Please, anyone restoring a Rubberset 400, post their experiences here. I know it is difficult to scroll through years of posts to find bits and pieces of info, for specific types of restorations.
i would like to get another top section for my 400-3 to set a yaqi 24 mm badger knot in it.the paa ones look ok but seem to be satin aluminum finish.an original spare may be the ticket..
Gary, Check out this thread. Apparently, E-Z Off and a bit of sanding and polishing will get you there with the PAA ferrules. They'd be a whole lot easier to find than a spare Rubberset ferrule. https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/rubberset-400-3-revisited-to-add-a-spare-ferrel.634407/ Tom
Or, you could just go to the Phoenix Shaving site, no longer PAA. No need to wast time at that other forum. Plenty of "Ferrules". https://phoenixartisanaccoutrements.com/pages/search-results-page?q=Rubberset .
Those aftermarket Ferrules look to be clear coated, and not a polished finish. Unless you want the rough, and not the polished look, some sanding and polishing will be needed.
thank you both.i will check it out.i have a yagi brush i love to use but willing to sacrifice the handle as i like the 400 more.
Gary's post indicated he didn't like the satin finish of the PAA ferrules, as it didn't match the Rubberset handle. The post I linked to showed a method to get rid of the satin finish.
Rubberset 400 "No Number" This was before taking the knot out. It was a nasty one, that was loose, and a shedder. Lots of pebbling on the finish, be it corrosion or bumping things over the years. Much more difficult to restore than the other one I have(the#4). Drilling out the 100 yr old rubber knot was pretty stinky. I was smelling it on me all day. I tried to polish the handle, but there seemed to be a lacquer between the grooves, on the handle, that was pretty tough. The ferrule was dimpled pretty bad. So, with all of this, I went with sandpaper, 1500/2000/2500. I then buffed it out. looking closely, it had imperfections, possibly due to casting when new. I decided to go only so far, and stop. I am now deciding on which knot to put in it. There are several knots on their way.
Great work! BTW If you drill a hole in the bottom of your donor Omega brush the same size as a healthy phillips screwdriver. You insert the bottom and drive it down on a counter and it will usually easily pop out the knot.
Rubberset 400-3 Original Fan Shaped Knot I jumped the restoration line a little, with this one. When it arrived, I could see that the knot was a possible keeper, and little used Fan Shaped. The finish on the handle was needing some attention too. The Ferrule was stuck too. I tried something new, to me, to get the ferrule loose. I used a tea pot and let the full blast of the steam hit the ferrule, as I rotated it around. I then used some rubber gloves for grip, and it twisted free. I could see that the original rubber epoxy was on the threads, and that is probably a big factor on some of these 400's being difficult to take apart. I used a wire brush to clean the threads, then polished the ferrule and handle. It came out nice and shiny. I tried the brush, with a little face lathering, and it did well, for as old as it was. It still had that Boar stink to it. This tells me it hasnt seen much use. The tips were not even splitting yet. Time will tell if this original knot will hold up..
Rubberset 400-No Number I Bought a BOTI synthetic knot, that looked very much like a Boar. Unfortunately, the knot was a size 26mm, and a 24mm is what these "Original Rubberset 400's take. So, being that it took a while to come from overseas, and it was pretty inexpensive, I ground the Epoxy end down. Hairs went flying all over the place. BOTI stuffs the knot, almost to the edge. I had to pluck and trim several, after the correct size was achieved. I then epoxied it in. Here it is, next to an Omega Knot, in a Rubberset handle, to compare.
Very similar to a real Boar Knot. It has backbone, slight scritch, and is soft. No need to soak, prior to use. But, not exactly like a boar. P.S. This synthetic knot holds water nicely, and is not a Lather Hog. I found I didn't need to add more water to the brush, while forming a lather. .
Rubberset 400-#3 Before: After: With an Omega(10049) Boar knot. Next to another Rubberset 400-#3 with an original knot. The Omega knot is on the left side.
24mm. But, the Omega 10049 can fit, if you remove the excess glue around the base of the plug. Omega put a lot of glue down there, sometimes too much, as in this case. It was very snug.
Rubberset 400-#4 Boti Boar. 24mm This was fairly easy. It only took about 15 seconds of steam, with the Whistling Tea Pot. This method of removing a stuck Ferrule, in my opinion, should be the first and only way to remove it. There is no chance at ruining the handle or ferrule, when doing it this way. Also, no discoloration like happens if you boil or over steam it. You get the steam right where you need it, only around the threads, where the glue, oxidation, and dried soap have worked their way in. Before Next to the new Boti Boar Fan knot, 24mm. After It took a while, polishing it out. It looked as if someone used some sort of strap on the Ferrule to remove it, unsuccessfully. I had to polish it longer, to remove the striations made. It now shines like a New Penny. BTW, this knot is slightly shorter than an original #4 knot, but the same size as a #3 knot. To be honest, I prefer the size of the #3 knots.
