I picked up this old HELDTITE around three years ago in a box of stuff at a flea market, the patent number on it was issued to Charles Thompson in 1915 for a "new, original and ornamental Design for a Handle for Shaving-Brushes". Someone cut the bristles off for some reason. I debated about whether or not to restore this old brush and finally decided to give it a go. I forgot to take any pictures before I started the project but I had one from back when I found it along with the Ever-Ready 300. The metal ferrule was loose, I think maybe it was originally just held in place by friction. A couple tugs with a pair of pliers and the old knot came out in three pieces, it was glued around the post that you can see in this picture. I ground down the post with a Dremel and filled the bottom of the ferrule with DAP RTV silicone adhesive which, after it dried, holds the handle tightly in place against the ferrule. I sanded off the old finish and repainted it with three coats of black paint, and fitted it with a 16mm TGN finest badger.I tried an 18mm but it was too big for this little handle, the 16mm provides a nice balance to the handle.I really didn't do much to the ferrule, other than a little polishing which didn't really seem to change it much. Here's the finished brush.
Very Hip.....Super Cool looking, looks like it would handle well....Not to mention how cool it is that you gave new life to a war-horse fron 1915, and got it back making lather.....You
Excellent work! Now some people don't put this together but the military during this time recommended that shaving brushes be used to clean guns. So cutting the bristles may have served a different purpose than just shaving. My Uncle-In-Law's deceased mother was an artist (painting and sculpting) and we found out she used shaving brushes in her work. So cut bristles do not surprise me given that I understand these alternate uses. Gun Cleaning: http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=187077&start=0 http://patriotoutfitters.com/p/Gun-...eSize=60&currSort=web_sort&sortDirection=desc http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/how-to-clean-a-gun/ Extracted from the above article. "TIP: Soldiers and Marines from the Middle East wars recommend the use of a shaving brush, sometimes called a barber brush. $3 on eBay. The brush is used to brush out sand and dry dirt from the breech and bolt area and other areas accessible with a field strip." Artist work: http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Oil-Paintings-to-Preserve-It-for-Years http://www.painting-ideas-and-techniques.com/oil-painting-brushes.html
Thanks everyone! I used the little old guy this morning for the first time. The handle is actually pretty comfortable to use, but it really feels different than any other brush I've ever used. Even though I tried to thoroughly seal up the wood with the silicone adhesive I probably won't use this one too often, I'd hate for the old wood to start rotting. It will primarily be a display model. Thanks for the links Gary, I figured someone had re-purposed the brush by cutting down the bristles. My wife even thought it may have been used to apply makeup, and I wondered if maybe the previous owner really wanted a brush with a lot of backbone!
"GREAT" job Tom!!!! What an interestingly designed brush handle and with the info provided by Gary even more so...
