I'm fortunate to have brushes from a number of fine artisan brush makers. I've been seeing posts of Doug Korn's work. Doug is an artisan at The Shave Nook, where he goes by the name of 55dougie, and I decided I wanted one of his pieces in my rotation.
I contacted Doug, he responded the same day, and we agreed on what I wanted. I asked for an ivory D7 with a 26mm knot set at a 50mm loft. I ordered a 26mm TGN Finest knot, which got to Doug on a Thursday. The following Sunday Doug sent me a picture of the completed brush, with the knot not glued in yet:
I approved the brush, it was mailed to me by Priority Mail, and it got from New York to Miami in 2 days. The brush arrived in this tube:
After examining the new brush, it was apparent that all aspects of the workmanship on the handle are excellent. The knot installation is also excellent, and there is no trace of glue at the juncture of the knot and handle. I asked for a 50mm loft, and I measured the final loft at 49-50mm, which is right where I wanted it.
This is a tall brush. I measured the handle at 66mm, which makes it the tallest brush in my rotation. For comparison, here is the D7 next to a Bob Quinn/Elite Razor E7 handle. The E7 is 60mm tall and also has a 26mm TGN Finest set at a 50mm loft:
I took the brush into its maiden shave and face lathered as usual. Although this is a tall brush, its ergonomics and performance for face lathering are excellent. It has good balance and nestles nicely in the hand for face lathering with a high grip. Undoubtedly, with its long, slender profile, the brush will also excel at bowl lathering. Here is the wet brush after its first shave:
Lastly, here is the dry brush in my hand after one shave, so you can see the handle size and knot bloom. This brush fits in the hand so well that it does not feel as tall as it actually is:
Overall, I'm delighted with how this project played out and the final product. My thanks to Doug Korn for his good communication throughout this process and his workmanship in producing an outstanding brush.
Ricardo
I contacted Doug, he responded the same day, and we agreed on what I wanted. I asked for an ivory D7 with a 26mm knot set at a 50mm loft. I ordered a 26mm TGN Finest knot, which got to Doug on a Thursday. The following Sunday Doug sent me a picture of the completed brush, with the knot not glued in yet:
I approved the brush, it was mailed to me by Priority Mail, and it got from New York to Miami in 2 days. The brush arrived in this tube:
After examining the new brush, it was apparent that all aspects of the workmanship on the handle are excellent. The knot installation is also excellent, and there is no trace of glue at the juncture of the knot and handle. I asked for a 50mm loft, and I measured the final loft at 49-50mm, which is right where I wanted it.
This is a tall brush. I measured the handle at 66mm, which makes it the tallest brush in my rotation. For comparison, here is the D7 next to a Bob Quinn/Elite Razor E7 handle. The E7 is 60mm tall and also has a 26mm TGN Finest set at a 50mm loft:
I took the brush into its maiden shave and face lathered as usual. Although this is a tall brush, its ergonomics and performance for face lathering are excellent. It has good balance and nestles nicely in the hand for face lathering with a high grip. Undoubtedly, with its long, slender profile, the brush will also excel at bowl lathering. Here is the wet brush after its first shave:
Lastly, here is the dry brush in my hand after one shave, so you can see the handle size and knot bloom. This brush fits in the hand so well that it does not feel as tall as it actually is:
Overall, I'm delighted with how this project played out and the final product. My thanks to Doug Korn for his good communication throughout this process and his workmanship in producing an outstanding brush.
Ricardo
