Morris & Forndran Blonde Badger

[shevek]

Where does this one from Classic Shaving's sale of old Rooneys fit in? It was marketed as a Chubby Stubby

Forgot about those. These seem to be extremely rare since there is hardly any information out there. My M&F Stubby in Finest was sold at that Classic Shaving sale and it has the single ring Chubby Stubby handle. This one was originally made in 2009. So I'd say the Rooney version must have been produced some time between 2007-2009.

 

[shanman]

Those single ring Stubbies from Rooney/M&F typically signified an earlier (<2011) brush until I recently learned they were being made again in larger knots after a lengthy hiatus by Lee. Same goes for the triple ring XL style handles that started to show up within the last year or so, those were also another version that was getting made 3 or 4 years ago and seemed to have disappeared from Lee's option palate until they reappeared. I started to notice the triple rings first came back at Handlebarsupply with the Rooney block print, and then seemed to start a reappearance with M&F as well.
There was a moonjava Urn that recently sold that is pretty atypical to see from the M&F stable. I suppose just as we get tired of seeing the same common styles, Lee gets frisky and rewinds things a bit to liven things up which I love to see.

 

[NSmalls]

Any new deliveries gents?

 

[random-hero]

No new deliveries from Lee. I've been trying to get through to him for the past 2 weeks but no luck.

 

[eblau]

I was just able to place an order with Lee for a 2XL Finest in ivory with a fan shape knot. Really looking forward to this brush! My first order from Lee. It took a bit of persistence but it will be worth it I am sure based on past experience with M&F brushes.

 

[NSmalls]

I was just able to place an order with Lee for a 2XL Finest in ivory with a fan shape knot. Really looking forward to this brush! My first order from Lee. It took a bit of persistence but it will be worth it I am sure based on past experience with M&F brushes.

Awesome! Glad to hear it. Make sure you post pics on arrival

 

[shevek]

I got my first response from Lee last Thursday after 7 wks, hallelujah!....order finalized on Saturday. Will definitely post pics.

 

[Hero]

@shevek

Congrats! You won't be disappointed. What did you order? Waiting on a Blonde Badger, myself, so I'm trying to satiate my appetite, in the meantime! &#128522;

 

[shevek]

@shevek

Congrats! You won't be disappointed. What did you order? Waiting on a Blonde Badger, myself, so I'm trying to satiate my appetite, in the meantime! &#128522;

Thank you. Feel like I won the lottery! I know many have waited longer but still i was getting prickly about it. Glad I don't have to keep wondering if Lee is purposely ignoring me because I have too many consonants in my email address or because I said Hi Lee instead of Hello Lee or Dear Mr. Sabini. Time to move on and hopefully enjoy some nice brushes soon! I ordered a 1/2 Blonde in Faux Ebony and an XL2 Heritage in Faux Ivory.
Which handle style did you order in Blonde?

 

[Hero]

I hate to tell you this, but it'll only get worse from here. That is, the wait and anticipation is a killer!

But really great picks. I'm sure you will find the wait worth it. When your white envelope shows up in the mail, it does feel like winning the lottery.

To be honest, I have no idea what is coming in the mail. I asked for a 1/2, which he didn't have currently made. He offered a white handled 24mm brush instead, with no other details. So, I'm super excited to find out, myself! I'll be sure to update you once it arrives, any day now.

Frankly, though, I really like all of his designs, which is why I ran with it. It is certainly adding an extra element of surprise.

 

[shevek]

I hate to tell you this, but it'll only get worse from here. That is, the wait and anticipation is a killer!

But really great picks. I'm sure you will find the wait worth it. When your white envelope shows up in the mail, it does feel like winning the lottery.

To be honest, I have no idea what is coming in the mail. I asked for a 1/2, which he didn't have currently made. He offered a white handled 24mm brush instead, with no other details. So, I'm super excited to find out, myself! I'll be sure to update you once it arrives, any day now.

Frankly, though, I really like all of his designs, which is why I ran with it. It is certainly adding an extra element of surprise.

You're a brave soul. White you say? When I asked for a 1/2 he said he had it in white and imi striped ivory. Maybe you're getting the 1/2 you wanted? He said they were quite striking so you may be in for a real nice one.

I told him I'll take the striped ivory. 10 minutes later I had second thoughts and emailed again asking if he had anything else. Didn't hear back for 24 hrs and I thought I blew it! No soup for me! What a relief when he replied.

Let me tell you that I once ordered a custom brush from an artisan and waited 2.5 months for it. Then it turned out to have a flawed finish, so I had to ship it back and wait another 5-6 weeks. After that experience, I said I would never order a brush from another artisan. Feel free to not believe a word I say when I make grand proclamations.

 

[shubes]

I may have one or two... or three on the way

 

[Hero]

After an experience like that, I don't blame you for being wary. Lee's great with quality control, though. I'm sure you, like many of us, will be hooked once you get your first batch in the mail!

I'm not brave, though. If memory serves me right (correct me if I'm mistaken), Nick is the bravest of us; he orders via 2-band or 3-band alone. I think that's very cool. Not sure I have the cajones to try that, just yet.

But if your experience with the Blonde and Heritage grades are anything like mine, they'll be a permanent fixture in your rotation. I'm really happy to hear that you were able to get through. And we all expect an update in about 3 weeks!

 

[NSmalls]

After an experience like that, I don't blame you for being wary. Lee's great with quality control, though. I'm sure you, like many of us, will be hooked once you get your first batch in the mail!

I'm not brave, though. If memory serves me right (correct me if I'm mistaken), Nick is the bravest of us; he orders via 2-band or 3-band alone. I think that's very cool. Not sure I have the cajones to try that, just yet.

But if your experience with the Blonde and Heritage grades are anything like mine, they'll be a permanent fixture in your rotation. I'm really happy to hear that you were able to get through. And we all expect an update in about 3 weeks!

Yup and I usually don't specify loft either. Lee is pretty much a genius when it comes to brush making so I let him do his thing. Less expectations=less disappointment usually. And I'm normally pretty ecstatic when I get that inconspicuous envelope from British Royal Air Mail.

 

[NavyShave]

Agree with leaving Lee to his work without too much guidance, although I do remind him that I am an exclusive face latherer.

 

[celestino]

I got my first response from Lee last Thursday after 7 wks, hallelujah!....order finalized on Saturday. Will definitely post pics.

Congratulations, Rob and I hope you enjoy your brush! I still haven't tried contacting him.

 

[ChiefBroom]

Yup and I usually don't specify loft either. Lee is pretty much a genius when it comes to brush making so I let him do his thing. Less expectations=less disappointment usually. And I'm normally pretty ecstatic when I get that inconspicuous envelope from British Royal Air Mail.

Agree with leaving Lee to his work without too much guidance, although I do remind him that I am an exclusive face latherer.

I have a different view in this regard. I agree that Lee is a master knot-maker/setter, but that doesn't mean he can know ab initio what would be best suited to my tastes or anyone else's other than his own. I think he's remarkably good at figuring that out, but it takes some experience with and feedback from a customer to dial it in, especially with customers who haven't yet figured it out for themselves.

I've explored different sizes and shapes with Lee; however, I'm generally very decided and definite about what I want in terms of knot diameter, shape, and loft. Lee has been very good about delivering in accordance with my requests.

IMHO, being a genius doesn't, by itself, provide reliable insight into what will best serve someone else's preferences. Different people have different faces, sensitivities, etc. A cardinal rule in shaving is YMMV. Otherwise, discussion here would be pretty monotonous and boring.

 

[NSmalls]

All true Ken. However, I find that being too specific can definitely narrow my possibilities. I like to leave a little room for exploration if that makes sense.

 

[ChiefBroom]

All true Ken. However, I find that being too specific can definitely narrow my possibilities. I like to leave a little room for exploration if that makes sense.

Makes perfect sense, and I don't disagree with it at all. My points were simply that 1) I approach buying brushes from Lee (or anyone) differently, and 2) I wouldn't, myself, advise others that they should simply accept whatever Lee might have available to sell because he's some kind of genius and knows what's best for everyone. I don't believe that's the way Lee sees himself. And I also don't believe that's the way brushes work. Just my POV, though. It's all good.

 

[NSmalls]

I agree. If you are going to order from Lee it is probably best to ask for precisely what you want, and if he doesn't have that, then either meet somewhere in the middle or pass for the moment. I have a different approach then what I would expect most people to adopt around here.

I've gotten a chance to speak to him about my preferences, and I've let him know what I like in a brush, and what I don't like in a brush, and have even had an opportunity to mention specifically which brushes I did and didn't care for. So truthfully it is not a matter of just blind ordering, it's just that I trust him to remember what I like to a degree. It is not very often that I receive a brush from Lee and I am disappointed, so I think he is doing a good job to date.

In that conversation I detailed some of my preferences, densely packed, loft height of no more than 50mm regardless of knot diameter and lower than 50mm wherever possible, scrubby brush that is soft with no scritch. When I order from Lee I do not typically mention loft. Knotwise I usually specify diameter, and either 2-band, 3-band, or Finest. I really try not to get involved in the Blonde vs. Heritage debate, and I trust Lee on loft height.