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Paladin Pickle Barrel

ChiefBroom

No tattoo mistakes!
The purpose of this thread is to serve as a place for friends of Dark Holler Design Works and Paladin Shaving to drop in and shoot the breeze about anything and everything within bounds of the Badger & Blade Terms of Usage. It doesn't matter whether you own a Paladin shaving brush or intend ever to own one, as long as you're not here to 2) disparage us, our products, or how we go about making and offering them, 2) disparage anyone else, or 3) promote someone else's products.

I wouldn't trade what I'm doing right now for anything, but I miss the sense of engagement and camaraderie I had on B&B before pinning on a Vendor badge. The fact is, I've never been comfortable being labeled as a "vendor". In my mind, there's a significant distinction between product vendors and a makers. But I respect and appreciate the rules that apply to vendors and makers alike on B&B. They exist for good reasons. That said, those rules unavoidably inhibit free-wheeling, even if good-natured, discussion between vendors and other members of the B&B community. It's my hope that maybe we can have some of that here.

We'll see!
 

captp

Pretty Pink Fairy Princess.
I've loved my Simpson and Rooney brushes for years. They were my most often used brushes. I'm not going to dump them, but since early January of this year, when I got my first Paladin, a PK-47, I used that and my second Paladin, an El Dorado, exclusively. Until I got my latest RV (are we allowed to mention your rivals?), a Persian Jar with his Manchurian Knot. I consider this to be equal, but not superior to your Select Badger knots. I have purchased a total of 12 of your brushes. I've given 4 away in a super secret PIF, and put up 3 for the Auction, with another 1 or 2 possibly going There, especially if I can get one or two in Wednesday's release.

All in all, I have to rate your brushes at the very top of the brush world available now.

I actually managed to convert a couple of doubters, who, like me originally, thought it was a lot of hype over a new brush.

I wish you all the best in marketing Paladin to the world
 
As you know Ken, my first Paladin was on the Sue Auction last year. Since then three more have entered my den.

There seems to be a lot of new interest in synthetic brushes. Do you see coming up with a synthetic knot in the future?
 

ChiefBroom

No tattoo mistakes!
As you know Ken, my first Paladin was on the Sue Auction last year. Since then three more have entered my den.

There seems to be a lot of new interest in synthetic brushes. Do you see coming up with a synthetic knot in the future?

Thanks for your patience, Jim.

With regard to synthetics, I have an open mind wouldn't say there's presently any vision to offer Paladin brushes with synthetic knots.

There are basically two reasons we haven't made any so far.

1) When I say "our purpose is to create and offer to the wet-shaving community products of the kind and quality we want for ourselves," we mean it. I've tried brushes with boar, horse, and synthetic knots. I've never knocked any of them, but they have never made it happen for me.

2) This is a little awkward to say but true. The economics of synthetic brushes haven't been attractive. The biggest components of cost in our brushes are investment in the shop (which is a completely different animal than the typical wood-turner's shop) and the time we put into making them. I don't expect the market would accept pricing for synthetic brushes at a level supporting what we need to get back for the time (ours and our machines') we'd put into them (although that might be a little less for prepping and setting synthetic knots). My mind is open, though.

I've loved my Simpson and Rooney brushes for years. They were my most often used brushes. I'm not going to dump them, but since early January of this year, when I got my first Paladin, a PK-47, I used that and my second Paladin, an El Dorado, exclusively. Until I got my latest RV (are we allowed to mention your rivals?), a Persian Jar with his Manchurian Knot. I consider this to be equal, but not superior to your Select Badger knots. I have purchased a total of 12 of your brushes. I've given 4 away in a super secret PIF, and put up 3 for the Auction, with another 1 or 2 possibly going There, especially if I can get one or two in Wednesday's release.

All in all, I have to rate your brushes at the very top of the brush world available now.

I actually managed to convert a couple of doubters, who, like me originally, thought it was a lot of hype over a new brush.

I wish you all the best in marketing Paladin to the world

Thanks for the kind words. Rudy himself has posted into our forum with reference to his brushes, so I don't think there should be any issue with your mentioning him. I just don't want discussion here to spin off into rival-bashing.

Besides, the truth is I don't regard Rudy as a rival.

FWIW, Simpson's Manchurian (specifically the hair in a T3 I have from 2011-2012) has always stood as a benchmark of quality for me.

Great Brushes, great Family, great to do business with , I have three so far and more to come I am sure.

Thanks!
 

ChiefBroom

No tattoo mistakes!
Here's one for the Barrel. This photo and another one I dropped into the Announcements thread last night are the first two public posts of handles made from new material we have in the works. All-in cost to us is about 3.5-4X that of polyester. And we have to order it in whole-batch quantities. So price will need to reflect that to some extent. But it's stunning. And it will be exclusively a Paladin offering.

Cleo-in-Neptune-Back.jpg
 
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Well at the beginning of 2017 I told my wife to expect a few big purchases. A Timeless Razor and a Paladin brush. With the birth of my daughter this year getting the Paladin has sadly not happened yet. I expect it to happen soon!
 
Ok, my ancient Egyptian Cartouche interpretation skills are a little rusty, but I'll give it a shot.

1st brush:
"My Schnauzer took a wrong turn fetching my straight razor, and a bird in the hand is worth a bird."

2nd brush:
This one is more difficult. Of course we see the ancient symbols for DE and straight razor. The middle line is somewhat mysterious. Possibly "Prince lives" given The Purple One's affinity for symbols, and the bird representing the spirit realm. The last line is obviously "By hook or by crook". With a paddle strop thrown in for good measure.

The new material is gorgeous!

Any other amateur Egyptologist's going to give Cartouche interpretation a shot?
 

ChiefBroom

No tattoo mistakes!
I must Ask Ken, when will these possibly be available? they are stunning

Fairly soon. But so far I've only turned 3 or 4 of each material (Harlequin, Graphite, and Neptune) in 26 mm Cleos and Tuts. That's what's usually in a batch of whatever materials I include. Right now I'm turning 26 and 28 mm Falstaffs. The new rod we have on hand is about 42 mm in diameter, which isn't large enough for any of our 28 mm handles except the Chief.

I have an order for larger rod in two of these materials and two other new ones (same stuff and also exclusive), but don't expect to have it delivered before early October since Italy (where it's made) pretty much shuts down in August.

These materials are produced by different methods than any of our standard stock. It's first poured into square sheets of a given thickness, left to cure for some time, then cut into bars, and finally rectified (turned down into round rod). Overall, it's a significantly longer process.
 
Wonderful!!, I have just added you as a signer to my checking account, LOL looking forward to a tut and a cleo in these
 
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