Which Vintage Brush to Re-Knot

[Dirty Harry]

I've had these 3 vintage brushes in my den for a while. They are usually bycatch while purchasing razors. Didn't give them much thought. All seem to shed a lot.

The white Ever Ready Badger has a two piece handle (?) and it looks like it is made of nylon.

The Butterscotch Made Rite is nice and the handle seems like a nice weight.

The red/white Made Rite Bristle (boar?) is also a nylon 2 piece.

I've done one reknot before and I'd like to try another.

Which one is the best candidate?

Any vintage Brush folks here?

Dirty

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

I'd opt for the butterscotch Made Rite. I think it looks the best of the three, and I've found that good, solid handles are easiest to work with when doing a re-knot.

 

[Big Jim]

I agree. In my opinion it is not only the best looking, it is also the one that is probably the easiest to work with.

 

[Dirty Harry]

Well we are all of the same mind. After looking at them, I think the Made Rite is the best quality. It has a nice look and weight to it. This AM I drilled out the old knot and then ordered a 20mm badger knot. I used a 3/4" forester bit and pretty much nailed it. I was on center and it got out most if not all of the old knot. The cavity measures less than 20mm so I may need to do some more work once I get the new knot. I'll circle back with the results after I get it done.

Dirty

 

[ajkel64]

I think the Butterscotch is the go. It is a nice looking handle.

 

[Beefdrippings]

Butterscotch, white, then red/white would be my order of preference

 

[BobbyB]

With my arthritic fingers, I would go with the white handle, to make gripping easier.

 

[BigJ]

Another vote for the butterscotch!! Lovely brush that I would redo with a badger knot.

 

[Dirty Harry]

Well its done and I'm quite happy with the results.

Butterscotch Made-Rite 600 that has been fitted with a 20mm/63/mm 2 band badger from Shave Forge.

It is resting comfortably in the den for a few days to ensure the epoxy is setup correctly. As you can see the, 1958 D3 Executive FB is eager to get in on the first shave.

Oddly enough, if you look at the before and after the brush doesn't look any different.

This is my second re-knot and I've enjoyed it. I may try to find some good candidates again and try my hand.

I did encounter a few issues. This was a 20mm and the closest I had was a 3/4" Forstner bit. It got the old knot out but it left around 1mm of handle material to remove. I did that with a small mill on a Dremel.

My process was to:

1. Cut off old hair.
2. Carefully clamp the handle and mount and center on my drill press that I just restored (1948 Craftsman 100 Floor model if anyones interested).
3. Drill out the material (stinky).

Do people invest in metric forester bits? Is there a better bit or method for the clean out?

Clamping methods that aren't to damaging? I wrapped the handle in some 1/16" Neoprene and clamped it in a joregnson hand clamp and then clamped that to the drill press. I don't have a drill press vise. I'm looking.

I'd like to get some comments from other brush restorers/collectors. I did some research hear and found the brush compendium but I couldn't find Made-rite in the listing.

Are there any other sites/links or even forums here or elsewhere where I could get and education?

Thanks

Dirty

 

[Big Jim]

Looks great. Congratulations.

The tool you need to clean out the hole is a sanding disc attachment for your Dremel. I recommend the mildest grit. The same tool can also be used to enlarge a hole for a larger knot. Even when you think you have the right knot, you may still need to open up the hole a little . . . or sometimes a lot. I have opened up a 22 mm hole to accept a 26 mm knot.

 

[Calyshaver]

Congratulations on a great restore. That brush looks great. What a totally fun and satisfying project. Makes me want to find a brush to restore!

 

[Dirty Harry]

Thanks all,
How much room should the socket be over sized to fit the knot? Just enough to allow some adhesive to squeeze up I assume.


Dirty

 

[Calyshaver]

If I was doing a restore (I have absolutely no experience or knowledge mind you) I would make the socket only big enough to have the knot slide in and out with normal force. Meaning, it could not drop in unhindered, I would have to slightly push it down as the hairs form resistance even though I would have tied them up with a string. The epoxy will take care of sealing the bottom with a little creep up the side.

 

[Big Jim]

Thanks all,
How much room should the socket be over sized to fit the knot? Just enough to allow some adhesive to squeeze up I assume.


Dirty

There is a sub forum below this one that deals with brush making and restoring. There are pinned articles providing how to instructions that you would likely find very helpful.

If I am fitting a knot to a handle I have found a Dremell Drum Sander to be the best tool to fit the handle to the knot. Keep in mind that the widest part is a little above the base disc, in the area I call the swell. It is usually about three to four mm above the upper part of the disc. You need enough room for the swell to easily slide in or a little more.

 

[Dirty Harry]

For some reason I have overlooked that subform until a few days ago.

The Ever Ready sticky has something called a "Massive Ever Ready Spreadsheet" but the link is dead and the author hasn't been active since 2012.

The Rubberset sticky is just people chiming in with what model they have.

Did anyone capture the "Massive Spreadsheet" that you'd care to share?

Anyone compiling all of this info in an accessible format?

I have been to the OSSB website.

In the main Brush Compendium I don't see a listing for Made-Rite Brushes.

Just sayin'

Dirty

 

[Timor1322]

An Excelent Job, Congrats!!!!