Restored and shop-made shaving brushes

[vferdman]

I have created a new brush in black pearl resin. I have not used this color before and I must say, I should have. It is very, very beautiful. Pictures just do not do it justice.

Here are the pictures:









This is my first brush made on a lathe instead of my original drill press method. I think it came out very well. I really like the longer handle.

Enjoy!

[vferdman]

I have created a synthetic brush using a butterscotch resin handle from Whipped Dog which I modified on my lathe.

Approximate dimensions:

Total height: 100mm
Handle height: 48mm
Loft: 52mm
Knot: 25mm

[brothers]

Vladimir, I always admire your unique and handsome brushes. These are nice!

[vferdman]

I made another butterscotch brush. This time in pearl resin. Very beautiful stuff. This one is two band finest and is a large-ish brush that is very luxurious.

Approximate dimensions:

Total height: 98mm
Handle height: 48mm
Loft height: 50mm
Knot: 27mm

[vferdman]

I have restored another Ever-Ready brush. This one is a blue and creme 200T model. I love these hour glass shaped ERs. They land themselves to restoration very well. As usual in these models I sanded off the sharp corners and the seam between the colors to make the handle feel like a solid one piece object. I also added some ballast weight and filler to the handle, which is hollow on these brushes. This makes the whole brush feel amazingly good in hand. More like a solid material handle than anything.

Approximate dimensions:

Total height: 101mm
Handle height: 52mm
Loft height: 49mm
Knot: 24mm

[brothers]

Vladimir, you know I really like the Ever Ready handles. I don't recall ever seeing one with this color combination before. It's going to sell quickly, I hope, and will be a handsome addition to someone's shave den.

[vferdman]

Vladimir, you know I really like the Ever Ready handles. I don't recall ever seeing one with this color combination before. It's going to sell quickly, I hope, and will be a handsome addition to someone's shave den.

Thank you, Gary. I think this is the third one I've come across. These are really nice after I am done with them. They feel way better than when they were new. And much better knot also.

I think whoever owns this brush will be very happy

[vferdman]

I have created another LARGE brush. This one is truly large. The knot is 30mm and the rest of the handle is nice and large. I modeled it after "Emperor" or M6 style handles, but way bigger. Those with large hands and craving a large knot in a brush will be delighted. The wood is amazingly beautiful. Pictures do not do it justice. I took some pictures of this brush together with some other well-known brush to represent the scale. This brush is LARGE and beautiful.













Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 128mm
Handle: 73mm
Loft: 55mm
Knot: 30mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have just completed a special to me project. It is re-handling the venerable Omega 49 Pro. I bought the Omega on Amazon and extracted the knot from it and turned a handle I think is more worthy than the ABS plastic one that originally came with it. I really love the Omega 49, but IMO the handle is not very pretty (but fine for the price these go for) and the loft is a bit too high on these brushes. So I turn the handle I think is good for it and drop the loft to around 58mm-60mm. This one ended up at 59mm loft and 28mm knot. Test lathers with this brush produced amazing results and I even had a test shave with it, which proved to be worth the effort. I put this brush into my Etsy store, but I am sure I will make one for myself soon. Just love the large Omega boar...











Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 132mm
Handle: 73mm
Loft: 59mm
Knot: 28mm

[Squire]

Nice work and yes, that's a big brush.

[vferdman]

I have created another brush made with Dymondwod and TGN two band finest. This one was inspired by one of my favorite vintage handles - the Ever-Ready 100T/200T/300PBT. It's the hourglass shape, I really like the way this came out. the handle is petite and feels great in hand. I finished it with multiple (over a dozen) coats of CA (crazy glue) and polished it to a glass-like shine.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 100mm
Handle: 50mm
Loft: 50mm
Knot: 25mm bulb shape

[brothers]

This is my favorite of your creations up to now. Very pleasing to the eye!

[vferdman]

I have created a brush in Red Wine Pearl resin. The handle is fairly small, but I really like the shape.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 91mm
Handle: 42mm
Loft: 49mm
Knot: 24mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have just completed a brush in Burmese Blackwood and TGN two band finest badger. I really love this wood! It is super dense, making the handle very heavy. I used CA to create a glass-like finish of over a dozen coats. This brush is one of my very favorites so far to come off my lathe.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

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

[vferdman]

I made another brush in a resin handle. I call this "Burnt Butterscotch Pearl". There is a lot going on in this material. Black, red, gold, pearl, all swirling together in a mesmerizing display. The knot is TGN two band finest. I really like this brush a lot.

Brush Dimensions (approximate):

Total height: 112mm
Handle: 62mm
Loft: 50mm
Knot: 25mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I have created a brush in Bethlehem Olivewood handle and TGN two band badger. This brush came out really well. The wood is very beautiful. My first olivewood turning and I am absolutely in love with this material. The knot is one of the best I've gotten from TGN. It is almost perfectly shaped, the hair is of excellent quality. Super soft tips and amazing backbone and density. This brush is available in my Etsy store and is sure to make someone a very happy shaver.

Approximate dimensions:

Total height: 110mm
Handle: 60mm
Loft: 50mm
Knot: 28mm Bulb shape

[vferdman]

I created a brush by commission made of buffalo horn and purple heart wood. Came out really well.

Approximate dimensions:

Total height: 105mm
Handle height: 58mm
Loft height: 47mm
Knot: 24mm

[vferdman]

I have completed a new brush for my Etsy shop. This one is made with Tambootie wood that has a dark and light wood in it. It is absolutely stunning. The light side has a knot coming in from the dark side. It is really a beautiful piece of wood. I finished it with CA for water-proofing and I polished it to a high gloss.

Approximate dimensions:

Total height: 102mm
Handle: 52mm
Loft: 50mm
Knot: 25mm bulb shape

[brothers]

Stunning it certainly is. That brush should fly off the shelf!

I have a question about CA finishing. I'm getting a nice old wooden bowl that would look great with a new CA finish. How do you do it, and where would I get enough CA to do the job? Do you buy several bottles of super glue, or is it available by the jar or can?

[vferdman]

Stunning it certainly is. That brush should fly off the shelf!

I have a question about CA finishing. I'm getting a nice old wooden bowl that would look great with a new CA finish. How do you do it, and where would I get enough CA to do the job? Do you buy several bottles of super glue, or is it available by the jar or can?

Gary, thank you for the compliments. I really like this brush a lot, but then again, I like them all. The ones I do not like do not make it into the store or these posts

As for CA finish, it is a bit tricky. I would not attempt it if I didn't have a way of turning the piece I am finishing. Since CA sets quickly I apply it on the spinning lathe at about 500rpm. It takes a bit of practice and I am still earning it, but I think I am getting it right most of the time now. The idea is to build up CA on the piece with multiple coats, then once you have some thickness to the coat you sand it down with fine grit (600 and up to 1500) and polish the smooth CA surface. If you don;t have a way to quickly distribute the CA over the piece before it sets you will not get good results. I also use oil such as Danish oil (most people use BLO, but I don't have any and I do have Danish oil and it seems to work well). I put a very thin coat of oil on the wood and then follow that up with CA on the same applicator as the oil. This slows down the curing of the CA and allows me to distribute the CA more evenly and smoothly. This is key. There are lots of opportunities to screw up a CA finish. I've done it and then I have to sand down to the wood and that is no fun. CA is very strong and will eat your abrasives for lunch. It is worth it once you do get it right. It is shiny, super tough and water tight. Pretty much you have clear strong polymer over your wood.

I buy CA on Amazon in 2 oz bottles. I buy this stuff from Amazon for my finishes. It seems to really work well. There are countless others sold for the craft people. Do not buy a tiny bottle in the hardware store. Those are usually substandard. It does not take all that much CA to finish a brush. 2 OZ is a good amount. Also, you do not want to buy more than you use as it has short shelf life.

Good luck on your project!

--
Vladimir