Appreciate you mentioning that! I really enjoy the Mistura and am looking forward to getting some reps with the Finest badger. Glad to know it works just as well, if not better for you.
Brush Acquisition Thread
- Thread starter rockero
- Start date
Appreciate you mentioning that! I really enjoy the Mistura and am looking forward to getting some reps with the Finest badger. Glad to know it works just as well, if not better for you.
I cannot add much more, considering our resident brush expert has already weighed in. The thread linked to by @Darth Scandalous was my experience with vulcanite (ebonite) pipe stems, and I do know this from my experience:
Oxidation can be removed, and the ebonite can be polished by hand to its original luster using either super-fine grit (micromesh) pads or sandpaper, or using Cif cream with an old t-shirt.
Note that I used the micromesh pads, and have not tried the Cif cream but saw some amazing results on youtoob (so proceed with caution).
Regardless, I suspect that modern ebonite brush handles are more robust, and with no exposure to sunlight and saliva (as are smoking pipe stems) will be fine for many, many years.
The handles certainly are beautiful...I've been tempted many times by the ebonite handles offered by AP Shave Co.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
As a former (long ago) pipe smoker I know what happens to pipe stems, but never cared that they lost their luster. At least not enough to consider doing anything. The problem I had was sometimes biting through them.
Thank you. Now I know what to do if and when the handle's appearance becomes dull.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Here's that Rubberset 400-4 I picked up a while back.
Decided to go with a Silvertip badger knot in the original ferrel. Have a spare ferrel on its way here so will be putting a mixed Badger in that one.
Was a fun little project. Love the feel of these handles.
Decided to go with a Silvertip badger knot in the original ferrel. Have a spare ferrel on its way here so will be putting a mixed Badger in that one.
Was a fun little project. Love the feel of these handles.
I just got in this Simpson Sovereign Trafalgar T2.
It performed very well indeed, however, it's just a bit stiff compared to a Muhle STF I have. Maybe the T3 would have been less stiff? Not sure. Anyway, an excellent brush and a nice addition to the rotation!!
It performed very well indeed, however, it's just a bit stiff compared to a Muhle STF I have. Maybe the T3 would have been less stiff? Not sure. Anyway, an excellent brush and a nice addition to the rotation!!
Some synthetics need a breaking in period to loosen up. The Simpson Chubby and Trafalgar series are both notorious for that
New brush received for Christmas. Trigodon - Fortitudinem a Leonis. Lovely and incredibly soft synthetic fibers with a knot size of 23mm and loft of 58mm. Lathers up a storm and will be perfect for face lathering. The handle is quite heavy but lies very nicely in hand. This is probably my softest brush so far and a very good one.
I picked up a Cherry SOC in boar for $35. I have one of these in Finest Badger, so I know the handle, and I still haven't tried Semogue boar.
Not a big boar user, but I've got a few in the den and this is one of my favorite boar brushes ever.
Mr. Shavington
Knows Hot Turkish Toilets
I just got this two-band badger from Smart-Helix in Ukraine. Handle is made from white oak. It’s also nice to buy something when you know the purchase will make a difference for the manufacturer and his family in the toughest of circumstances.
It also helps that it looks like it has a nice comfy knot, if a bit low for you. Unique piece.
Simpson Eagle 3 Best Badger
See Dark Holler Design Works preview - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/dark-holler-design-works-preview.420972/ for what I'm pretty sure is the first post and related discussion anywhere regarding the use of Ebonite in making shaving brush handles. There is also relevant information on our website. I think it might be out of bounds for me to include external links here, so I'll do that in our Vendor space (Regarding Ebonite - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/regarding-ebonite.662134/#post-12952898). FWIW, we've made hundreds of shaving brushes with Ebonite handles over the past 10 years. I'd guess that's well more than the production of all other makers combined. I still have many of the handles we turned in 2014 and 2015. We keep them in a cabinet out of light, and they they look like they did when they were new.
In the early days we did several experiments testing Ebonite in machining, storage, and use. We also had discussions with our main producer in Germany. The first Ebonite we sourced came from Japan; however, we learned quickly that the Ebonite made in Germany is significantly superior to any other we found. It's also more expensive.
I've used Ebonite-handles brushes extensively and never noticed any issue resulting from exposure to water other than very hot water. Exposure to light over definitely alters surface characteristics. We've achieved good results restoring some handles for customers who didn't take the care we do in maintaining ours. There's some know-how involved in that.
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just got a new, inexpensive Omega boar because I only have an inexpensive badger brush (which I really enjoy), and wanted to see what a boar was like. I must admit that I thought it would be scratchy, but it is quite soft. Great addition to the den for under 20 bucks. Good to know that this hobby doesn't have to break the bank!!
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Thank you so much for all that great experience based information.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Agree on the Schoenberger Ebonite Manufaktur, I have used their Ebonite for pens for over 20 years. This material polished up very nicely to a high sheen/gloss, but with use it gets a bit dull over time. The one pen here shows how it looks when just taken off the lathe after polishing and assembling the pen - the sheen is very good shown on the cap area where the nib section mirrors.
This one here was my personal pen for years and I have used it very frequently until Covid hit. After this time, I was mainly working from home and retired end of '21. Still quite shiny, though. The two pens here shown are in principle the same material, just a bit different in color (blue vs. green).
The German ebonite engraves very well! I have used also Japanese ebonite for brushes, but never got this sheen/gloss and it does not engrave well at all.
The Japanese Ebonite we had was much more sensitive to heat in machining, the sulfur odor it produced was overwhelming, and as you observed did not polish to the mirror finish we can achieve with German Ebonite. We had one customer who complained about the smell it emitted when exposed to hot water while shaving. That has never been a problem for me with German Ebonite. In our experience Japanese Ebonite is also prone to faster surface oxidation from exposure to light.
I have several meters of the stuff left (we stopped using it in 2014), but I think I might finally have found a fitting application.
I have several meters of the stuff left (we stopped using it in 2014), but I think I might finally have found a fitting application.
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Same experience here with the Japanese stuff. I made only one brush handle from it. German ebonite is just the best.
