Brush handle designs!

[joel.favre]

Hello to all, since this is my first post I guess I will have to introduce myself. I am new to the world of wet shaving, and have been shaving with a Gillette Super Speed with feather blades for about three weeks.
Well, I am no expert on brushes, but I do love working with wood so I have been turning a few handles lately and now I need new ideas or designs I can shamelessly plagiarize . Anyway, here are the ones that I have done so far, and a few of the blanks I have yet to do, so you can get an idea of the grain. I have Tamboti, Kingwood, and Cocobolo left, enough for about 6 brushes. I think the Tamboti and Cocobolo will look great with pretty much any design, but I am looking for a design with alot of "altitude changes" along the brushes longitudinal axis to really bring out the straight grain of the purple Kingwood.
The first two are made of Bocote, a mexican wood that is surprisingly light, and the third is Cocobolo. All three will be getting knots from TGN as soon as I can afford them, I am thinking 24MM extra hair for the Cocobolo brush, since it is noticeably larger than the other two in your hand, 22MM for the first handle and maybe 20MM for the middle one.
If you have any ideas to make these better, or for other brushes please let me know!
Joel

 

[cooncatbob]

I like to copy the designs the Big Boys use and the classic brushes from the past.
I try to avoid too many groves and beads, as these are places dried lather can collect.
Here's my take an a Rooney style 3 in Black and White Ebony.

This one is copied from a classic Gillette brush that a client sent me a picture of.

I also like to make sets, matching brush and razor handles.

 

[Bit2]

His brushes and razors are classic!

John

 

[joel.favre]

cooncatbob,
Those are beautiful! I especially like the black and white Ebony, is that a difficult wood to turn? I had honestly never thought of lather collecting in the grooves, thats a good tip, thanks!

 

[cooncatbob]

cooncatbob,
Those are beautiful! I especially like the black and white Ebony, is that a difficult wood to turn? I had honestly never thought of lather collecting in the grooves, thats a good tip, thanks!

The B&W Ebony is a hard tight grained wood but it turns nicely, it's prone to cracking length wise.
You need to turn, sand and finish it all in 1 sitting, if you rough turn the blank it will be cracked the next day.
Cocobolo can be a pain to finish, it's oily and some finish won't dry.
I wash it down with a rag soaked in acetone to remove the surface oil.
I now avoid using it as the blanks available at my local Wood Craft store aren't that great grain and color wise.
What I really like are the burl woods like Afzelia and Amboyna Burl, they have a lot going on grain wise and look good in a small object like a brush handle.

 

[Hughies_online]

There's some beautiful wood here.

I have found that by hand coating the finished handle with pure beeswax or Carnuba wax, this allows better protection from water, resists soap scum build up and enhances the look of the grain. Plus I have not had the problem of water discoloration when the handle soaks in water for too long.

I have tried this on my custom handles (Australian burl, Desert Ironwood and Mahogany - which I have bought, not made) and it appears to work well. The only side-effect I have noticed is very hot water gives my wax a cloudy appearance when wet but this disappears when they become dry. Just thought I'd share.

 

[joel.favre]

Bob: Thanks for the info, I am gonna have to try the B&W ebony, and more of the burl woods soon, they do look fantastic with the crazy grain pattern. As far as the Cocobolo, I have had lots of luck with Formbys tung oil finish, if you can get it to pentrate, it works really well, and the acetone helps alot pre-application.
Hughies: When you apply the wax, is that on just a buffed piece of wood, or what type of finish is under it?

 

[shm]

If you want to replicate some fine handles, I find Acca Kappa's handles really beautiful.
I've started to save money for one of their brushes, but they are not cheap.

http://www.accakappa.it/

I'm guessing you will choose "English", then click "Products" in the menu and in the right hand side that comes up "Shaving Collection"

 

[cooncatbob]

I'm using a home made finish that I got off a turning website.
It's 1/3 Man of War gloss spar varnish, 1/3 Tung oil and 1/3 Turpentine.
The proportions don't have to be exact, it's rather slow drying but has good penatration.
I have a heat lamp set up where after I built up multiple coats over several day I place my parts to cure thoroughly before I polish them on the lathe with micro-mesh pads, then I use Meguir's Carnuba car wax.

 

[BlueBloodKiller]

Got to get me some wood!

 

[DeaconKC]

Bob, beautiful work as always!