So I have this vintage Rooney.

Hey guys,
I've picked up this vintage Rooney brush, and I'm not sure what to do with it at this point. I know that this was part of the "Fox Run" set that came with a bowl, a razor, and a brush. I dont have any intentions of trying to complete this set... I bought the brush because it was pretty cheap (I knew what it was) and I like foxes. Frankly, I'm not even sure that I'll want to use the brush, as I'd be afraid I'll ruin it - or worse - drop it.

You can see that the porcelain handle is in stellar condition. The knot, to my inexperienced eyes, not so much. Its dirty, has a bit of crust in it and I'm thinking about replacing it (I've not tried to clean it yet). I've never attempted restoring or re-knotting a brush, but I'm typically a DIY kind of guy. Have you any thoughts on this? I dont want to ruin the handle with my drill or dremel. I also dont even know what I like as far as knots go... I've got an Omega Boar brush that I use most of the time and have a cheap Vulfix badger brush that I use occcaisionally. Those are the only two brushes I've used.

Dimensions, eyeballing with my ruler are:
Knot 20mm x 53mm
Handle 40mm x 50mm

I'm interested to hear any thoughts that you guys might have. Thanks!

Edit: Mods, I apologize if this post is in the wrong place and please feel free to tell me to repost...

Before you attempt to restore it, give it a try as-is ... that knot looks to be in decent condition, and it should bloom out nicely.

Give it a good bath first, using your favorite brush-cleaning/sanitizing method, then go for it.

Be careful with that handle when you clean the knot. Don't let it soak, or the fox painting may peel off.

dpm802 said:

Give it a good bath first, using your favorite brush-cleaning/sanitizing method, then go for it.

Be careful with that handle when you clean the knot. Don't let it soak, or the fox painting may peel off.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this. I'll give it a clean and see how that goes. Whats the consensus on cleaning an older knot like this? Is Oxi clean a bad idea? Should I stick with shampoo and conditioner? At the moment, like I said, there's a bit of crustiness in there and it smells like an old attic.

First, do no harm. I would start with shampoo and conditioner, and let it dry somewhere well-ventilated for a few days. If that fails to get rid of the mustiness then you can consider stronger measures.

mblakele said:

First, do no harm. I would start with shampoo and conditioner, and let it dry somewhere well-ventilated for a few days. If that fails to get rid of the mustiness then you can consider stronger measures.

Click to expand...

+1 ... I would just use shampoo. Conditioner might alter the native characteristics of the knot.

Its been a long time since I gave any of my brushes a bath, but when I did, I used a very mild shampoo like Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo. That's about as mild as you can get, and a small travel-size bottle will last you for years if you just use it on your brushes. Probably shampoo it twice, and you can follow that with soaking the knot in a 1% vinegar solution if it still has a musty smell. Rinse it well and let it dry after each treatment.

When its in regular use, a brush doesn't really need to be shampooed. Just a good rinse and shake and towel dry after each shave should do the job. Its only when it gets clogged with soap scum that you should consider cleaning it.

Then again, some places have hard water, and that can require more frequent cleaning. I once lived in a house that had rusty, stinky well water, and it left a permanent stain on three of my brushes that I can't get out.

Any brush that you buy used should be shampooed before you use it. Especially if its got a musty smell. And any brush that you have that's been dormant for a couple of years should be re-cleaned before use, even if you're the original owner.

That's a pretty nice shaving brush.

Nice score. Love the fox.

dpm802 said:

+1 ... I would just use shampoo. Conditioner might alter the native characteristics of the knot.

Its been a long time since I gave any of my brushes a bath, but when I did, I used a very mild shampoo like Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo. That's about as mild as you can get, and a small travel-size bottle will last you for years if you just use it on your brushes. Probably shampoo it twice, and you can follow that with soaking the knot in a 1% vinegar solution if it still has a musty smell. Rinse it well and let it dry after each treatment.

When its in regular use, a brush doesn't really need to be shampooed. Just a good rinse and shake and towel dry after each shave should do the job. Its only when it gets clogged with soap scum that you should consider cleaning it.

Then again, some places have hard water, and that can require more frequent cleaning. I once lived in a house that had rusty, stinky well water, and it left a permanent stain on three of my brushes that I can't get out.

Any brush that you buy used should be shampooed before you use it. Especially if its got a musty smell. And any brush that you have that's been dormant for a couple of years should be re-cleaned before use, even if you're the original owner.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the thoughts... I have a toddler, so the J&J products are all over the place in my home. I didnt think of the baby shampoo, so but I did use Dove shampoo last night. That seemed to clean it up pretty well and the knot softened a good bit. It did shed a good bit, but hopefully that will stabilize. I'll probably shampoo it another time and after it dries I'll assess the smell.

Any idea whats up with the curled hair in the knot? They almost look burnt and are quite stiff.

Ask Lee for advice?

There was a recent restoration here on a pottery handle, I think. I would be extra careful with the handle, but I don't think you'd have much trouble removing the knot without nicking the handle. I say give it a go!

Neat handle!

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...black-glazed-pottery-shaving-brush-circa-1930
There is the thread. The restoration of the pottery handle hasn't been finished, but the knot was easily removed. It looks like he'll be tackling a couple of porcelain handles soon, too!

I cleaned up the brush, got rid of the funk and I've used it a handful of times now. I like the way the brush looks, but I'm not crazy about how it performs. The knot is pretty small and while it lathers fine, it doesn't hold much. I'm only shaving my neck at this point and I barely get enough lather for three passes. It's kinda prickly, so I don't like it for face lathering. I'll probably keep using it occaisionally til I can figure out what to do with it. Thanks for all the input above