Alright, I'm going to do it!

So after asking if it was really worth it, you guys have convinced me. I have a little Eveready butterscotch handle that I really like, but the knot has been ruined by iron in my water. The water problem has been fixed, so now it's time to fix the brush.

After talking with Rudy Vey, he has a Shavemac finest knot that will not only fit my brush, but fit my budget as well.

I will be sending it out next week sometime to be restored by Rudy. I am excited, I get my butterscotch fixed and I get my first Shavemac in the same go-round!

Here's a crappy cell phone shot of the before, and I'll keep anybody interested updated. It won't be right away, as Rudy will be on vacation next week, but I'm already giddy with anticipation!

Good luck and I hope everything works out for you.

Rudy will do a great job for you.

Awesome!

Doesn't look ruined to me. A slight discoloration maybe -- what is ruined in your opinion? I've got naturally occurring iron and manganese oxide in my well water by the way.

nemo said:

Doesn't look ruined to me. A slight discoloration maybe -- what is ruined in your opinion? I've got naturally occurring iron and manganese oxide in my well water by the way.

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Ruined may be exaggerating a little. It is still usable, I used it the night I took the photo. It is, however, no longer the silky soft silvertip that it was when I got it. It is extremely scritchy now. The iron didn't just discolor it, it completely dried out and hardened the bristles. They tend to crack and break now, where it never shed a hair at all before.

I tried washing and conditioning it, but it didn't help.

I rented the house before I bought it last fall, and I had to replace the toilet while still renting. There was a stain in the bowl where the water sits that was irremovable in less than 2 months. It has ruined clothes, my washer, stained dishes, even stained a new stainless steel sink in 4 months. Not to mention what it was doing to our hair and skin.

I never could lather with the water, I used distilled water for that, but the damage was done just from rinsing it under the faucet.
First thing I did when I bought the house was put a water system in. No more stains, showers are much better, and I can actually lather with my faucet water now.

I don't remember what all was in the well water when he tested it besides the iron, but I ended up with a commercial system and softener to remove it all. Best investment I made in my renovation so far. Well, that and the new roof.

Thanks for the explanation. Mine is slightly variable in concentration but doesn't sound as bad as that. I use filters and should probably upgrade to an ozone removal system.

Shavemac's Finest grade, a mixture of pure and silvertip, is the unsung hero of the Shavemac universe.

nemo said:

Thanks for the explanation. Mine is slightly variable in concentration but doesn't sound as bad as that. I use filters and should probably upgrade to an ozone removal system.

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I know when he tested mine, he put some drops in a little tube of my water and you could see the iron particles clump and drop to the bottom. The toilet tank would collect a slime of iron in it almost like clay. It really was not good at all.

I end up using more softener salt than most would because the system is set to backflush and clean itself every 2 days because of the amount in the well.
Now the only problem I have is constantly cleaning all my faucet screens as the clean water is cleaning the scale out of the pipes.

redrako said:

Shavemac's Finest grade, a mixture of pure and silvertip, is the unsung hero of the Shavemac universe.

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That is very good to hear! I'm excited to try it out!

Nice looking brush handle there!

Rudy will have you set up right. I used one of the brushes he made for me this morning.

A really good guy that is very good at what he does.

Cool handle and a good decision on a Rudy restore. You'll be happy.

Great move! That is a lovely handle!