What's new

Custom Brushes by bryce72

The brushes are beautiful. I emailed the store owner - he says he onlyuses 24mm knots 67mm loft. According to this forum, that's a large knot --
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=585447#post585447

The 67mm loft appears to be off the scale - maybe he meant 57mm, but that's still a very high lofthttp://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=850831#post850831

My question - if I use soap, not cream, and I have a smaller face, will this brush suit my needs? I had been thinking I needed something in a 20-23mm knot, 45-50mm loft. I'm relatively new to DE shaving (6 months), but am upgradin from my Art of Shaving $25 badger brush. Any advice?
Just had my first lather and shave with my Desert Ironwood Brush.

I was absolutely floored when I got this thing. The bristles were not as soft as other silvertip I had used, which was nice as i could feel it lift the hair.

The handle is big and chunky, great fun to hold and extremely solid. The Ironwood sinks like a stone.

The lather was much better than my Omega boar and Dovo Pure Badger. It almost seemed effortless to create a thick lather.

The looks is absolutely stunning. Such a pretty and unique piece. Glad I bought this.

My only complaint is that already one bristle has fallen out... this worries me.
I bought one of these (Desert Ironwood) in August this year and have been using it every day since. First impressions were excellent workmanship, good loft and the ergonomics were very good. The brush is easy to grip although the handle may make it harder to use in a small shaving mug for instance. Knocking the handle against the rim of a smaller diameter shaving mug could be annoying.

The brush uses a 24mm silvertip knot, splayed out well and this ensures very good lather-generating properties. Shedding is quite a problem (for me at least) and I have lost around 3-5 hairs per shave. Presently, I can now shake the hairs off the brush when shaking it dry. Have contacted the maker about this. Bryce has replied stating that this loss may be considered normal shedding and if it persists for more than a couple of months, he will replace the knot for me. This is an indicator of excellent after-sales support and I will update this review if knot replacement is needed.

Overall the size is perfect for those with larger mits (like me) who have trouble gripping smaller brushes. I hand-coated the handle with highest grade beeswax to prevent the potential water damage issue that a previous reviewer experienced. This works very well, preserving and highlighting the beautiful wood grain. The product I used was a 100% pure beeswax polish (made in Australia by Disney and available at Bunnings for the Aussies out there). I applied multiple applications by hand in a circular motion; buffing off each coat as it dried. Water doesn't penetrate at all in daily use (although I wouldn't want to soak the handle for prolonged periods). YMMV of course.
Price
2.00 star(s)
Density
3.00 star(s)
Quality
3.00 star(s)
Ergonomic
4.00 star(s)
Latherability
4.00 star(s)
Softness of Tips
3.00 star(s)
Stiffness of Tips
3.00 star(s)
Hi guys, I just received this one from Bryce,

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280387107011&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT


it is just beautiful, can't wait to try it out, it is an absolutely beautiful brush, and the hair is one of the softest I have ever felt.

it is not cheap, but something of this obvious quality shouldn't be either.

tried it this am , with MWF, on first use, as a face latherer, easily the best so far out of any brush I have used, took a bit more effort loading the brush, due to the suppleness of the badger used, however once on, had myself a big fat meringue in no time at all !
Price
2.00 star(s)
Density
3.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Ergonomic
5.00 star(s)
Latherability
0.00 star(s)
Softness of Tips
5.00 star(s)
Stiffness of Tips
4.00 star(s)
I recently purchased one of Bryce's brushes after seeing the review above, and having given it a few shaves, I have to say I'm very pleased at the results. It lathers up beautifully. I'm not a big guy, but I find I always get enough lather for three or four passes, and the feel of the brush is firm, yet never scratchy or uncomfortable. It fits wonderfully in the hand. I genuinely enjoy the experience every time I use it.

As Bryce has mentioned, the handle of the brush should definitely not be soaked. This is a fact that I can attest to, as I've overfilled the scuttle I was using to soak the brush once or twice, and there's a distinct ring around the top of the wood that is no longer glossy. I would like to stress that Bryce's instructions include this information very clearly, and I was well aware of the risk when I first used this brush. If your shave prep involves soaking your brush, I would recommend you take extra care when filling your mug or scuttle to make sure you're not going to be leaving part of the handle in the water.

Once again, superb craftsmanship, wonderful feel, and a very unique brush that I'm thrilled to own.
Price
4.00 star(s)
Density
5.00 star(s)
Quality
5.00 star(s)
Ergonomic
5.00 star(s)
Latherability
5.00 star(s)
Softness of Tips
5.00 star(s)
Stiffness of Tips
4.00 star(s)
These are beautiful looking brushes and look like they would be very comfy to hold. I may have to give one a try with my next paycheck. :biggrin:
D
Hey there,

I was just reading over your review again when I reread what you wrote under quality. I thought I should clarify that I don't actually use a wood stain at all, I think you were referring to the final finish, which if i remember correctly was a satin finish. Since you purchased that brush I have been doing a lot of testing with other finishes ( the reason why I haven't been selling any brushes for the past few months ) And the finish I use at the moment is a high gloss, it involves at least 3-4 coats, and properly looked after it will stay this way for a very long time. I also include some instructions on looking after the brush. The main one of these is that it is important NOT to soak the handle, ever. After use, a simple rinse and shake to remove water from the brush and a quick wipe down of the handle with a hand towel is all thats required. The company that makes the finish I currently use tell me that the gloss finish on some pieces is still as glossy as it was 10 years ago.

Wood is a natural product and as such has its limitations. A wood like Desert Ironwood is very tightly grained, heavy and hard. Perfect for handles. Other woods, although beautiful initially, they have somewhat more open grains and are lighter and softer. This means they would allow water into the grain a lot quicker, making them swell up and try to repulse any finish that is on them. Plus they don't feel as substantial being so light. Hence why there are certain woods that I prefer working with.

Now that the finish has actually worn off your brush, the wood itself should never change color or feel. That is the reason I go thru all the different grades of sanding, so as to come up with something that looks and feels amazing even in its completely natural state. The actual final finish is there just to accentuate what nature has created on its own...

Regards

Bryce
Hello, B&Bers..

I first encountered Bryce's custom made silvertip brushes on eBay.. I performed a quick search for "Silvertip Brush" on eBay and of all the results I got, I found myself captivated by these bulbous and beautiful brushes. The types of wood he uses are unique and beautifully grained.. he typically uses Desert Ironwood, Macassar Ebony, and various Australian Burls. I purchased a Desert Ironwood brush and it is far and away my favorite..

Price :: Under normal circumstances, Bryce's brushes can probably be purchased for around $75-100 (including shipping).. This is only an estimate and I'm sure the prices can be higher or lower depending on the level of customization and the type of materials used so to get an accurate number, get a quote from Bryce! I rated this a 10, however, because in my unique experience, I got extremely lucky and was able to purchase a Desert Ironwood brush for about $45 USD.. even at $75-100, this is an extremely reasonable price for such a unique and well manufactured brush.

Quality :: I've been using this brush for a few months now and it has shed only a handful of bristles.. the materials are unique and worked painstakingly to showcase the uniqueness and beauty of each piece of wood he uses. I refer you to any of his eBay auctions (eBay ID: theshavingbrush or melbourne1972) for examples of his workmanship. The only reason I docked the quality a point is because the wood stain used bleeds off a little bit.. it's not severe and is just a minor annoyance, but this is possibly the only thing about his brushes that can be improved.

Density :: Bryce uses nice, dense 24mm Silvertip knots.. the brushes are nice and thick and have a satisfying, substantial feel to them when loading with soap and when applying to the skin.

Stiffness of Tips :: As can be expected from a Silvertip Brush, the bristles aren't as stiff as best or pure which is why I rated it an 8. It is, in my opinion, of an appropriate firmness.. soft enough to feel absolutely luxurious but stiff enough to not be floppy.

Softness of Tips :: For the reasons stated above, I have rated the softness a 10.. it is an indulgence to use this brush!

Ergonomics :: Aside from the materials used, this has got to be the highlight of the brush. I don't know how to describe how satisfying it is to hold this brush so I will again refer you to any of his eBay auctions so you can see for yourself.

Latherability :: This brush lathers up extremely well.. it is a Silvertip, afterall. It applies lather liberally but I docked it a point since it also tends to be a bit of a lather hog.

As stated earlier, this is my absolute favorite brush and I am simultaneously resisting the urge to purchase another of these works of art from eBay and working out details to have a custom brush made for me by Bryce.. if you have any questions or would like to contact him, he has given me permission to post his eMail address: [email protected]

Here are some pictures:
proxy.php


proxy.php


proxy.php


One last note.. Bryce is responsive and accommodating. As I mentioned earlier, I got the brush at such a steep discount due to a mistake on Bryce's part.. being the gentleman he is, he honored the price without hesitation and only mentioned the situation when I asked him about it after the transaction had been completed.
-\Visdom

Edited: Added picture and corrected typo
Price
5.00 star(s)
Density
5.00 star(s)
Quality
4.00 star(s)
Ergonomic
5.00 star(s)
Latherability
4.00 star(s)
Softness of Tips
5.00 star(s)
Stiffness of Tips
4.00 star(s)
Top Bottom