SR230 on its way...

sean mac · Post by **sean mac** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:26 pm

Thanks for the update. I seem to be having the same problem as you, and I think that my brush was purchased at the same time as yours - as I was also on Charles' waiting list. I'll be sure to contact Charles if the problem continues.

I am curious if anyone else is having the same problem. Perhaps Charles got a bad batch. Or perhaps you and I just have a bit of bad luck.

It is great to hear that Charles was so accomodating. It is what I would expect from him.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 7:55 pm

I was also on the waiting list for the SR 230 and have been using it for three full weeks.

Since I've only been wet shaving for three weeks, I wasn't sure if the "shedding" was normal or not.

I'm hoping it improves.

Kevin

rschul2 · Post by **rschul2** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 9:36 pm

Everyone,
I too was on the waiting list with for the SR230 and last friday I contacted Charles about the shedding problem (I lost 28 hairs during 1 shave) and I've had the brush for about 3 weeks. I also informed him of the brown water caused by the brush. He is sending me another brush as well, and I can assure anyone that he IS dealing with the problem. Joel's right--I don't want to be the person on the other side of the "pond" who is responsible for the subpar quality.

Interesting to note though, I had no idea if the shedding was normal as I had never had a nice super badger shave brush before. Charles could have easily told me that it was normal and I would have never known the difference. He did not. I have to say that he has done everything he can do on his end to rectify the situation and I must commend him for being honest and standing behind the products he sells. In this day and age, retailers are far too often trying to "pass the buck" on to someone else--eventually leading to customer dissatisfaction. Bravo to Charles for his honesty and the way he stands behind his products--making sure that the customer is satisfied. He will always get my business in the future.

Sage · Post by **Sage** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 7:48 am

Yeah, Charles emailed me the other day, and he tried to call the manufacturer Friday, but missed them. He assured me that he'd be on the horn with them first thing this morning. I agree, I wouldn't want to be the one who picks up the phone.

I had the brown water with the brush I returned as well. I believe I had some with the replacement, although not to the same degree. The replacement has been losing about a hair per shave, which I find acceptable, especially since it is still new. The old one was shedding much worse, even a few weeks in.

Sage · Post by **Sage** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:07 am

blackgrass wrote:I got one about the same time the rest of you guys. I was also on the waiting list. Mine has lost several hairs and continues to lose a couple each shave it seems. My Omega cream has several hairs stuck in the cream from dipping the brush in and swirling around. It seems like I lose one or two hairs a day. I also got the brown water when I first started using it but had read where some folks will do a borax soak on the new brush so I tried that and after about four changes of water and borax I finally started seeing clear water. It seems like the hair loss is slowing down a bit but I wonder if we all got a bad batch of brushes? I really wish the knot of the brush would have been a little more tightly packed but compared to my Surry Boar brush the SR230 is a dream!

Mine was losing more than 5 hairs per shave, and wasn't showing any signs of stopping. I don't know if the brown water has anything to do with the problem, might just be a byproduct of the manufacturing process. My replacement brush also had a little brown water at first.

Would be interesting to hear what Charles found out from the manufacturer. If anybody hears, let us know.

Thanks,
Andy

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:24 pm

I'd like to a be a fly on the wall to hear THAT phone call

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 2:40 pm

Just for the record, ive never had a problem with my sr230. i love it.

tequilero79 · Post by **tequilero79** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:23 am

Gentlemen,

I've been having the same problem with the hair loss as well. I also received it around the same time you guys did (mid march). This morning I counted the hairs that came out of the brush and there were six. There were also three more stuck on the soap I used to prime the brush. This is an every day occurance. I thought it was just the break in period, or maybe something I was doing wrong.

Respectfully,

Schubert

Dave T · Post by **Dave T** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:28 am

Blackgrass & Schubert,

You're losing way too many hairs for way too long. I think you should consider returning your brushes.

Dave T

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:31 am

This is very odd. I bought a SR213 from Charles over 2 months ago and I haven't lost a single hair yet. You guys definitely got some sort of bad batch.

sean mac · Post by **sean mac** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:41 pm

I appreciate all of you guys that are having problems with this brush jumping in and sharing your thoughts. As a newbie to using a brush, I didn't know whether losing a few hairs after each use was normal or not.

After reading the last few days of postings, I paid a bit more attention to the brush this morning. I noticed a few loose hairs this morning after soaking my brush in water. A few of these ended up in my bowl of shave cream, a few more ended up on my face as I applied the cream. After rinsing the brush, I noticed 5 or 6 more hairs protruding an inch or so above the rest. I assume that these hairs will end up in my shave cream tomorrow morning.

I'll make an effort later today to get in touch with Charles and see if he has any insight into what might be causing this problem. As soon as I have word, I'll post it here.

Dave T · Post by **Dave T** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:56 pm

Contacting Charles is the best thing to do, Sean. Your hair shedding experience sounds like it's beyond reason.

Dave T

Sage · Post by **Sage** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:47 pm

Yes, it's definitely starting to sound like the manufacturer missed a step in that batch of brushes. I lost four hairs out of my replacement brush this morning, which is a bit unnerving considering the history, and the possibility that my replacement came from the same batch as my original brush. I will definitely watch it over the next few weeks to see what happens...

Andy

sean mac · Post by **sean mac** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:59 pm

I have contacted Charles regarding the loss of hairs from my brush and he, as expected, offered to do whatever was necessary to make things right.

As we all have hinted at, the problem with these brushes should not be put on Charles' head. He has done everything possible to stand behind his product, demonstrating that he is truly a gentleman. His actions demonstrate a quality of character that is uncommon among retailers today.

Given all that, I can't wait to try his new QED Shave Soap! His actions have won me over. I plan to be a QED customer for a long time!

ARenaissanceMan · Post by **ARenaissanceMan** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:42 pm

Im finding the loose hairs hard to grasp as well. Especially given the fact that all the brushes are made by hand. It would lead me to believe that a defective brush wouldn't be something that one would run into very often.

clownjuggles · Post by **clownjuggles** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:45 pm

Clark,

As far as I know there are not very many people tying their own knots for shaving brushes. Most knots come from china pre tied.

Dave T · Post by **Dave T** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 6:40 am

The design of the SR230 strikes a chord with me also, as does the very similarly designed Kent BK series brushes. I'm able to hold back, however, on considering the 230 because of the disturbing reports coming in about its unreasonable hair shedding and coloring left in the water. I'll wait until the issues are resolved.

Dave T

rschul2 · Post by **rschul2** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:30 am

After talking with Charles about the SR230 issue, it appears as though the issue with the SR230 is that the epoxy resin used to hold the hair in place may have been bad with this particular batch. The bad brushes are going to be sent back to England so they can identify the problem.

That being said, I (having liked the 26mm knot) and going to step up to the Savile Row 241 which has the 30mm knot. I must say though that the SR230 has a beautiful handle and is an almost flawless brush in its design. Maybe later on down the road I will get back around to purchasing a SR230 once the issues are resolved. Right now I am looking forward to the arrival of my SR241. Charles' customer service has been second to none in dealing with this issue.

Also...talked to Charles yesterday and he said the QED shave soaps should be in in 10 days....barring any unforseen problems.

rschul2 · Post by **rschul2** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:31 am

One more thing...Joel, I found the SR230 to be exactly the right size for lathering up my Truefitt and Hill soap in the wooden bowl that comes with the soap for what it is worth.

ARenaissanceMan · Post by **ARenaissanceMan** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 11:06 am

Come on Joel your killing me over here. I just asked Charles to get me one of those SR12T's and its got a 30mm knot...