I had a request for a brush with a handle made from real, pre-ban, Ivory. The customer supplied the knot (he had it made to a special size). I was quite scared to turn such an expensive material, but I must say I am happy with the outcome. This material turns very, very nicely and shines up well, too. The only part of the process I was real afraid of was the drilling of the holes and the tapping of the mandrel hole, but it went well. The close-up shots show the ivory structure very good. The brush handle is approx 2 inches high and the knot is 24 mm Silvertip.
Very nicely done, Rudy. Gotta love that grain structure. What a treat it must have been to work with such a special material.
Really nice Job , Ivory sure ain't a cheap material to work with - even here in Thailand where it can still be purchased legally A blank big enough to turn a brush from would still cost around $300.
Rudy is very proud of his work on this one, as he should be. THAT, folks, is a masterpiece. BRAVO!!! :happy023
It turns actually very nice, much easier that I thought. The big problem with working ivory (so I was told) is pressure combined with heat - so the drilling is the big problem. I did go very easy with this part and was really afraid when doing the big hole for the knot, I kept the bit cool by backing out often and let it cool by sucking air over the bit with my shop vac.
WOW!!! I am the proud owner of this, the Single Greatest Shaving Brush Ever Made, and my son and I will both use it with great joy for the rest of our days. Thanks, Rudy! You're the MAN! RUN, don't walk, to Rudy if you need any and all brush work done.
That brush is something that will always gain in value excellent work now alls you need is a set of scales for a straight razor to have a matching set.Congrats is all I have to say.
I can personally attest to the difficulty of turning any type of bone, especially something so expensive. The work this guy above did is marvelous!! Kudos Dude!!
