mgbbrown's Entry to the Hall of Fame

Thanks Tony! I cut my teeth with a Nikon FM and Nikor macro lens before moving on to the digital world. I shoot with a Nikon Coolpix L830 which allows for infinite degrees of exposure and color saturation. This is not an expensive camera in the scheme of things, if one looks for a stock close-out. I'll post some photos of a Sterling Pottery, white with green striped diner mug that will become my daily shaving mug, as it is indestructible. The Sterling back stamp dates it to the last quarter of 1950, so it will be right at home with my two earliest Super Speeds. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

Tony; As promised. Photographs of a newly acquired Sterling China Company restaurant ware coffee mug. Mugs of this sort were found in diners and various eateries nationwide, often to be presses into service as a shaving mug. They are virtually unbreakable and childproof (or wife proof in my case). The C on the backstamped foot was Sterling's date code for the fourth quarter production, 1950, making it a contemporary of my early Gillette Super Speed razors. Pen striping was done by hand on a revolving glazing stand, and although partially automated, was arguably as good as anything Von Dutch could have painted on a '32 Highboy. It was tailor-made for a cake of William's shaving mug soap. Restaurant ware mugs from the early 1950's are becoming less common despite their survivability. I have my eyes on a similar mug of the same relative age that is tan with burgundy stripes and made by the Carr China Company of West Virginia. One will remain a coffee mug though. Like a Super Speed razor, these mugs are a joy to the eye and a testimony to craftsmanship. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

Hola, bienvenido al foro, un saludo desde Valencia, Spain!
Hello, welcome to the forum, a greeting from Valencia, Spain!

Thank you Jose Luis! I hope this finds you well! Is that a Tiger Tank pictured in your avatar? God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbrown

I was able to acquire a Pre-War Carr China Company of Grafton, West Virginia coffee mug restaurant ware, which is a piece in what was then their premier line, Glow-Tan. The mug is virtually unused, which is quite remarkable. Carr China produced these primarily from the late 1930's until wartime production commenced following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. The line was discontinued in 1952. It is noticeably smaller than the Sterling China coffee mug pictured above, perhaps an early form of portion control if you will. The backstamp contains only a partially glazed production month designation, which appears to be an I, used by Carr China to indicate ware produced in September. The concave sides do not permit a bar of Williams mug soap to rest on the bottom, so this cup will be relegated for my customary morning coffee and the Sterling coffee mug will become my primary shaving mug. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

Recent antique shopping in South Boston and Halifax, Virginia landed a nice period Cobalt Oxide drip-glazed bowl for swirling lather. This particular glazing technique was used by virtually all of the commercial potteries prior to WWII, and remained popular well into the late 1950's. This one was likely produced by a Roseville, Ohio pottery during the late Depression. On Labor Day, a couple of weeks later- I was able to find two vintage shaving brushes-a McNess 659 with a butterscotch colored Catlin handle, and an Ever-Ready 250, which is clearly from the Art Deco design era. The Ever-Ready has a small razor nick along one edge of the base, which will need filling with a tan epoxy. All indications look that it will restore nicely. The McNess brush was made in the 1930's, judging by the handle and the early plastic, two-piece molded cadding over a wood core. Both were popular in period, but the McNess brush usually does not survive. I will finish the restoration some time this week, but am having difficulty locating a suitable boar or mixed 22 mm badger and boar knot that would be correct for the brush. McNess also made a G59 model it appears, but I think that the G model designation is actually a 6 for this brush, unless their was a model indicating a coarser hair and otherwise less expensive brush. Badger hair was imported from Manchuria in northern China, and was not a common brush commodity during the depression due to cost. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

The earlier McNess Catlin handled shaving brush has taken a back seat to the Art Deco period Ever-Ready 250. The razor cut was removed by subtraction of material uniformly around the circumference of the base, then buffed with Mothers Polish to achieve the same degree of luster as when new. The handle was soaked in three, twenty minute duration immersions in bleach to remove any discolorations, particularly between the concentric circles which gradually taper to the brush opening at the top of the handle. All of the lettering on the side of the handle and foot were painted with a Number 2 brush, allowed to dry, then airbrush paint thinner applied to the edge of a piece of card stock and rubbed over any paint excess. Testors 1144 Gold Enamel was used to duplicate the original paint. Final polishing of the handle was done using Novus Number 2 applied with a cotton Q-Tip applicator. The hope is that Virginia Sheng will be willing to duplicate the original boar bristle and badger hair combination knot. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

Welcome Tony.

Thank you Renriq! I am excited to belong to this fine forum! I never thought shaving could be so enjoyable and rewarding! The site has been a breath of fresh air, and the quality and content is amazing! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

More research, and a closer examination of the Ever-Ready 250 photographs, has shown that the numbers and lettering on the bottom of the handle were originally black. This was easily rectified with paint thinner and Testor's gloss black enamel. Virginia Sheng is willing to replicate the original badger hair and boar bristle knot, so the restoration of the Art Deco period Ever-Ready 250 shaving brush can proceed towards fruition. God Bless Tony Brown RN mgbbrownView attachment 602357

As a follow-up, the Ever-Ready 250 Art Deco style shaving brush has been restored to its original configuration, down to the correct banded badger hair and boar bristle knot! It is a joy to use, and the hunt is on for another Ever-Ready brush from the same period. My herd of Super Speed Razors has grown with the addition of a W3 date coded, aluminum handled Black Tip. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrownView attachment 608453