I've officially arrived. Earlier today I received my package from Steve @Vlasta. The T-400 is a faithful reproduction of the iconic Rubberset 400. Having once owned an R-400 I'd even say it's an improvement on the original product. Higher quality metal & solid instead of cast and hollow. I didn't put it to the calipers after an ARKO defunk lathering because I was too distracted by the other brush. Hunka hunka Chubby! The knot was compressed with an O-ring and wrapped well for the long trip from Hong Kong to Louisiana. After rinsing out the lemon scented soap I have both brushes a shake & sling drying. Are we calling the Big Red in silver The King? Works for me cause this guy it the fat man in my den. It measures in at 34mm diameter by 55mm loft. This is going to be fun!
Enjoy both the brushes Rick, you deserve them. The back story for the other Chub Club members. I started a private chat group to discuss these brushes in April 2018 and eventually matured the designs through to production, in the mean time becoming a vendor on TSD. All this with Rick's sage guidance. I sent him this happy-pack as a little thank you. The Rubberset type brush is based on the drawings by Tom White with my own little tweaks and strokes - thanks to Tom for the great baseline. The other "King of Chub" with a 28mm HMW - is all mine. The very first brush that I have designed from a blank sheet of paper. Along the way I learned how to use CAD and to communicate with the machine shop in a language they understand. I didn't speak a word of machine-shop until I started this project. Now guys - The chubby brushes are great and keep up the pics and chat about the Chub Club. I don't want and never did want this Chub Club to be a fan page for my brushes - I am however very VERY happy that the people who have my brushes feel proud enough of them to show them off here and elsewhere. My next chub post - will have a 30mm synthetic knot. It will be about 10 days. Meantime keep those chubs coming!!
This Panta Rei brush is a beast and the largest in my den Here it is with the rest of the Chubs in my den. The New Forest Tubby 2’s (front row) are similar to the Simpson Chubby 2.
I was thinking - on the subject of having a balanced universe that where The Chub exists there must also exist a balancing Anti-Chub... I had no idea just how small the Wee Scot brush actually was until I bought one on a whim...
SOTD Stirling September 19th Razor: RazoRock Game Changer .84-P Blade: Gillette 7 O'Clock Permasharp Stainless Brush: Doug Korn Stubby (35mm, Carrier Class) Soap: Stirling Pumpkin Spice AS: Stirling Glacial Unscented PSB
SOTD Stirling September 21st SEptember detour #2 Stirling Mentholated Pre-Shave Soap RazoRock Game Changer .84mm Gillette 7 O'Clock Permasharp Stainless(2) Yaqi Red Marble Tuxedo (28mm, Destroyer Class) Stirling Vanilla Sandalwood Drydock Lather Bowl Jeeves of Hudson Street 'Blood on Steel'
This is The Chub Club. Of course you should. I'm new to the big diameter badger world. For those with experience at successfully generating and applying lather using them I ask for tips, tricks, or your procedures to help me improve mine. Most of my lathers have been with boar bristle using 25-27mm diameter fairly high lofted brushes. These work well for me on most any soap from creams, through semi-soft, into quintuple milled hard soaps. I've also had good success with synthetics like the Tuxedo knot. My previous badgers are relegated to creams for the most part. Boar & Synth load & lather easily. Not so for Badger. Being a Bloomer (hydrating the puck before loading) when relatively dry soaps are on deck, loading heavily without miserly concern for left over lather down the drain, I've still had issues with our friend the big ole badger brush. I'm somewhat concerned about doing damage to the knot by swirling while loading. Don't want knots in my knots, right? I've tried "choking up" on the knot - grabbing above the handle to hold the flexible hairs to facilitate the process. I'm still getting less than decadent lathers. At times I chafe inwardly that I'm missing out on some essential experience enjoyed by Badger Lovers. Terms like "Flow Through" & "Lather Hog" come up in my research. The fix ranges from getting passed the break in by removing the badger oils which defeat any soap I load, to just simply expecting a fat knot to needing more (and wasting more -but I'm OK with that!) soap. Humm?
First of all do you bloom your soap? if yes then that's good if no then you need to do so. I usually bloom mine with as hot a tap water as I can for at least 5 minutes before I start to make my lather. I lightly swirl the bush in the water against the soap and then use the water to rub on my face. Then I pour out the remainder and swirl gently on the puck. Depending on the hardness of your soap it may require more or less bloom time. You will have to experiment to see. Now to lather do you bowl or face lather? This again will play into what kind of lather you get and depending on your soap will tell you which one you need to do. Some soaps do fine either way while others need to be built in a bowl or at least your palm to produce the right lather. Other you can just swirl on the soap and go strait to your face and build it there. As for as getting knots in your knots I guess I'm lucky I have not experienced anything like that. and don't really worry about it. I honestly don't know if I have ever got knots in my knots but have never found any especially after I have cleaned them out. I squeeze the soap out of mine then run it under warm water and run the knot around in my palm and then through my fingers. I then press it in a towel to get most of the water out and swirl it on the towel and set it knot up on my sink to dry. some may say this will damage the knot, but I still have my first silver tip badger I got almost 3 years ago, I use a lot and it is still in great condition. Take all this with a gain of salt and find what works best for you. This is just what I have done and it works for me. As always YMMV
Unfortunately mate I've come across the same issue. They just need tonnes of soap to lather well. Although the hairs are soft and luxurious on my Silvertip Maseto, without overloading the brush lather can be quite wet sometimes. Guess the brush just holds tonnes of water.