Do I or Don't I?

[sunbird]

A brush dilemma!

From left to right.

1) My first restore yesterday! Ever Ready 650PB with 20mm TGN Finest Extra Hair. Pre bloom. Had to take pics before trying it out.

All the others are original as found washed in soapy water only. My dilemma is that they are all good face latherers and they are in unrestored original condition. I know they would look and perform even better with nice new appropriately sized knots, but is that spoiling an original brush that seems to be OK as is.
Do I or don't I??
Do I really want 7 brushes all with similar new knots?

The line up is as follows:-

2) Ever Ready 150
3) Made Rite 500PB Pure Badger SET IN RUBBER
4) Mohawk 3-338
5) Mohawk 5-341
6) No name travel brush
7) Ever-Ready 500CC Pure Badger SET IN RUBBER with its own travel tube marked Ever-Ready

Please advise me.

Do I continue looking for restorers or take the plunge and cut their manes?

What do you guys think?

Sunbird

 

[buma]

nice collection you got there! Personally, I'd use them first for a few shaves to see even if you like the brushes in their original state as once you cut, there's no going back to that vintage brush feel. If they perform the way you want, there's no reason to go through the restore process for every single one of them if you don't have to. Take those out of the lineup and see what's left.

In those that remain, determine which of those you actually want to restore. Pick and choose the ones you think will add to your collection - which shape do you really like which one feels nice in your hand, which would you use for an everyday brush and which for travel, etc. Once you determine the ones you want to keep, then it's on to the knots! And don't forget to make sure that the others find good homes, too.

Same process now but now what kind of performance you are looking for in a knot - do you want it to face lather, bowl lather, what kind of backbone, your level of preferred scritchiness, your preference in brush hair types, etc.

I'm not saying you can't do them all, but there's no going back once SBRAD starts kicking in! Good luck!