As some of you may know, I have been turning brushes for a while. Granted, I have really only made a dozen or so, each one was a different handle design. The wood I have used from the beginning has been Lignum Vitae. You can find various types of LV, mostly a variety commonly referred to as "Argentine LV". The species that I use is the real deal though, Guaiacum officinale. It is known as among the hardest types of wood on the planet, and it has natural properties that make it impervious to water damage, so no added finish (laquor or varnish) is needed. The only real downside is that it is so darn expensive to get the good stuff (no sapwood or checks) Anyway, through plain ole' trial and error, I have finally decided to stick with the design shown below. It is simple, elegant, and above all, ergonomic. The luster that shows up in the pictures is attained naturally, through simply polishing the wood with a rag so that the woods ample natural oils shine through. So here is the brush that I will be making from now on. Please comment, critique, and otherwise so I know what the general consensus is on this brush, and I will know if I need to order more wood to turn some brushes for the members of TSD!! .......................................................
Funny, my wife and I were just talking about that. She wanted to see how I was doing with my dads $1000 brush!! It is nearly completed, but unless you have ever made a brush out of a $1000 piece of bone, you cannot grasp how tedious each step is. I have decided to unveil it on Christmas Day, so long as I do not break it before then.
Once I have made enough to actually list on TSD, the price will depend on what know you want. I have a nice range from 20mm silvertip to 24mm silvertip. I might even still have a few 22mm finest left somewhere. The wood alone, you must understand is very expensive and hard to aquire. That alone makes these brushes quite unique, and a bit more costly for me to make. Plus, it is extremely hard on tools, and the cutting knives for my lathe need constant sharpening. Sometimes I wonder why I had to choose LV as my wood of choice. When I have more made, I will post here again, and you can shoot me a PM about them.
that looks.....fantastic. very nice. looks vintage too. very nice work. and how do you get the hairs to stay? iv wanted to know how they do that but was never able to find out how it is done. but very nice work. hope you keep it up. one other thing....have you thought about using bloodwood? or amboyna burl? the bloodwood looks really nice. dont think its as good as LV as far as water resistant and all that but it also gets a very nice finish on it. it also gets darker as it ages. but....the amboyna burl......that looks fantastic. again....probably not the best wood to use but it looks fantastic.
Turn baby, TURN! Nice handle, hope the bottom is "polished" as well... Experiment with more handle designs! If you could come up with that design, im sure you'll be able to dream of more fantastic original designs too! Looking forward to more of your turnings!
Since you asked, I would put a larger radius on the top edge, it would better match the curve into the waist and make the top look less chunky.
