The Ralph Lauren dream brush is in hand. Knot prognosis: not good.

[Loric]

I think setting the knot is fairly easy, you just use 2 part epoxy form the hardware store. I have heard that some people pack the base to add wight or get the loft where they want it before they actually set it, but again I'm hardly the expert.

If the knot bed is shallow, I would really suggest having a knot custom made for you. Bernd at Shavemac could make something up at the right loft. Then you would just have to set it in and glue. There have to be other knot makers out there who could do it, I just dont know who else to point you to. Plus I love my Shavemacs so I dont feel the least bit worried about sending you in that direction.

At worst if the original knot is ruined, you could take it out before you choose what option to follow. Then see whats the best/cheapest option after that.

 

[Joe Edson]

If you are going to go with a TGN knot, I would get the new SuperSilvertip (listed under the silvertip section and not the super section) over the Silvertip Grade A.

I think this is the best knot Tony has available now. Really soft and if you set it low enough (I have mine set at 44-45mm) it gives it some backbone and density.

That said, having recently picked up a Shavemac Finest on BST, this knot blows anything from TGN out of the water IMO. Incredibly soft and the finest is one of shavemac's "lowest" grades of hair. I put that in quotations as Shavemac's finest hair is incredible.

Might be worth contacting Bernd about a quote for a knot.

 

[Loric]

Is that knot different than the other Super Silvertip knots listed on their own page? It is confusing to say the least, that they would be in two different sections.

 

[Joe Edson]

Is that knot different than the other Super Silvertip knots listed on their own page? It is confusing to say the least, that they would be in two different sections.

It is the last knot on this page under the silvertip section:

http://www.thegoldennib.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=9_42

Confusing to say the least. Should be called something like silvertip grade AA or something...

 

[Loric]

On closer inspection one is labeled Super Badger, and the other higher grade is Super Silvertip. The names are tricky! I just wish the had the Super Silvertip in a bigger knot, but for our state mission 22mm is perfect.

 

[_MementoMori_]

Thanks for letting me know about that knot, Joe. I had no idea it existed.

If I wanted to go with a Shavemac knot, does anyone know how I'd go about that? I can't find anywhere on the Shavemac website that lets you just buy a knot...

 

[dpm802]

Can you post some pics or provide a link to show us what it looks like?

I went looking around, and I only found one RL brush ... it was a sterling silver travel brush ... Is that the one you got?

 

[_MementoMori_]

Yep, here you go.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290483321401&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

And here are some pics I took when I received it:

 

[Austin]

Thanks for letting me know about that knot, Joe. I had no idea it existed.

If I wanted to go with a Shavemac knot, does anyone know how I'd go about that? I can't find anywhere on the Shavemac website that lets you just buy a knot...

I don't think Bernd sells knots by themselves. You will need to send your brush to Bernd and he will install the knot. Contact him here:

http://www.shavemac.com/shop/content/Contact.html

 

[mretzloff]

I don't think Bernd sells knots by themselves. You will need to send your brush to Bernd and he will install the knot. Contact him here:

http://www.shavemac.com/shop/content/Contact.html

Rudy Vey was able to get a knot by itself from him, but I am sure that does not happen often. Plus, I would feel more comfortable if a professional was doing it for me (I am not saying that Rudy is not because he is, but that I am not).

 

[Rudy Vey]

Rudy Vey was able to get a knot by itself from him, but I am sure that does not happen often. Plus, I would feel more comfortable if a professional was doing it for me (I am not saying that Rudy is not because he is, but that I am not).

I do buy a few knots from Bernd, right now three are on the way to me.
The great thing with these knots is that they are exactly made to specs.

 

[Loric]

That is one pretty brush... even when shedding.

Thanks for letting me know about that knot, Joe. I had no idea it existed.

If I wanted to go with a Shavemac knot, does anyone know how I'd go about that? I can't find anywhere on the Shavemac website that lets you just buy a knot...

You can email them on the contact page on the web sight. Both times I placed custom orders I started there. The worst that can happen is they tell you they will only restore the brush if you send it to them. Though I doubt that would be the case as I can recall the Rudy Vie and a BST brush that both calmed to be reknoted with Shavemac knots.

 

[Hex]

Memento, I give up.

These new pictures really show him off in his true beauty.

A fine brush indeed sir, and well bought.

 

[ambrose]

I do buy a few knots from Bernd, right now three are on the way to me.
The great thing with these knots is that they are exactly made to specs.

+1

I bought one recently from Bernd and had it sent to Rudy. Full custom and premium quality well worth the $$

 

[filedog]

One caveat about the TGN knots. Say your brush IS deep enough to set the new knot at the depth you want. You MAY then need to "open up" the throat, or top of the opening, to accommodate the width of the knot. In other words, if you set it deep, the part of the knot that is NOW at the opening of the handle is WIDER than the quoted width of the knot. I had to do this on mine, wasn't hard, I used a mini sanding wheel on my dremel, and went slowly. With a METAL handle however, it might be a horse of a different color. If this is a) your first restoration b) you are not that comfortable with doing the work and c) you really like the handle, my vote is to send it to Rudy!

 

[pdmcadams]

Did you get that off eBay recently? I was selfishly thinking about picking up a second one to put in a black badger knot but lost track of the auction. Good for you! I think you saw prophetic_joe's pics of the restore he did for me on the same brush... He used a 22 mm knot, Finest, from TGN. I'm really happy with it -- took a few weeks to break in, though, so it really starts to perform well after a break in period. PM him if you want someone to do the restore for you. His price was more than fair! Enjoy!

 

[_MementoMori_]

Did you get that off eBay recently? I was selfishly thinking about picking up a second one to put in a black badger knot but lost track of the auction. Good for you! I think you saw prophetic_joe's pics of the restore he did for me on the same brush... He used a 22 mm knot, Finest, from TGN. I'm really happy with it -- took a few weeks to break in, though, so it really starts to perform well after a break in period. PM him if you want someone to do the restore for you. His price was more than fair! Enjoy!

I sure did. And you're absolutely right; I fell in love with this brush when Prophetic Joe posted his restore a few months ago. And... I'm also going to put a black badger knot into it! Crazy coincidences here. I've done a restore on an Old Spice brush with the TGN 22mm Finest knot. Now that I know the black badger knot should fit in this handle, I'm going to order it today. I'll post pics, of course, after the restore is completed.

 

[pdmcadams]

Nice -- can't wait to see the pics. I have picked up a few Ever Ready, etc. handles off eBay to restore, mostly to be able to find an aesthetic place to put a black badger knot. I think the pewter/black badger will be a great looking combo.

I think the vintage of the handle is mid-late 80's, whenever Safari was RL's big fragrance. I bought mine new. Can't quite remember when or where, but I think it was somewhere like Macy's or Bloomingdale's. I have the mug and the brush. If I recall, there was a comb that had tortoise shell teeth and a pewter body. Might have been a hair brush, maybe a tray or mirror, too. Didn't pick up any of the other items, though, although now I sort of wish I had the lot...

Cheers!

 

[Voll]

... Its just something to take into consideration that the hole for the knot might not be that deep on this brush. It could also be very deep too, who knows.
...

I restored a pewter RL brush with a silvertip from TGN. The hole was quite a bit deeper than the base of the knot so I used a slice of synthetic "cork" from a wine bottle to "lift" the knot. It was exactly the same diameter as the base of the knot, which was convenient, and the two-pack epoxy I used is still holding everything together after 18 months usage.

 

[Voll]

pdmcadams: my set was bought in October 1993.