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I just recently purchased this brush from an eBay seller. I probably paid too much for it, but I've been looking for something like this for a long time and I was getting tired of getting outbid for not much more than what I ended up paying for this one. This is a Rubberset 400. There are a couple of closed stress cracks in the handle base, but I think that adds a little bit of character and interest to that lovely amber-colored plastic (Lucite?). This is a fairly small brush (total height of the handle = 43mm), but I've been enjoying smaller brushes lately, particularly since I went 100% face-lathering.

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Not sure what knot will end up here, but I'll document the restoration process as best I can here in this thread.

The first step is getting rid of that nasty, funky old Badger hair...what little is left of it. :ohmy:

To be continued...
 
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Quick follow-up:

I literally pulled the knot out of the handle with my bare hand. I don't think I've ever had an easier extraction! A little clean-up scraping with a pocket knife and it's almost ready to start polishing. My only concern is a metal ring still bonded to the inside of the hole. I'd like to get it out, since I think it was probably the source of the rust/discoloration on the ivory top half of the handle, but I want to make sure I don't crack the handle in the removal process. I'll have to think on that for a while. Inside diameter of the hole is 21mm, so I'll probably either go with a 20 or 22mm knot, depending on whether I get the metal ring out or not.
 
Cool looking handle. I agree the cracks on the inside give it some character. Kind of gives it that not-so-everyday look, I like it. You have any idea of what knot you are gonna put in it or do I have to just wait and see ;) ?
 
Cool looking handle. I agree the cracks on the inside give it some character. Kind of gives it that not-so-everyday look, I like it. You have any idea of what knot you are gonna put in it or do I have to just wait and see ;) ?

I'm pretty sure it's going to be a TGN Finest Badger, 20mm or 22mm, depending on whether I get that metal ring out or not. I've done several brushes with the Finest knots, and they've all turned out to be favorites. I also need to decide on a bulb or fan-shaped knot.
 
Subscribed! I have picked a metal ring out with a seal puller that is meant for automotive use and looks like a dental hygienist's tool. I was super careful to avoid applying stress outward. That'll be a great looking brush either way!
 
Subscribed! I have picked a metal ring out with a seal puller that is meant for automotive use and looks like a dental hygienist's tool. I was super careful to avoid applying stress outward. That'll be a great looking brush either way!

That's an idea...I've actually got a few dental-type probes that might work. I was also thinking of using a fine-point carbide engraving tip on my Dremel and cutting a groove through the metal. Once I get the ring open, it shouldn't be too difficult to pull the rest free. The only other metal ring I've dealt with was a soft copper(?) and it was pretty easy to remove...this one seems to be steel.
 
Some progress to report. I finally got the steel ring out of the handle. It wasn't easy! I ended up using a narrow diamond-tip cutting bit in my Dremel to carve a groove through the metal. I had to work slowly since I didn't want to overheat the celluloid(?) top half of the handle. Once I cut all the way through, the ring peeled out easily. I'm giving it a light sanding now (500 & 1200 grit wet/dry paper) to remove some of the staining and discoloration. I'll start the final polishing shortly.

Here's what it looks like just before the ring was pulled out...and after.

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I think I'm going to order an knot tonight. I'm pretty sure I'm going with a TGN 22mm Finest Badger, fan-shaped, extra hair. The knot is 62mm tall and the hole depth is 12-13mm. That should give me a finished loft of 49-50mm. I might be able to sand a millimeter or two off the bottom of the knot and get it a little shorter. I can't drill the hole any deeper in the handle without cutting into the Lucite, and that's not acceptable.

I'm pretty happy with the progress so far and I'm really stoked to see what this baby is going to look like when done!
 
I'm pretty sure it's going to be a TGN Finest Badger, 20mm or 22mm, depending on whether I get that metal ring out or not. I've done several brushes with the Finest knots, and they've all turned out to be favorites. I also need to decide on a bulb or fan-shaped knot.

Have you noticed any performance/feel difference between the bulb and fan shaped TGN finest knots?
 
Have you noticed any performance/feel difference between the bulb and fan shaped TGN finest knots?

I have and have used both...the fan-shaped seem marginally better for face-lathering, but that could just be a case of results matching expectations. Both are good. If I were strictly a bowl-latherer, I'd probably stay with the bulb.
 
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More progress! I received the knot from The Golden Nib (TGN) today...a 22mm Finest Badger Fan-shaped. I sanded about one millimeter off the bottom of the knot to even it out and allow it to set a little deeper. A dab of Devcon 5-Minute Clear Epoxy and here's the results:

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I'll let it rest overnight and give it a good shampooing tomorrow. First use will be Thursday morning, and I'll be posting post-bloom photos later. I'm real happy with the results. Loft worked out to 49mm, which is right in my sweet-spot range (46mm-50mm). I had just a tiny bit of the epoxy ooze up into the knot, but it's barely noticeable and shouldn't affect performance.
 
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