Excellent review. These seem to be great brushes.
My new Alpha T-400 Brush! (A Rubberset 400 tribute)
- Thread starter EB Newfarm
- Start date
Sorry I didn't know you were a member when I was corresponding with you, Steve! It's great to see another B&B brother with great products. I'm looking forward to this brush...
- Thread starter
- #24
EB Newfarm
Cane? I'm Able!
I have been using mine quite a bit for the last few weeks and the thing that stands out is the quality of the machining. I have been rotating through the different knots and ferrules that I got and one aspect really stands out. An original Rubberset 400 all shined up is a wonder to behold, especially considering how old they are, but the T-400 has a feel to it, with the threads and overall construction, that exudes quality and exact manufacturing. The T-400, much like the Rubberset 400, is going to last for generations. An original R-400 would have benefitted from a few more threads. The T-400 has them to spare. 50 years from now, someone will really appreciate the threaded stopper at the base when setting their new knot. 100 years from now, when someone finds the handle in a landfill or in the backyard, it will shine right up with a little sanding and polish.
Beautiful & flattering words for my creation - I am humbled.
Well I've had mine for about a week. Got a 24 and a 26 badger. Steve is awesome to deal, could not ask for an easier transaction. The craftsmanship, fit and finish are too notch. Beautiful milling. Love the amount of threading on the handle. The solid handle has such a great feel, a hollow handle just could not compare. The badger is excellent, as mentioned before not as much backbone as my Simpson but still great. This one will be here for the duration. I'll post photos later.
Look up Steve Tinter online or Alpha on Etsy.
Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk
Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk
Thanks @GreazyThumbs
I do prefer to be contacted directly not ETSY if poss. - they are bloodsuckers...
It’s good to be reminded of this, Steve. I didn’t think of the middleman when I ordered from you. I’ll remember next time!
Got photos yet?
Found a knot yet?
Steve, I had planned to wait a spell, but I went ahead and sent it off to Declaration for a B6 knot. Should have it in a week or two. I'll post a photo when I get it. Thanks again for a beautiful handle.
- Thread starter
- #35
EB Newfarm
Cane? I'm Able!
Just got the new improved boar today and ran it through some soaps to get the break-in started. The brush is much taller and feels like a classic omega boar in every way. It is really fun to have a brush where you can switch out so many knots so easily. I like to think that 100 years from now, someone is going to polish this brush up and be all geeked out about bringing it back to life!
Steve's customer service is top-notch.
Scott, did you get your B6 knot? Can you post a photo? I figure that has got to be as close to perfection as you can get!
Steve's customer service is top-notch.
Scott, did you get your B6 knot? Can you post a photo? I figure that has got to be as close to perfection as you can get!
I do my best - I realised early on that the original boars were not up to snuff. Everyone who bought a boar forst time now has the improved one, free of charge.
I am having a Black Friday sale on ETSY NEXT WEEK FROM 22ND - get yourself a T-400 at a bargain price!! 2-day sale only. Comes with a silver tip AND an extra ferrule. You won't regret it.
Steve! Looks like I found an itch that can be scratched...at JUST the right moment!
You can make up the Black Friday sale bargain and MORE from a B.A.D. guy like me in no time....
Ready? - - I'll take the silvertip and extra ferrule with a T-400 no problem...and I'd like to ask you if you will make a custom knot...a mythical unicorn if you will...The Tri-Blend Brush...33% Boar, 33% Horse, and 33% Finest Badger.
There's a caveat - I've been in lust for the ORIGINAL boar length bristled brushes, but no one makes their boars that long anymore (with the OmegaPro48 as the exception)...hence I found a vintage boar from Ever-Ready that went the opposite way. The handle is short but a duplicate in style to the long barbershop boar handles(a plus for style in my book), but the boar bristles are SHORT - as short as some badgers, hmmm even shorter. Then came a Strong-Set with the identical handle and longer boar bristles...but still I wasn't satisfied. Now horse hair - thank the Maker for reviving this option post-Anthrax scare...enter Epsilon and their amazing 26mm fan top mane/tail combo knots. "Chubby-esque" resin handle, but WOW - by itself horse is a great middle of the road type of hair, blending qualities and attributes from badger and boar, slightly better than the Omega mixed badger/boar options.
Will you make a knot out of all three hairs? - - I know you are aware of the Omega Pro48's bristle length is unmatchable...but horse hair can get that long, and I imagine there's got to be SOMEWHERE that still sources LONG badger hair. If not, the 50% LONG boar and 50%(65%mane/35%tail) horse hair would really create a vintage style to the T-400's vintage style to match. It would be long, that's an achievement in and of itself...the horse/boar blend - another first, fan topped cut to match the vintage of the original boars in barbershops, and beefy thick - 26 or 28mm for that "simpson wall of badger" feel to the backbone.
Does this li'l project sound of any interest to you?
Well I like the project but that is not going to happen this year I am just too busy. But... and here it goes - I am in possession of a boar hair knot with 80mm length right now although it is not flat topped, but nice all the same... but that is not all: I chatted with one of my knot guys this VERY MORNING and he is making me 20 boar knots, 24mm diameter and a flat top. He said they will be 76-78mm loft. That is very close to the original ones in the Rubbersets. I will have those in 10 days or so as I paid for them today.
I love the sound of the blend knot you detailed above and I will certainly get a few of those made if I possibly can. Consider the project accepted but I need to warn you getting small batch specials is not cheap. I mean not lottery numbers but certainly more expensive than "normal".
I will PM you with the details on the other matter as I don't want to clog up the forum with my sales!!!
Can I buy the T-400 ferrule knot in THAT style as you've described, along with my order for the Black Friday sale?
Check your PM. I proposed something to you but again I don't want to log the thread with my sales!!
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