Wood versus non-wood handle for a shaving brush

[dreadpirate]

Which do you prefer? I love the look of exotic wood (olive wood, cocbolo, briar wood, iron wood, ebony, etc.). But the wood handles don't seem to hold up as well as the acrylic/resin/whatever of the non-woods. And wood handles seem to be less dense and not as heavy. Metal does not appeal to me at all. I might make an exception for a matched shaving set, such as one available from Merkur.

[AndyPrice44]

I own both synthetic and wood handle brushes, I really like an exotic, nicely figured piece of wood for a handle. Especially when it is resin stabilized.

[shaverjoe]

Which do you prefer? I love the look of exotic wood (olive wood, cocbolo, briar wood, iron wood, ebony, etc.). But the wood handles don't seem to hold up as well as the acrylic/resin/whatever of the non-woods. And wood handles seem to be less dense and not as heavy. Metal does not appeal to me at all. I might make an exception for a matched shaving set, such as one available from Merkur.

I think it depends on the wood used. My handles made of Lignum Vitae and Osage orange are heavier than the handles on my Simpson Duke brushes.

[Blade Boy]

I love the look of a wood handle, I have a few wood handle brushes and haven't had any issues yet, if it is properly sealed it last quite a long time.

[DanOK]

In my ideal world all my handles would be made out of ivory. I do have one in ivory, two in horn, and the rest are synthetic's.

[MaxP]

I think it depends on the wood used. My handles made of Lignum Vitae and Osage orange are heavier than the handles on my Simpson Duke brushes.

Triva. Osage Orange was simply called Hedge in Kansas where I grew up.

The same tree, in Oklahoma was called "bow d'arc" and pronounced "bow-dark".

When fully seasoned its almost impossible to drive a nail into.

Just thought you all might want to know.

[Jim]

I prefer Ivory or Horn.

[DaveL]

I'm really liking the wood handle on my newly acquired Semogue 2015 Silvertip.

[Blueliner10]

It's a conundrum for me because I love the look of a wooden handle, but the synthetics are just much more durable over time

[shm]

I prefer any natural material.

- and no, in my world plastic/resin isn't natural even though it might be an oil derivative

[Rudy Vey]

Personally, I would use wood only if it is resin stabilized! That means the wood is thoroughly impregnated with an acrylic resin, thus making the wood (nearly) impervious to any water damage. I say "nearly" as I have a brush with such a handle in use only for two years, and so far I do not see any deterioration of the material. For real wood, there is in my opinion, not a 100% sure way of protecting it from water damage over time. I have experimented with some finishes for wood that are used for boats, but it takes a long time to dry for each coat and it would be best applied by spraying (but I cannot do it this way).

My favorite materials for handles are Ivory and antler!

[oversaturn]

I prefer any natural material.

- and no, in my world plastic/resin isn't natural even though it might be an oil derivative

I wholeheartedly agree with this!
A natural material, like wood or horn, will always rank higher in my scale of values than plastic/resin.

[InHotWater]

I like a brush handle that has facets for improved grip ( lather is slick ). I have an old Rubberset aluminum handled brush, which is my daily lather maker. I have never owned a wood handled brush. I did have a Vie Long which I am pretty sure was made out of acrylic.

[Mike Schutz]

I like the look and feel of wood and most of my brushes are wood. Yes, more care is necessary than with plastic but it isn't that difficult. But the bottom line is the knot. I pick my brushes first by the kind of knot it has. Afterall, you lather with the brush, not the handle.

[Songwind]

I picked "synthetic," but it's really a toss-up with wood for me. Both can be very beautiful. Both can be cheap looking/feeling. Both can be a benefit or a detriment where brush care is concerned.

Like Mike, I'm more interested in the knot type. I'd say handle shape is my second concern. Material would be a distant third, unless I was custom ordering a handle from someone like Rudy, where I could specify all the parameters.

[takeshi]

Those aren't the only three handle materials out there...

[ygil11]

Wooden ones may be lighter but the problem I faced was the fact that my bathroom doesn't ventilate so well and the moisture eventually damages the wood especially with all the water splashing around when I shave.

[bAkewelle]

I would like to try some wood handle brush, but I heard it's not as long lasting as resin, so I will possibly buy a wood handle by shavemac in Bruyere Wood, some day

[jdto]

I really like my desert ironwood handle, but the finish is getting a bit dull with use around the base of the knot. I'd also like to get a real horn brush handle one of these days.

[awa54]

I have a nameless wood handled brush that I bought from my local health food coop at least ten years ago for six bucks IIRC, it still sheds a few hairs on occasion, but the handle shows no sign of cracking or distortion. The wood seems to be a through-treated blonde hardwood, maybe birch, soft maple or very fine grained ash.

All of my current use brushes are plastic (yeah, acrylic, lucite and resin all sound cooler, but let's face it they're all just plastic), well made, nicely shaped plastic handles can be excellent, maybe not as sexy as natural materials, but nigh immortal and often quite attractive to boot!

Unless the brush you are buying is over $100 I'd just get one you like the performance of and don't sweat the handle material too much, past that price OCD and worries over handle longevity may well be justified ;)

If I was making a brush handle out of wood (which I may do some day soon :D) then I'd immerse the finished handle in Watco Danish oil or some similar product to let it get fully infused with the sealant, then the final finish can be matte or gloss depending on how you treat it, but the wood underneath is all waterproof. I personally *hate* glossy closed finishes like shelac and polyurethane, give me an open oil finish any day...still looks like real wood, not shiny and candy coated.