Looking for your opinion about brush handles...

So I admit that I prefer traditional colors when it come to brush handles. These days even the biggest vendors (Simpson, Paladin and others) are offering ornate and unusual rod stock. Let's start a discussion about this. My feeling is that the traditional colors (Ivory, Butterscotch, Briar) will never go out if style, while the Candy Stripe, Ebonite, etc. will and that they will eventually go out of style and be difficult to resell in the future. What's your take?

 

I can't say I feel too strongly about it; whatever floats your boat is fine with me.

The two brushes I own have black and ivory handles though and resale value is not something I would be concerned about.

 

Depends upon how they look, not big on the disco haze and bubble gum variety. I do prefer natural materials for handles, who am I kidding, I like them all.

 

Like cars and clothes, what looks great to some, looks awful to others. I like wood handles, no paint, no stain, and it has to be older than me.

 

Clearly there is a market for them.

For me, as I stated in my opening post, I prefer the traditional colors.

While resale is not why I purchase a brush, I do take it into consideration, because I’m not going to be around forever and my son might have to deal with these things. Hopefully, not for a while.

 

I’m open when it comes brush handles. I could go with a new design and a vibrant color it it appeals to me. However, there’s something about those vintage brushes...

 

I promised my kid that if at all possible I would sell them before I stroked out. If not, he was to donate them to TSD.

Kidding aside, while I really enjoy funky customs, my all time favorites are straight up ivory.

 

I agree with you @Primotenore . The classic colors are best. My favorite brushes are wood. Just stained wood. I like looking at other brushes but tend to come back to traditional.

 

It's hard enough to find trees older than you let alone shaving brushes older than you!

@TobyC, I've restored a few I'm sure that fit that bill.

 

I like color and design but the important thing is to do whatever makes you happy. Even I have an all black handle, lol.

 

I love the grain patterns in wooden handles. There's also something mesmerizing about all the color patterns in some of these newer handles. I really enjoy the brushes that incorporate both wood and a colorful material. There are so many people into modern brushes getting into traditional shaving that I don't think resale will be too much of a problem.

 

I really like the acrylic brushes. I have several that are different colors.

 

I forgot these brushes. I also have two other brushes, That are custom.
Left to right.
1) Whipped Dog 30/65mm Silver Tip Badger Black & White Marbled Resin Handle
2)"Oscar 11" Custom 24/48mm TGN Super Finest Black & White Resin Handle
3)"Old Corps" & "Oscar 11" Custom 28/65mm TGN Finest Badger F-2 Knot Resin Handle Brush
4) VDH Pure Badger
5) Omega Professional Boar Shaving Brush White Handle
6) Omega Professional Boar Shaving Brush Black Handle
7) "Oscar 11" Custom 30/52 High Mountain White Leadwood Handle (Not Pictured)
8) "Jayaruh #120 Silver Tip Badger" (Not Pictured)

 

I especially like @Jayaruh brushes. Jim takes traditional designs and makes them into new. All wood all the time too! Jim can also do the wild! Remember the Louisville Slugger edition and the football series?

Great stuff and lots of variety.

 

Like anything unusual, for example a log home (which my wife and I love), your pool of potential buyers is considerably smaller. I have watched $400 Candy Stripe Simpson brushes languish on BST threads for this exact reason. You have to find the interested buyer. On the other hand, my 2014 CH3 Manchurian Badger in Briar wasn't posted for 10 minutes before it was snatched up.
Let me reiterate, I am not in this hobby to simply buy and sell my gear, but because I don't have unlimited funds, from time to time, I have to relinquish some things in order to acquire new things. Plus, it's fun to have an ever-evolving shave den.

 

It goes without saying that everyone should acquire the "things" that make them happy. No one is disputing that. However, for the sake of this thread, we are simply expressing our personal preferences.

 

Nice stable of brushes. I guess it's time to start posting pictures of our brush collections.

 

I can't imagine reselling a shaving brush so future resale is simply not an issue for me.

But the idea of colored handles and different materials is not new. When Lucite was the newest fashion most makers offered Lucite handles and sometimes colored Lucite. Colored Plastic handles were pretty common as well.

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Also, we tend to forget that those lovely butterscotch vintage brushes were actually white or ivory when they were sold and the butterscotch we tend to love so much is actually a defect caused by aging.

Look at the chip where you can see the original color.​

 

Great collection.

 

Here are some examples of what I call "atypical" and "out there" handles. As always...YMMV. (I don't really like having to use that acronym)