I guess I have a few things to get rid of now, but I've finally settled on brushes that look good in the rack on the wall and work for my face. I don't like large rotations because they give me decision fatigue, so this is all the brushes I need to use.
They're all '50s vintage handles I picked up on eBay and reknotted, because I always had a taste for vintage over new. The two on the left are Catalin and the 500PB has butterscotched more than the 303, so it makes a nice gradient of color when they hang bristles-down on the wall. Too many brushes out there either have a sticker on them (I hate stickers) or printing that is upside down when hanging. I like this better. These have all had their original knots drilled out, cleaned, polished, and their debossed stampings filled with Testors gold enamel. Stamping quality was pretty variable - the Catalin 303 had the best one; the 500PB was stamped weakly and it was very hard to fill; the plastic 303 was stamped very deeply around the edges and weak in the center. I did the best that my patience would allow.
I like that the handles all speak the same design language, so they look great together, and I really prefer this handle style with the high waist and chunky bottom to other styles. Feels better in my hand.
The ivory 303 is hollow molded plastic, newer than the others. Interesting to me that it's the same model and stamp as the other cased brush even though the handle is totally different. Usually this handle is seen as a Made Rite 100 boar brush with a black bottom, but I wanted an all-ivory brush in this style and had to wait awhile for one to come up at a price I liked. I also have an identical all-ivory handle stamped with the name Rubberset 103, but it is in rough condition and I really wanted a Made Rite to match the others anyway.
All the knots came from Shave Forge, simply because I liked their prices and shipping speed on eBay (no connection to the company, just a satisfied customer.) They're all 20mm knots, because that is the size of the holes in the handles; I did not care to widen them because I don't prefer bigger brushes. They are installed with silicone to a loft of about 54mm. They all work very effectively. The 500PB has a super badger knot that blooms nicely and is nearly as soft as the synthetic in the ivory 303. The synth is a pretty nice knot with flagged and crimped fibers so it whips up a good lather. The Catalin 303 has a mixed badger-boar knot. It is considerably less poky than any pure badger knot I've ever used but you definitely feel that one when you're using it. They all have their purpose and I never have to use a damp brush.
Now we'll see how long this lasts before I get bored and want to do something else, but I'm very satisfied right now.
They're all '50s vintage handles I picked up on eBay and reknotted, because I always had a taste for vintage over new. The two on the left are Catalin and the 500PB has butterscotched more than the 303, so it makes a nice gradient of color when they hang bristles-down on the wall. Too many brushes out there either have a sticker on them (I hate stickers) or printing that is upside down when hanging. I like this better. These have all had their original knots drilled out, cleaned, polished, and their debossed stampings filled with Testors gold enamel. Stamping quality was pretty variable - the Catalin 303 had the best one; the 500PB was stamped weakly and it was very hard to fill; the plastic 303 was stamped very deeply around the edges and weak in the center. I did the best that my patience would allow.
I like that the handles all speak the same design language, so they look great together, and I really prefer this handle style with the high waist and chunky bottom to other styles. Feels better in my hand.
The ivory 303 is hollow molded plastic, newer than the others. Interesting to me that it's the same model and stamp as the other cased brush even though the handle is totally different. Usually this handle is seen as a Made Rite 100 boar brush with a black bottom, but I wanted an all-ivory brush in this style and had to wait awhile for one to come up at a price I liked. I also have an identical all-ivory handle stamped with the name Rubberset 103, but it is in rough condition and I really wanted a Made Rite to match the others anyway.
All the knots came from Shave Forge, simply because I liked their prices and shipping speed on eBay (no connection to the company, just a satisfied customer.) They're all 20mm knots, because that is the size of the holes in the handles; I did not care to widen them because I don't prefer bigger brushes. They are installed with silicone to a loft of about 54mm. They all work very effectively. The 500PB has a super badger knot that blooms nicely and is nearly as soft as the synthetic in the ivory 303. The synth is a pretty nice knot with flagged and crimped fibers so it whips up a good lather. The Catalin 303 has a mixed badger-boar knot. It is considerably less poky than any pure badger knot I've ever used but you definitely feel that one when you're using it. They all have their purpose and I never have to use a damp brush.
Now we'll see how long this lasts before I get bored and want to do something else, but I'm very satisfied right now.
