Restored and shop-made shaving brushes

[vferdman]

I have created a brush in the Ever-Ready 200T style. I really love this style of handle. I find it to be one of the best shapes ergonomically. The material is deep purple pearl poly resin. This stuff is gorgeous in person. Photos do not represent the color correctly no matter what I do. I tweaked the color balance to get the purple in the handle closer to reality, otherwise it just showed up as blue. If anyone has tips about photographing purple things with digital cameras let me know.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 101mm
Handle: 53mm
Loft: 48mm
Knot: 26mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created a brush for my personal use. It's been some time since I have made a brush specifically for myself. I have had the knot I extracted from the Vufix Grosvernor 404. It is a boar/badger mix knot, but mostly it's boar. And very nice boar at that. Before extracting the knot I used the original Grosvernor once and I really liked it. So I extracted it using steam with intent to save it for a later project. Steam worked really well in this case and the handle was polished and upgraded with TGN two band finest as per customer's request. The original finish on the Grosvernor is not very shiny, but the material is solid resin, so it polishes up to a shine not unlike top of the line Simpsons. The knot exhibited accelerated break in during the steam extraction process. The tips of the boar bristles were very well split. It took me a while to get to it, but I finally decided to use a piece of African Ironwood I had to turn a handle for this knot. This wood is amazingly beautiful and is difficult to represent in photos as it has a similar quality to pearly resins in that the grain plays with light as you move the handle around and produces changing patterns. I finished the handle with multiple CA coats and polished it up to a high shine. I also set the knot much lower than original and opened up the knot opening wider. Original dimensions were 21mm knot/53mm loft according to vendors (I did not measure the original brush). I felt that those changes would improve the performance of this excellent knot.

Brush dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 93mm
Handle height: 47mm
Loft height: 46mm
Knot: 24mm











The brush got its maiden voyage today with Stirling Bergamot Lavender. Wow! It exceeded my expectations. The floppiness is gone and the softness of fully broken in boar is on par with some of the softest badger brushes I tried. The badger hair in the knot is hardly noticeable. Not sure what the purpose of it is, but the overall effect is excellent. The brush feels more like a boar brush, but a very nice one.

[vferdman]

I have created a new brush in Leadwood and Cyanoacrylate (crazy glue) finish with TGN two band finest. This a large chunky brush for the "Chubby" lovers. It is large, heavy and has a dense 30mm knot set at 47mm loft. This brush is available in my Etsy store. I really enjoyed turning this wood. It is a bit challenging, but gorgeous and very dense. I departed from my usual recessed bottom and went with a dished out bottom for a change. I think it came out very nice and feels excellent against the palm when held in the working position. I may do this more often instead of recess. Please comment on that. The CA finish on this brush is amazing and really pops the grain out. The photographs do not convey the presence of this brush fully.















As can be seen from the last picture next to a SOC 2012 SE, this is a large chunky brush with a 45mm diameter handle.

Here are the approximate dimensions:

Total height: 106mm
Handle height: 57mm
Handle diameter (at widest point): 45mm
Loft: 49mm
Knot: 30mm bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created three new brushes for my Etsy store. One with synthetic knot and two with two band finest knots.

Synthetic in blue and gold resin. This came out really nice. I have started using dished out bottom instead of recessed. I like it a lot better and the feel of it is very nice to the touch. This resin is very interesting. It goes from deep blue to almost butterscotch/gold with lots of swirls in between making some areas slightly greenish.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):


Total height: 98m
Handle height: 46mm
Loft height: 51mm
Knot: 26mm














Two band finest in Black and Gold resin handle. This is also a very interesting resin. Very nice swirling and chatoyance is amazing. For the butterscotch pearl lovers.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 94mm
Handle height: 47mm
Loft height: 47mm
Knot: 23mm Bulb shape














Two band finest in Timberland Dymondwood. This pattern of Dymondwood is very contrasty and colorful. I chose not to apply CA finish to this one, but wet sanded it to 1500 grit and polished with plastic polish. This material is very resin-like and is completely water-proof. The finish without CA is a little more flat and lacks the glass-like shine. I like it this way.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 101mm
Handle: 55mm
Loft: 46mm
Knot: 23mm bulb shape

[brothers]

I very much approve of the blue and gold resin handle.

[vferdman]

I have created two custom brushes. One is in Butterscotch Pearl resin and the other is in Black Pearl resin. Both with TGN two band finest badger.

Here is the Butterscotch one.

Approximate dimensions.

Total height: 110mm
Handle height: 63mm
Loft height: 47mm
Knot: 25mm (plus)















Now the Black Pearl.

Approximate dimensions:

Total height: 113mm
Handle height: 64mm
Loft height: 49mm
Knot: 26mm

[vferdman]

I have created a brush with a handle made of Ironwood and a two band finest TGN knot. The handle is a classic style and the finish is Cyanoacrylate (CA, crazy glue) wet sanded and polished to glass-like shine. this brush came out really well. I love this wood. The grain is gorgeous and has a lot of depth through the CA finish. The color is golden honey.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 90mm
Handle: 45mm
Loft: 45mm
Knot: 24mm bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created three brushes in resin handles for my Etsy store. I hope you like them. These resins are new to me and I think they are pretty amazing looking.

First, Copper Pearl. This one is a fan shaped knot with a handle inspired by SOC (one of my favorite ergonomic designs).

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 100mm
Handle: 53mm
Loft: 47mm
Knot: 24mm fan shape















Next, Antique Gold. I really love it. It is understated and just gorgeous.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 103mm
Handle: 53mm
Loft: 50mm
Knot: 25mm Bulb shape














And now one in Black Olive. This one is amazingly beautiful for those who like black handles. Wow! I am not even sure what the other color is in there, but it sure looks like black olive. Pattern is gorgeous too. This is TGN's three band finest grade. It is somewhat like Simpson's best, but a bit sturdier and finer tips. Very soft tipped.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 101mm
Handle: 52mm
Loft: 49mm
Knot: 27mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created a synthetic brush for my Etsy Store. This one is in "Gold Coast" resin. I used this resin before and called it "Burnt Butterscotch". This one has a bit more red in it, so I hesitate to call it that, but boy, is it gorgeous! See for yourselves.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 110mm
Handle height: 60mm
Loft height: 50mm
Knot: 27mm

[vferdman]

I have created a new brush in "Antique Gold" resin. This one was inspired by a German made Barbershop brush that I have and plan to restore. the last picture is of the Barbershop brush next to the unfinished brush in resin. I really like the long handle on this barber's brush. It sits very well in hand and has good balance.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 128mm
Handle: 80mm
Loft: 48mm
Knot: 26mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created a large brush in Zebra pattern resin. This is a monster of a brush. around 32mm TGN finest knot.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):


Total height: 114mm
Handle height: 63mm
Loft height: 51mm
Knot: 31mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created a new brush for my Etsy store. This one is a tribute to Ever-Ready hour glass brushes like 300PBT. I really like the red and black combination. My rendition is of slightly different colors than the original, but then again, it's a tribute, not a clone. I really like it.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 106mm
Handle: 58mm
Loft: 48mm
Knot: 27mm Bulb shape











Hope you like it!

[vferdman]

I have built a brush by custom order. It is made of "Black Olive" resin and has a TGN two and finest knot. This resin is gorgeous and understated.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):


Total height: 100mm
Handle: 51mm
Loft: 49mm
Knot: 27mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have restored a few Ever-Ready hour glass brushes for one of or members. All have 24mm TGN three band synthetic knots

Here they are:















And now one "Before" picture of the red and black one:

[vferdman]

I have created two new brushes for my Etsy store. These two are in exotic wood.

First is one in African Rosewood. This wood is amazing. It looks almost black in the pictures, but it really is a dark reddish-brown. Very hard and dense wood, so the brush has a good heft to it.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 98mm
Handle: 52mm
Loft: 46mm
Knot: 26mm bulb shape

[vferdman]

Second brush I made is in Mopani wood. This wood has very clear and beautiful grain and the color of it is absolutely lovely in dark golden honey tones. the depth of grain really pops under the CA finish.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 96mm
Handle: 53mm
Loft: 43mm
Knot: 25mm fan shape

[vferdman]

I also produced a boar brush for a custom order set into South African Ebony. The knot is TGN boar knot which is not explicitly Omega and lacks the Omega plastic ring, but it has the same look and feel as the Omega blond boar knot. Test lathering provided very positive results. I think this knot is very much on par with Omega blond boar. It is very well made and has responded very well to my initial break in with a dry towel. Many tips are beginning to split now just after one lather and towel cycle.

[vferdman]

I have created a large brush in faux ivory resin and TGN two band finest knot. The faux Ivory resin in this brush is very beautiful and really looks a lot more like actual bone than the usual white resin. It has patterns that real ivory has. Photos do not convey this as well as I would have liked, but the material is really beautiful. This a very large brush at 32mm knot/52mm loft.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 115mm
Handle height: 63mm
Loft height: 52mm
Knot: 32mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created another large brush. This time in faux horn resin. I am really liking these resin blanks. They are good quality and good size for a large brush.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 115mm
Handle height: 63mm
Loft height: 52mm
Knot: 32mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created another large brush with a very interesting resin. I call it Tigris Sparkle. The knot on this one is slightly smaller than on the Ivory and Horn, but is still a large brush.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 116mm
Handle height: 64mm
Loft height: 52mm
Knot: 29mm Bulb shape