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Made Rite 44

I've owned, in my collection, this Made Rite 44 brush that is new in the box. I bought it many many years ago with the initial intention of removing the nylon knot and replacing it with a modern Badger. I've never even tried the nylon knot as I remember them from my younger days as being awful but don't know about this one. I'm starting to divest of some of my collection so my kids don't have to! Has anyone used this brush with the original nylon knot or one similar? I don't want to destroy it's value by replacing the knot. It has a beautiful handle of what I believe is Catalin and Plexi but I'm no expert there either. Thought I'd post this for your views before I make a decision.
 

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I would put a nicer knot in it. Even a synthetic would be an improvement. There really isn't a market for "original" shaving brushes, especially the low level ones.
 
Another vote for a new knot!! The old synthetics ranged from bad to worse IME.

A modern synthetic would be a huge step up in performance. Personally, I would go for a new badger which would be lovely! :clap: :clap:
 
I have been using a restored Made Rite 44 with a 24 mm silvertip knot in the FFFMM thread. It has been one of my favorites for several years.

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That’s a nice looking handle and deserves a better knot imo. I’m not a fan of 90% of the synths out there, so my choice would be a badger. A two band finest badger. From TGN. 😁
 
That is a beautiful handle. I think we can all agree the knot in there now is not so great. I prefer a good synthetic knot to all others. Almost all of the present synthetic knots made today are really good.
 
Does the box have any date information?

Hi and thanks for all the responses. The box does not have any date information however I am guessing somewhere between 1938 and the early 50's. The reason for those dates is simply that nylon brushes, stemming from the first nylon toothbrush, started in 1938. Since the top is Catalin the latest it could be is the early 50's as they stopped making Catalin at that time. If I had to get more precise on the time line I would say just before the start of the US involvement in WWII only based on what I know of production of these materials.

I'm not sure what the applesauce base is made of, I initially thought Poly but after seeing your picture and the fracturing of the base I have to rethink that material.

This would have been one of Made Rite's premium brushes based on the box. The lower line came in a much more flimsy box.

I've restored a lot of brushes over the years but they have all been used brushes that couldn't be used otherwise. I have a few brushes that were never used in my collection and I've always stayed away from altering them in anyway, I felt they were more collectible left in their original state. That is my quandary as I've gotten to the age that I've decided to divest of some of my collection.
 

timwcic

"Look what I found"
I have a restored 44 in a 26 Oumo SHD that I love. It’s butterscotch and apple juice Bakelite. Butterscotch Is common but the juice is not. It is worth, if you care, to restore. A 44 in NOS does not have a great value

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If you're going to feel guilty about replacing the knot then just sell it as is and let someone else make the decision. You can always get another handle and replace the knot if you want to.

But besides that, it's just an object. It does not have feelings and does not care whether or not you replace the knot. Any value it has is only that assigned by the buyer market for it, which is weak. '50s nylon brushes are often found in near pristine condition because the fibers don't degrade, and even when they were used, buyers didn't like them very much.
 
I have a restored 44 in a 26 Oumo SHD that I love. It’s butterscotch and apple juice Bakelite. Butterscotch Is common but the juice is not. It is worth, if you care, to restore. A 44 in NOS does not have a great value

View attachment 1076018View attachment 1076019View attachment 1076020
Nice Restoration. Is the base of your 44 also fractured? I haven't been able to determine the material of the bottom half of the brush. The top Butterscotch portion is actually Catalin not Bakelite. You can tell because it is translucent. Bakelite would be opaque because of the fillers that were used in Bakelite. I'd guess the brush to the left of the 44 is also Catalin. Catalin was made in many different and bright colors where Bakelite was mostly shades of brown or black. Very similar chemical composition but a different manufacturing process.
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timwcic

"Look what I found"
Nice Restoration. Is the base of your 44 also fractured? I haven't been able to determine the material of the bottom half of the brush. The top Butterscotch portion is actually Catalin not Bakelite. You can tell because it is translucent. Bakelite would be opaque because of the fillers that were used in Bakelite. I'd guess the brush to the left of the 44 is also Catalin. Catalin was made in many different and bright colors where Bakelite was mostly shades of brown or black. Very similar chemical composition but a different manufacturing process. View attachment 1076158

Yes, I agree that they are two different items, Catalin and Bakelite. It’s just dealing in jewelry, fine and costume for decades, I use Bakelite as a universal name that my customer understand. The translucence and solid blue are the rarest colors.

The 44 and the Made Rite next both tested positive using the simichrome test. It does have a fault inside near the bond with the butterscotch. Whatever it is, it’s internal. The fault does not reach the surface. The surface is smooth and polished. Don’t know if it has been there since manufacturing or was dropped over the decades. It is a nice brush


Semichtome test
6 Ways to Verify Vintage Bakelite Jewelry - https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/ways-to-identify-bakelite-148495

Apple Juice

apple juice bakelite - Google Search - https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+juice+bakelite&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS878US878&hl=en-US&prmd=sinv&sxsrf=ALeKk01ZrSLdm__Sz_Lb_cixtR6XRkVpuw:1584655009451&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjS27f3w6foAhXRct8KHdh_DO8Q_AUoAnoECA0QAg&biw=1080&bih=697&dpr=2

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That's interesting, I never thought to consider Catalin for the clear or apple juice base. That would make sense, Catalin tends to shrink with age. I've seen a lot of clear or apple juice pieces with fractures like that but they all were perfectly stable just like many colored pieces of Catalin can have surface cracks or fractures but be perfectly stable and smooth. Since they often added color and marbling to Catalin pieces that would make perfect sense.

I believe the butterscotch handles you posted started out white. They turned butterscotch with time and use. I restored one butterscotch handle like that years ago and sanded the bottom down to the white. You could also see white when I removed the old knot at the top of the handle.

The red handles in Catalin are also hard to come by, I've never seen a blue handled shaving brush out of Catalin but I wouldn't doubt there's a few around.
 

timwcic

"Look what I found"
I believe the butterscotch handles you posted started out white. They turned butterscotch with time and use. I restored one butterscotch handle like that years ago and sanded the bottom down to the white. You could also see white when I removed the old knot at the top of the handle.

I agree that most Catalin butterscotch started out as white-ivory and oxidized to the color we love. Most of my restores were white inside but occasionally I find one that is butterscotch thru and thru. Also, there is some nasty filler in true Bakelite. Asbestos was sometimes used. I don’t worry when a brush is translucent but when solid color, I always use caution when drilling and sanding

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I've owned, in my collection, this Made Rite 44 brush that is new in the box. I bought it many many years ago with the initial intention of removing the nylon knot and replacing it with a modern Badger. I've never even tried the nylon knot as I remember them from my younger days as being awful but don't know about this one. I'm starting to divest of some of my collection so my kids don't have to! Has anyone used this brush with the original nylon knot or one similar? I don't want to destroy it's value by replacing the knot. It has a beautiful handle of what I believe is Catalin and Plexi but I'm no expert there either. Thought I'd post this for your views before I make a decision.

It’s a great looking brush. Maybe a nice boat knot to maintain the color scheme?
 
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