I received my first official custom brush by Gary Carrington in Monday's mail. First, let me say I love this brush! Gary and I have been talking about synthetic brushes and brush design and restoration for some time. We both continue to follow synthetic manufacturing developments, and he knows I have not used a natural brush in years. I've been tempted to re-try good quality badgers, and Gary's offer to build one for me was something I jumped at. Together, we talked about knot and handle selection, and my preferences for color, stain, finish, weight, balance, size and loft. I wanted a medium stain in a dusty-rose/walnut color. I like the look of natural wood grain. I prefer a solid heft in a mid-sized handle. The brush specs: ·Knot: ACE Shaving 25mm high-density (24.5 mm actual size) ·Loft: 49mm ·Stain: Custom ·Finish: 3 coats polyurethane + 1 coat cyanoacrylate (CA) It's been some time since I used a natural badger, let alone a silvertip. I had nearly forgotten about what they are like compared to synths. Remarkably soft and luxurious. Different backbone (a little softer) and an amazing bloom. Here are two photos. The first (above) is of the new brush as I received it from Gary. The second (below) was taken after a single use, while the brush was still damp. It compares the new brush to a Mühle 23mm V2 (with over 100 uses) to the brush after a single use. I really like the medallion detail on the bottom. It adds another touch of class, but is not visible in either photo. No wonder so many shavers like naturals!
