I feel it is just meant to be admired. If you want to use it, I would recommend changing out the knot for something better.
It looks like Antique Roadshow does have a number of silver appraisers. I just gotta catch them when they come near my town. Antique Roadshow Silver Appraiser List
I used the brush for this morning's shave. I'm not a germaphobe but I did give it two thorough washings before use just to be on the safe side. When applying the lather I noticed it had a "gamey" smell like a new badger brush gets. Opposite of a pleasant aroma. I'm wondering if it was actually it's maiden voyage. The brush did it's job fine. A little scritchier than I would have thought for a badger, but nice nonetheless. Easy to hold and work with. With it wet it went back into the holder pretty easy since the hair was all bunched together. We'll see how it looks when it dries. I'm sure it will be fine. I don't plan on using it again. I'm glad I did, mind you, but I don't want to put it in the rotation. It was ok but not so outstanding I would rush to do it again.
Were you able to set it into the stand bristle up? Most have a flat surface on the bottom to set it down on while full of lather, i thought from the pics you could set it in the stand upside down. Still very cool set, i have gotten vintage brushes that we're never used, they all smelled of wet dog(badger anyway), some of the boars were worse (maybe wet dog rolled in old pork rinds)
Yep, it stands nicely in the stand bristles up. You can actually rotate it fully around once the side pins are sitting in their respective grooves.
I wondered what you meant by that. I don't see a little dude on the inside of the stand. I went back to the original pictures and I assume you mean this: Creepy. I think it was just a trick of the light at a certain angle.
For those who remember my little story of this brush... I have an update. I now know it's story and age. It's a sterling silver copy of a one-of-a-kind 14k gold promotional brush. It sold for $400 in 1947.
I'm wondering where the gold original got to. Hmm... Sherman, set the Wayback machine for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May, 1947! BTW, I love the quote in that second article: "No woman today goes for a guy with a beaver."
I must say this one has been quite rewarding. I'm not going to wet the brush again. Knowing it's history and that right now it's 71 years old is just awesome. What a wonderful research project that finally came together. It's going into the safe tonight to be appreciated only on occasion so that I don't take it for granted.