Bakelite Beauty

[Schwert]

Downtown Seattle is not exactly a wonder of shaving shopping. This is Pioneer Square with the Smith Tower in the background...what once was the tallest building this side of the Mississippi. Smith was the typewriter guy....you all remember those right?

In this square there is an underground antique shop that had one display of 6 butterscotch brushes. A couple of Made-Rites and other unbranded ones. They really wanted too much for all of them, but this one...I just had to have.

Solid Bakelite handle, soft, rather orange, badger hair. Not too bad a shape, but a bit thin in the center.

I gave it a good clean in dishwashing detergent and may just use it as is for a while before I think about reknoting it. It is about the same size as the new Rudy Vey I have just finished. I am going to polish the Bakelite a bit with Flitz and see how it works up soaps or creams. I think it lacks some backbone, but it may make a nice cream brush for now. I think an 18mm knot will fit it once I decide to reknot it.

There are no markings at all on this. It is definitely backlite as when I rub it hard it smells of phenol.

I really gave too much for it...$25....but I do like it.

 

[fidjit]

Nice find.

Don't polish too deep or you might lose the butterscotch effect

 

[valmara1971]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet fine good luck in the reknot.

 

[bman40]

I was there in November and they had ZILCH for brushes.... lucky for you!

Barry

 

[Schwert]

I very lightly polished this one with Flitz last night. It took off the cloudy oxidation but has polished up nicely. I can see where:

Over Flitzen--
de orange be,
Blitzen.

I will shave with this guy tomorrow and see if it holds up. It feels way too soft for my style, but I am sort of hesitant to chop off the knot too soon.

I think I may load it up with Speick cream and see what happens.

 

[jakespoppy]

Very nice, Schwert. I like the little striped-handled brush in the background, too.

 

[curtis909]

I to like that striped on in the background. If i may ask can you show us that one please. What a beauty.

 

[Darjeeling Express]

Very nice, Schwert. I like the little striped-handled brush in the background, too.

The butterscotch is a beauty. But you have caught all of our attention with that brush in the background. Call the thread with the pics of that one, "The Brush In The Background."

 

[Rudy Vey]

I to like that striped on in the background. If i may ask can you show us that one please. What a beauty.

I can help you, here is the thread for that little brush in the background:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=123746

 

[blackfoot]

Both are great looking brushes!

 

[Zombasaur]

Great brush, but I hope you stopped in for some Salumi around the corner! I've been dying for one of their sandwiches since moving!

 

[Schwert]

Thanks guys....Rudy linked up to the brush in the background....his work of course....now my main brush.

I did not make it around for Salumi, but hit one of my favorites for Thai.

Pioneer square has some excellent eateries...I just wish I could find one of the old undergroung shops with a stockpile of old Gillettes.

 

[Schwert]

Well I tried to shave with this old Bakelite brush....and it is truly worn out. This old one is definitely an invertebrate.....no backbone at all.

I will be drilling it out for a restore for sure though as the handle really has a nice feel to it.

 

[blackfoot]

Well I tried to shave with this old Bakelite brush....and it is truly worn out. This old one is definitely an invertebrate.....no backbone at all.

I will be drilling it out for a restore for sure though as the handle really has a nice feel to it.

I can't wait to see it finished. It will/is a beauty!

 

[Schwert]

Well after one shave I decided the old Butterscotch had gone beyond its useful life...so last night I started its restoration....

I chopped off the thinning floppy badger and drilled out the old knot.

All around the top of this, the old Bakelite had some stress cracks.

So I took my Dremel sanding drum and ground off the majority of the cracks.

This one is now ready for a new 18mm knot. I need to figure out what I want to put in this old handle…right now I am thinking a Grade A Silvertip knot might be the one....but I need to go visit Tony's site today and see what he may have.

 

[Fatboy Slimhandle]

Awesome! Looking forward to the final product...

 

[Storer50]

Very nice!!!!

 

[fidjit]

My god another restorer that actually has tools. What's wrong with you all ? Thought you like the simple things

( Me doesn't even own dremel, let along a vice )

Good job, make sure you post a the final result in our Butterscotch Candy Porn thread

 

[Schwert]

The pen vise was a Christmas gift.....very nice for brush work. I have a few tools that I have collected over the years...mostly hand-tools, but the Dremel really saved me some time last night getting the residual hard glue out and grinding back those cracks. It would be nice if I could find half of them when I need them though

 

[pauls51]

Nice looking brush... Looking forward to seeing the final result of the restore