Found this at an Antique store. It's natural hair I guess boar. Real soft tips. but the strange thing is the loft is backwards there is a hole in the middle sorta kinda. Notice the loft looks flat. Thats because it's been cut down in the center. notice here. The concave in the loft (or rather unloft) goes about half way down. It appears to have been cut out. But if it was cut it was done very well. Very even and the scoop shape is quite uniform. Thats why I second guessed myself when I just assumed it was some guy at home with scissors. It's an Omega, at least the handle is Omega. Bottom reads "Omega made in Italy Bologna" It's my guess that this was the work of a Do It Yourselfer who thought he had a great idea. Though I was wondering if Omega, or any brush maker, made/makes brushes like this? I've never seen any like this before. My fantasy is that I have one of the only remaining Omega prototypes for a abandon brush design. But back to reality. It works pretty well. Better then I expected. I'm assuming the design is to hold a ball lather in the center. Also the tips are soft but center is tougher and really grabs the soap off the puck for you. Shame the hair has seen better days but it still preforms quite well. The design actually kinda really works. If I knew how to make brush knots and had wild boar anywhere near me I might try to copy the design. Any one ever seen a brush like that before? This post is two for one today. I recently turned a brush handle/ But grossly underestimated the size of the Golden Nib 28 mm knot... so my handle didn't quite work out. Had a tough time finding turnable wood and a lathe to use to make something big enough. Well I went and got some conventional oven fireable clay and went to town. It may be a little ugly but I tell yah it works great. I shaped the handle to fit my exact grip and size of my hands. OH SO comfortable when whipping up lather, no cramps could go all day. Looks kinda modern arty. I ought to sand it a little and add a clear coat.
Nice score on the old Omega. My first impression was that it was a candidate for a re-knot and that may still be the case. However your impressions may also be the case and as long as it's working satisfactorily for you that's great. I'd be the last to say that your home made brush handle is ugly. I think it looks fine and commend you for your ingenuity in material selection and design. There are several reasons why someone may be unable to grip a brush in a typical manner...Carpal Tunnel and Arthritis come to mind as I have both but have no trouble with brush control. I'm unfamiliar with the material you used but strongly suggest you seal it well. Too bad you couldn't find a lathe and tools to use but if you're ever near central Wisconsin, stop in and we'll turn some brush handles. I must warn you, however, woodturning is a slippery slope and another form of AD. Cyril
Although a lot of boar knots look like than when they get wet (the bristle may clump together in the form of a tube, and this is normal) when they are dry, they should not. In the past, I have had brushes like this, which were the result of a crack in the knot, and a substantial tuft of bristle falling out of the center, and if I had to guess, this is what you're seeing here.
This is an old and longtime used brush, therefore, the bristle is missing in the middle. Many of the old brushes I have restored show the same effect: hair loss in the middle.
Turnz2 I will remember that. Also I already know about the turning AD I have been pricing lathes already. Maybe after med bills get paid off. I see what you guys mean. I spent a lot of time in antique stores recently looking at old shaving stuff, as I have just recently started wet shaving. Plenty of brushes I've seen have been thinned out in the middle. But this guy is different. It seems quite intentional. The middle is still thick and full of hair, just trimmed down hair, in a very neat half sphere. That's why I thought it was an old timer trick or something of the like. Anyone know or hear of trimming your brush like this.
I have heard of old timers cutting the boar flat so that they can get a stiffer brush out of it, some don't like split tips. But thin out the middle on purpose, no.
I have a vintage ever ready pure badger that is like that. it works just fine so I have not worried about a re knot... the center hairs look like they were just cut short.. or broke off.. there is still parts of the hair left. just a lot shorter like in the picture up there. Fuzzy
