SMF

For all you Plisson aficionados, there's now a Plexi for sale on eBay that appears to be listed at an extremely reasonable starting price. Having gotten rid of mine, I now feel free to enable others....

This is about the 10th time that brush has been listed over the past year. Always a "Buy it Now" at the same price. If it doesn't sell it will be back up in a couple of weeks.

I would love a Plexi, but after having aquired a late 80's vintage HMW recently, that's what I'm after.

I wasn't talking about the one that keeps getting relisted for a BIN price of $385. The one that is newly listed is being auctioned, with a starting bid price of $199.99. If it truly is a size 20 EW, that's an extremely good price, since they retail for $640-685.

Ah, yes indeed John! Sorry for my incorrect assumption.

churchilllafemme wrote:If it truly is a size 20 EW...

John, I think that's a "display brush". It has an overall length of 155mm with a loft approaching 90mm! That would have to be more like a size 24, but the loft is too long! It would be a "mop" to shave with!

druphus wrote:

churchilllafemme wrote:If it truly is a size 20 EW...

John, I think that's a "display brush". It has an overall length of 155mm with a loft approaching 90mm! That would have to be more like a size 24, but the loft is too long! It would be a "mop" to shave with!

I think you're right. To me the loft appears to be 82mm or so - way too big for a size 20, which is supposed to be 68mm. So it probably is one of the "not really to be used" brushes meant just to sit on a store counter. But maybe one of our truly fanatical Plisson fans will want it just for the novelty value. Even my size 20, which I traded away, was too much of a mop for me to use in my rotation.

druphus wrote:John, I think that's a "display brush". It has an overall length of 155mm with a loft approaching 90mm! That would have to be more like a size 24, but the loft is too long! It would be a "mop" to shave with!

Oh, you are quite wrong about that.

Buzz

Too big to use and too big to ever resell to a user. An albatross. A sophisticated Plisson afficionado can get a new one in a practical useable size from the factory, and will spend (invest) their money wisely. Not so with a gargantuan mock-up made for display purposes only. Buyer's remorse will be a huge factor. Just my opinion. Paint brushes are cheaper at the home and garden center!

brothers wrote:Too big to use and too big to ever resell to a user. An albatross. A sophisticated Plisson afficionado can get a new one in a practical useable size from the factory, and will spend (invest) their money wisely. Not so with a gargantuan mock-up made for display purposes only. Buyer's remorse will be a huge factor. Just my opinion. Paint brushes are cheaper at the home and garden center!

For forty years I have used a #24 HMW set in plexiglass (someone around here insists its a #20 and he seems to know more than the people at Plisson, Colonial Drug where I bought my second, and the old Caswell Massey where I bought my first). No problems, great brush, easy to handle. It isn't a display brush, at least it shouldn't be. Just because it is too big for some amongst us does not mean it is too big to use.

Buzz

Shouldering aside the crowd Buzz goes merrily on his way.

Squire wrote:Shouldering aside the crowd Buzz goes merrily on his way.

Enormous Plisson with Trumper's sandalwood hard soap (and no other brush or soap for years on end). I can't possibly be the only one, can I!?!?

Buzz

brothers wrote: Paint brushes are cheaper at the home and garden center!

Thanks for the chuckle Gary!

Band of a select few perhaps Buzz, I say to each his own.

The Plisson listed on eBay could be size 18 or 20, but is definitely not a display brush. Anybody who considers submitting a bid should ask the seller for exact measurements for overall height and handle height. The badger hair in these vintage brushes is different from what is available now, and the brushes are taller overall. The handles have not changed though, expect a handle height of about 2.75in for size 20 and 2.5in for size 18.

The vintage brushes below, from left to right, are HMW 18, EW 20, HMW 20, and EW 18. I bought the HMW 20 about seven years ago at Colonial Drug. At that time they had only handful of these NOS brushes left, two in size 20 and a few smaller ones; I picked one of the two large ones. The EW 20 to its left is from Caswell Massey; it is also labelled size 20.

M6Classic wrote: For forty years I have used a #24 HMW set in plexiglass (someone around here insists its a #20 and he seems to know more than the people at Plisson, Colonial Drug where I bought my second, and the old Caswell Massey where I bought my first).
Buzz

Everyone reading this forum will sooner or later stumble across a reference to this mythical Plexi #24. Given my interest in Plisson brushes, I asked Buzz for actual measurements, which he kindly posted. It turns out that his brush is of the same size as the HMW 18 shown below: same handle, same loft, perhaps slightly different knot size. That is what I pointed out, and that's all there is to it. What I do, or do not, know about shaving brushes has nothing to do with it.

Leo

Beautiful, stunning Plisson brushes Leo. I especially like the HMW on the far left. I have a question for you. Do you notice much, if any, differences between the hair on the HMW vs. the EW, both in terms of shaving satisfaction and cosmetic interest.

lfb wrote:The vintage brushes below, from left to right, are HMW 18, EW 20, HMW 20, and EW 18. I bought the HMW 20 about seven years ago at Colonial Drug. At that time they had only handful of these NOS brushes left, two in size 20 and a few smaller ones; I picked one of the two large ones. The EW 20 to its left is from Caswell Massey; it is also labelled size 20.

Whatever the sizes, those Plissons are beautiful.

I wonder if Plisson ever made a plexi #24...could possibly be since they make(made....) a #24 in horn...
All i know is they made a plexi #32...

lfb wrote:Everyone reading this forum will sooner or later stumble across a reference to this mythical Plexi #24. Given my interest in Plisson brushes, I asked Buzz for actual measurements, which he kindly posted. It turns out that his brush is of the same size as the HMW 18 shown below: same handle, same loft, perhaps slightly different knot size. That is what I pointed out, and that's all there is to it. What I do, or do not, know about shaving brushes has nothing to do with it.

Leo

Like I said, I was told by knowledgable experts in 1972 and again in 2005 that they are #24s. However, I have no investment in what they're called and no interest in Plisson minutiae. I have even less interest if that's possible in whether or not yours or anyone's is bigger than mine.

Buzz

Great pics, Leo. Those are stunning brushes...

Wow...those are really beautiful.