OK, I blame the enablers around various fora for this. Posting pics of green butterscotch beauties and the like. So I've got the bug, well, maybe. At least the IDEA of a brush restoration is very appealing. The actual practice of it may be less so, especially given the huge list of things I need to do shave related before starting a new project. Anyway I decided I should get a cheap brush to start with. The pic on eBay looked interesting, butterscotch? and it didn't cost much: OK, so I've done my dough on that lot. A rough cheap and nasty plastic job that is splitting and a made in China thing (I was hoping for a Omega from the pics on the listing) So, time to try again.... Better BUT.... The amber looking based one has what looks like a melted bit and the other one has lots of scratches. Repairable? I don't know enough to know. Maybe worth a try???? So after the lack of success so far I wasn't holding my breath on the final purchase. This is the pic from the ebay listing - It wasn't a lot of money maybe another learning experience. No markings on the brush according to the seller so I had no expectations when this arrived, a nondescript box Open it up, hmmm, this is more promising, nice colour, a worth candidate for a restoration and re-knot maybe? The colour is very different in the flesh to the listing pic - maybe finally I have taking a punt with some success! Take the brush out of the box and turn it over.... Hey, that label looks familiar. Have I got a vintage Simpson? The engraving says '41' and 'Pure Badger' with the same written on the box? The pic doesn't do justice to the richness of the colour. Now to learn what to do with this baby and treat it well. I've never heard of a Simpson '41' and can't find any information to date on them. I believe you can sent brushes back to Simpson to be re-knoted - in Best maybe? - but I have no idea what to do at this stage. Just happy that it was not the third strike and I was out! (BTW - sorry for poor phone pics)
I did two of the Rubberset 300N brushes and ended up giving them both to Jeff. You can sand them down and get rid of alot of that damage. Take your time with the knot, as the synthetic melts and just gets to be a pain to work. The orange and black pieces do unscrew. I was able to put a 22mm boar knot in one. The other has an 18mm TGN finest. A nice trick to hiding whats inside is to use a sharpie and blacken the top of the base. It hides the knot pretty well. Here are some of Jeff's pics of them from an older haul thread. http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/the-haul-august-8th-august-14th-2011.24685/#post-426396 Congrats on the Simpson also.
Thanks for the advice - so the last one is definitely a Simpson? Does anybody know anything about the '41'?
I got a response from Gary Young about this brush at The Shaving Room. I thought I would post here to increase knowledge about this brush. Here is what he said: '1950s Nimmer Mill made Simpson 40 series brush. And yep, Peter is right that it isn't one of our old 'top end' brushes. Back in the 50s a lot of the 40 series were sold in quantity to the 'high street' chemists - eg. Boots. This looks like it was a 'private' sale as the 'high street' models were lampblacked with the Boots logo of the day. The badger hair has 'bleached' over the years - normally due to being left on a bathroom window. But, as with our own hair, it tends to 'whiten' out over time, especially the coarser pure grade. Nice little brush from one of our most busy decades so I reckon you had a good little find there.' So, what to do now. I'm really in two minds. It is like trying to decide what to do with a vintage razor, replate or not replate. To me it is special, my only vintage Simpson (and at a good price too!), but I accept that it is not one of the really collectible 'top end' ones. Maybe I should give it a clean and try as is. If it works then stick with it. If not maybe I'll get re-knotted in 'Best' as a keeper for myself.
Leave it as is. There are plenty of handles to restore and you would regret redoing this rarer brush.
I'm with Gary on this Mark. You got lucky dude. That thing is cool as-is IMO. Find yourself a different candidate is what I say. With any reknot, there could be complications and it would suck to wreck that one.
I'm thinking that this will be the way I go. Just clean it up a little (I know how to do this for the knot but need to investigate how to clean the handle without damaging it) and give it a burl. No sure how many brushes I have room for in the bathroom though. If I restore the others what do I do then? [sigh]
I would give it a go and if the knot is solid, use it as is. If it starts dropping hairs or falls out etc, then replace the knot. I would leave the sticker in place as it won't match under it and just polish it up with some Maas or Flitz or something of the like.
Actually, recant my previous statement. I think this is the route I'd take. If you can't use it (loses too many hair or the knot is just bad after all this time) then why have it. I'd do just what Dale said. If it woks fine and doesn't shed as-is, keep it and use it that way. Then if it craps out on you, reknot it.
I believe from another forum that Mothers Plastic Polish is the best to use on these so will give it a go when I can get some and we will see how she looks. Pics will be posted of course! Thanks guys
I have almost the identical brush. I bought on ebayuk 3 years ago. Has the same box as Marks but there was no labelling on the box or handle, nor any decals or residue of one on the handle. Also Marks has additional rings at the bottom. Seeing it on ebay I was sure from the box and handle it was a Simpson. The original knot was funny, it looked like a silvertip knot. It had snowy white tips and darker badger bristles. I thought I had a score !!!!When I got it though the knot was nylon centered ringed very cleverly by pure badger, it really was made to look like a silvertip . The original knot worked but it didn't feel like anything really exciting to use. I just sent the brush to Shavemac and Bernd did the reknot and cleaned the handle.
Sounds like one of the 'Badgerlon' that were made for a while combining badger and the new fangled nylon. I think I have one around somewhere but have never used it. Nice looking brush BTW!
