In over my head at the antique shop

[jar_]

Borax brush restoration. Very cool. Any idea how it works?

Could you describe this again, or in a different way - "In the morning gentle squeeze the bristles in a towel and the to 20 left-right swipe and 20 up-down swipes on the towel. Repeat the soak and swipe increasing the sets of brush swipes until you do 4 sets of twenty left/right/up/down?

For some reason I am unable to quite understand exactly what you're advising.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Hold a towel (I use plain old white Egyptian Cotton hand towels) draped over your hand. Swipe the tips of the brush against the loose towel twenty times going left-right. Repeat the process with up and down strokes. The goal is for just the tips to brush the towel and not to make it splay out.

Gentle.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

A quick Google search turned up info on Wikipedia indicating they quit making brushes in the early 90s. I bought my 200T at Richardson's Drugs in Ypsilanti in 1971 + Colgate soap. Could you share the source/info indicating EverReady ceased production in the 50s?

BTW, that brush lasted for years and years.

 

[emt88]

On the brush.

Get a dish about as deep as the bristles.

Fill with warm water, add a small handful of Borax and swish using your fingers until the Borax has dissolved and the water feels silky. The let the brush bristles just sit in the water overnight. In the morning gentle squeeze the bristles in a towel and the to 20 left-right swipe and 20 up-down swipes on the towel.

Repeat the soak and swipe increasing the sets of brush swipes until you do 4 sets of twenty left/right/up/down.

Should end up just like new.

the red & black is an EverReady 300PBT

​

The last EverReady shaving brushes were made before 1957 so your brush is over sixty years old.

Thanks for the info and the procedure! I'll be starting the first round of borax soak and swipe tonight. There were actually a few more decent looking brushes at the shop, including a nice big dbl duck boar. If this goes well, I may return to scoop up another 1 or 2.

 

[BobbyB]

I hope to have a 'discovery' like yours, someday!! Good finds Kevin.

 

[emt88]

I hope to have a 'discovery' like yours, someday!! Good finds Kevin.

Thanks Bobby! Persistence, brother. I strike out a lot more often than score, but it pays off when I do find some deals.

 

[MarkPrater]

Looks like you had a blast and got some treasures!!! Congrats.

 

[JayEddie]

Thanks Bobby! Persistence, brother. I strike out a lot more often than score, but it pays off when I do find some deals.

This is sure the truth. I see a lot more garage sales with nothing than ones that have what I'm looking for.

 

[Graybeard57]

Nice find.

 

[BigJ]

Great work!

 

[emt88]

Nice find.

Great work!

Thanks Gents! I'm going to be hitting another shop this weekend. I haven't been to the one in question in a couple years, but hopes are high. My last visit there I scored 2 slims and a red tip. I'll probably end up with a goose egg, knowing my luck

 

[Natsoi]

When you said you were in over your head I thought they might have taken you in the back room, got out the hammer and asked “which hand do you shave with?”.

 

[emt88]

When you said you were in over your head I thought they might have taken you in the back room, got out the hammer and asked “which hand do you shave with?”.

Don't give the other razor chasing antique store hounds any ideas!

 

[emt88]

Thanks Gents! I'm going to be hitting another shop this weekend. I haven't been to the one in question in a couple years, but hopes are high. My last visit there I scored 2 slims and a red tip. I'll probably end up with a goose egg, knowing my luck

Swing and a miss on today's antique adventure. Only thing close was a beat up Schick injector that looked like it had spent the last few years in a sewer pipe.

 

[Mlee]

How did the brush turn out? I have probably more than 50 vintage brushes and use a lot of them. Yours is a Pure Badger and I've found that the Boars work out better than the Badgers. Not because they don't clean up or the hair falls out, it's because they didn't pack them very tight and they are too soft for me (no backbone).

 

[emt88]

How did the brush turn out? I have probably more than 50 vintage brushes and use a lot of them. Yours is a Pure Badger and I've found that the Boars work out better than the Badgers. Not because they don't clean up or the hair falls out, it's because they didn't pack them very tight and they are too soft for me (no backbone).

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that i haven't given it the proper borax treatment yet. It lost a couple hairs when I was fiddling with it about a week ago, and now I'm hesitant.