnt have that chrome ring around it. Quite odd.

[willwhatyoudo]

Thanks for all the feedback!

Nice Restore! I have the 200T but it doesnt have that chrome ring around it. Quite odd.

I've seen the 200T with and without the chrome ring. I think the ring adds a little pizazz to that 1950s space age look!

[badrunner13]

That 200t may be the cleanest restore I have seen of any of that style nice work!

[DoubleB]

Awesome restores! Very nice job!
I tried to contact Tony from TGN because I want to buy some knots, but he hasnt answered yet. Is he out of town?