Every now and then we run across vintage brushes and we wonder how old are they? Were they made in the 1950s, 1940s or even further back than that. One of the major milestone markers to assist in determining the manufacture date for vintage brushes is if they have the term "Sterilized" on the handle, either in a sticker, etched or painted on it. The death of former U.S. Congresman Michael F. Farley of New York from an anthrax infested shaving brush forced most U.S. brush makers to begin to switch from horse to badger or boar and use a sterilization process on their brushes. Here is the NY Times article published in October 1921. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F40B10FF385A1B7A93C2A8178BD95F458285F9 After 1921 you begin to see brushes with "Sterilized" and so it is easier to know if a brush that was manufactured before or after that time can be at least identified as pre-1921 or post-1921 by that word. Now several months ago, I received a brush that looked interesting so I decided to do a little research to find out what I had. Here are some viewes of the brush as received. I found that this brush was in manufacturing at least as far back as 1909 with an ad with the same brush in the background. Now the brush I received had the word "Sterilized" so I knew it was made after 1921. After researching more old advertisements, I found that this design carried through in various incarnations of either white or black handle top halves through the 1920s and early 1930s with the same wording and placement location as the one I have. In the late 1930s and in the post World War II the designs have changed into some of the brush types we see quite often on the forums. So I am very confident that this particular brush dates back to at least the mid 1930s and maybe as far back as 1922. So I decided that not only did this handle have solid potential in terms of grip and size, but also had a solid historical pedigree, and those aspects make it a great candidate to restore. There was one small area on the handle that was nicked up slightly. Other than that, it was in great structural condition for a brush of its age. So the work began and the handle was cleaned out and polished. I decided after measurements to select the ACE 19 mm short loft Finest knot which would allow me to take advantage of the smaller space constraints that this handle had and the fact that there was a metal retaining ring which prevented additional expansion to fit the glue bump in further to support a longer lofted knot. Now, when I decided to restore the paint I only used one application to allow the letters to retain an aged worn look but most of the letters could be clearly made out. Using several pennies for shimming and ballast the knot was set today at the measurement as provided in the final photo below. Now it will take about 24 - 36 hours to fully cure and it will be ready to use, if I so desire. Thanks for your time in reading this.
Great brush! And don't you just love ad copy? "...They sell on sight—and the profits right, too...Better get your share! Your jobber can supply you. Ask him"
Some people have already inquired as to whether I will sell it. Since the bottom of the handle has some cracking that has been repaired, I will more than likely be keeping it. Since this brush is 80- 90 years old, I will keep and eye to see whether the bottom section has any more fatigue issues before I decide to use it.
Now that's a ! I like the look of the handle and how the wood was kept away from the base of the knot. I wish the modern bush makers would take note and do something similar, in order to avoid problems that inevitably set in from having wood in direct contact and saturated with water...
Geez..I thought it was wood.. I guess the ol' eyes aren't what they used to be. Still it sure is a dandy handy...
