New to me Rubberset

[Skrymr]

I found this today in an antique store. I have been researching brushes for a few weeks now to upgrade from my VDH boar brush. I really like the VDH, but it sheds at least one hair every time I use it, and it is simply too small for me. So I was really stoked to find this Rubberset for $2.50. Can anyone tell what the bristles are? I made some lather with it after cleaning it out, and it shed a few hairs and a few more broke. I'm gonna keep using it, and if necessary put a new knot in it later. As it is, it made a great lather with a puck of VDH soap. I was pleasantly surprised. Is there anything I should do to help preserve the bristles? I would really like to not have to re-knot it.

 

[BlackAngus]

That's really, really weird...I found and purchased one JUST LIKE THIS a few days ago. I paid quite a bit more than you did, though. I love the handle, hate the knot, definitely going to replace it. My first impression the only time I've used it was "wow, someone made a shaving brush out of a whisk broom." So I'll be interested to see what others tell you..

 

[Greybeard]

The bristles are boar. If the bristles have dried out enough over time, then they will continue to break and shed and you will have to replace the knot.
There's really nothing extra you can do to preserve it, so go ahead and use it.
Just make sure you rinse it out well after use and let it dry thoroughly between shaves.

If you like boar and have to replace the knot, The Golden Nib sells some boar knots. They have Omega and Vulfix knots which would be a definite upgrade from your VDH brush.

By the way Rubberset is still in business making paint brushes, which was always their core business. They stopped making shaving brushes decades ago.

 

[Skrymr]

Thanks Graybeard, I wasn't sure because the bristles are so soft. If I do have to replace the knot, I'm going to put another boar knot in it.

Blackangus, I love the handle too. I'm holding off judgement on the bristles until I've used it fo a while. They're pretty soft on mine.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Here's the one I picked up at a flea market a couple weeks ago for $1. Used it this morning with VDH soap and posted this picture in the SOTD thread. It is a lather making monster!

I only have eight vintage brushes but this one is far and away my favorite.

 

[Skrymr]

I just shaved with Uberlather made with my rubberset. This, to me, feels completely different than my VDH boar. It is very soft, not prickly or scrubby at all. It took quite a bit more water to make the lather than my old brush,but I was expecting that. I really like the brush a lot, but it just doesn't feel or look like boar to me. Could it be something else?

 

[K.T.]

I'm joining the club, guys!

I have two of these exact handles. I like them a lot!

Can't say the same of the knot, though. I haven't been able to get it to lather very well.

My brush is different than yours: the bristles are at least 50% longer than the ones on your brush, and they are really, really straight and really thick and robust. There's no bloom to the knot at all.

I'm under the impression that mine is horse hair. I have over 5 boar brushes and this one does not act like boar at all. Almost none of the hairs have split over the time I've had it, or over the time it was owned previously. The feel of the knot is firm, but very soft and slick when wet - doesn't feel like any of my other boar brushes, which are a little "grabbier" and not as firm and springy feeling.

As I mentioned, I can't get a good lather out of it. It can put out a very slick, dense lather, but it almost has no volume to it. I'm assuming part of it is that the hairs are very thick and robust, and with no fine splitting at the tips, there's not very much whisking action to build up volume.

I've already cut down the bristles of one brush for a future restore and may do the same with the other if it can't produce a good lather.

P.S. - On a side note, I sterilized the brush with a solution of diluted Marvicide before using it. I'm almost suspecting that the Marvicide is affecting the latherability of the brush, as two other brushes I sterilized are also producing sub-par lather. Maybe something in the sterilizing solution is wreaking havoc on the way the soap forms its small bubbles? Just a hunch. It may just be the brush.

 

[Skrymr]

I'm joining the club, guys!

I have two of these exact handles. I like them a lot!

Can't say the same of the knot, though. I haven't been able to get it to lather very well.

My brush is different than yours: the bristles are at least 50% longer than the ones on your brush, and they are really, really straight and really thick and robust. There's no bloom to the knot at all.

I'm under the impression that mine is horse hair. I have over 5 boar brushes and this one does not act like boar at all. Almost none of the hairs have split over the time I've had it, or over the time it was owned previously. The feel of the knot is firm, but very soft and slick when wet - doesn't feel like any of my other boar brushes, which are a little "grabbier" and not as firm and springy feeling.

As I mentioned, I can't get a good lather out of it. It can put out a very slick, dense lather, but it almost has no volume to it. I'm assuming part of it is that the hairs are very thick and robust, and with no fine splitting at the tips, there's not very much whisking action to build up volume.

I've already cut down the bristles of one brush for a future restore and may do the same with the other if it can't produce a good lather.

P.S. - On a side note, I sterilized the brush with a solution of diluted Marvicide before using it. I'm almost suspecting that the Marvicide is affecting the latherability of the brush, as two other brushes I sterilized are also producing sub-par lather. Maybe something in the sterilizing solution is wreaking havoc on the way the soap forms its small bubbles? Just a hunch. It may just be the brush.

I don't know about the marvicide, but it sounds to me like you need more water in you're lather. With mine I needed to use a lot more water than I did with my VDH boar.

 

[K.T.]

I don't know about the marvicide, but it sounds to me like you need more water in you're lather. With mine I needed to use a lot more water than I did with my VDH boar.

Thanks! I will try that.