For a long time now I've wanted a Rubberset 400 brush.
Loved the design of the handle and it looks just amazing, to me, when re-knotted.

So, last week I finally found a 400-3 in a nice condition

Condition
Initially I had planned to have it replated/buffed, etc but the handle is actually so good that I might just leave it as-is and just have it re-knotted with a nice badger.

As it looks now:


Bottom:


Size of the handle
When looking at the 400's online I had a hard time really understanding the scale as most of them were not pictured alongside something with known dimensions.
The very first thought that struck me when I opened the package was;
"It is much smaller than I thought. This is perfect!"

Here it is next to an SOC boar brush:


The brush feels just fantastic when you hold it. Easy to get a good grip.


Versions of the 400
As far as I know there are only 400-3's and 400-4's out there.
The number supposedly indicated knot size (that part is detachable from the handle) but I must admit I don't know for sure so if anyone have more information I'd love to learn.

Right now...
I'm plotting and planning what knot to put into the handle and if I really want to/need to replate/buff the handle some.

In the meantime it's just hanging out...waiting to be used...


Other members of the 400-club
I know there are at least 1-2 other 400-brush owners on this site.
Post a photo or two of your brush here and what, if anything, you have done to it.

Very nice brush. I would like to join the club myself.

Beautiful brush! That would be a no-brainer for me, I'd replace it with an unbanded TGN boar knot to keep it as original looking as possible.

I hear you - the only thing is I don't currently have a badger brush and with the handle already being a little bit long I think a badger knot could be a good fit for it.
We shall see what I end up doing though. First I need to make up my mind if I want to do anything about the actual handle

Great looking brush. I'd go boar myself.

But it will look great with a badger in it.

I guess it would look like this with a knot similar to the SOC one in it:

(My deepest apologies to everyone who actually know how to use photoshop)

I use Paint, personally.

Thanks. SO much better. I am utterly useless in photo editing tools.

I thought you did a pretty good job.

I realize it's your brush, and you are going to do as you please.
I put a TGN best in my dads old Ever Ready 200, and it's ok.
But, I heartily agree with Tom. Your 400 would look best with a nice boar knot.
I have no idea what you want the brush to look like, and more importantly feel like.
But for some reason what strikes me as being a real winner would be a knot from
an Omega 10066 with the upper rim of the plastic bucket removed.
What a classy scrubber that would be!!


Just my $.02

How in the world do you get that splay?

Heavy use

Tantamount to abuse i'd say.

All I know is that it lathers great and is very soft now.

Beautiful brush! And I second Tom's remark: unbanded boar knot.

But of course it's your brush! Enjoy it!

I am guilty of owning one of these interesting brush handles. Mine has a WSP Stubby XL Superfine 2-Band knot set in it and it took me quite a bit of hand-polishing to get it to this condition. Furthermore, to accommodate the knot in the handle. I had to actually manually file down the interior rim/lip of the handle which gives it a very snug fit, but it adds to the backbone of this great knot. However, these handles aren't the easiest to photograph, so you won't be seeing it in too many of my SOTD pics.



​

That looks just beautiful!
I'm thinking about getting a 1" o-ring for the handle. I like how it looks and it will probably be the cheapest razor-related accessory I've ever bought.

Black o-ring look:


Blue o-ring look:

I was lucky. When I found mine, the vintage boar knot was perfect.



Though I had a TGN unbleached boar waiting in the wings just in case. Dry/set sanding progression through 2k grit.



If you don't already have a Rubberset 400: They are vastly over-rated and really not that nice of a brush. You wouldn't want to go out looking for one in an antique store or swap meet or something and certainly wouldn't bid on one, say on eBay against good ol' entropy1049 to get one.

If you already have a Rubberset 400: Shhh!

Oh I couldn't agree more. These brushes are just terrible.
Especially the 400-4's (that I don't have yet...). If I were you...saw one on ebay...just don't even bid on it.
I hear also hear they are haunted, smell real bad and are really made out of cheap plastic.

I KNOW RIGHT?!? Especially the 400-4. The fact that I need one to go with my 400-3 has honestly nothing to do with it...