For me, I think I like the four over the six wing configuration for feel. I do like the looks of this one though.
Is there a way to buy Muhle Silvertip knots w/out a handle? I know the dear doctor has an in w/ the people at Muhle but for us regular mortals?
When I first got into collecting shaving brushes the rubber set 400 had no appeal for me.....honestly it looked like some one took a part off a ww11 p-51 mustang and modified it into some sort of a shaving brush. Than a day I saw one and for some reason my eye started to twitch and, and this..... this thing came over me that I had to have one. Now I have three, but here's where I need some insight. These 400s I see almost all the time on ebay they are fairly common. But for the life of me I can't figure out why every one drives the price up these......their not as rare a Simpson brush!!!!! But currently whats going on over at ebay with the 400s is completely confusing and may I say completely inexcusable....I tell you. Todays date is 5/18/2015 and currently there are 5 people bidding on a 400 #4 for a total of 41 bids and the current price isssssss. $455.oo!!!!!! and we have 3 days to go before the auction ends!! I have been underneath a wet rock? Am I missing something or is it a battle of egos or..... or was the brush used by Steve McQueen ??!!!???!!! Immmmmmmm soooooooooooo confuuuused!!!!! Any insight would be great thanks.
I saw it happen to to a Slim the other day. It was going for $70 with several bids on it. I tried to see if it was something special but I could not find anything about it that would make it $40-$50 more than any other slim. I think you are right sometimes it is all ego.
$455 seems very high. Normally I see 400-3/4's in decent condition selling in the $90-150 range. I think I paid around $90 for mine. Is it high for a vintage brush? Kinda but like w/ most things in life prices are often dictated by supply and demand. At least that's what I vaguely remember from some Econ class a few eons ago.
I noticed that one several days ago at $255. Many times people get caught up in the bidding and pay much more.
With @Darkbulb approval, I wanted to post an update on his Rubberset 400-3. Richard and I have talked about restoring his Rubberset 400-3 several different times. I offered to do the restoration as my gift to him. Richard decided on what type of knot he wanted and sourced it. I received the brush and knot along with two very nice gifts from him, limited edition soap and some aftershave balm. I look forward to using both. I first inspected the brush. As far as the Rubberset 400s I have worked on this one appeared to be in pretty good shape. There were the expected scratches, dings and dents associated with use and age. The first task was to separate the collar and the handle which went pretty smoothly. The next step was to remove the old knot. I used tin snips to cut of the old bristles as close to the base of the knot as possible. A hole was drilled in the center of the knot from the top using a hand held power drill. The old epoxy/glue is somewhat brittle and can be broken out by using hand pressure and a smaller flat tip screw drive or small punch. Using a variable speed Dremel tool and an assortment of tips carefully remove any remnants of the old glue. Pay attention and do not damage the threads used to secure the collar to the handle. Given the size and density of the knot to be used the opening had to be enlarged. Again using the Dremel, the hole was enlarged. Now for the part of the process that I think turns the Rubberset 400 into something truly special. I started sanding the entire brush with 180 grit sandpaper. The goal at this stage is to remove as many of the scratches, dings and dents as possible. Since the brush is of cast aluminum many have small imperfections in the casting that show up as little pits. Taking time in this stage pays huge dividends later. From this step, I moved to 220 grit dry and sanded the entire brush. This is the last step before wet sanding begins. The brush was wet sanded progressing thru, 320, 400, 600, 1000, 2000 and finally 5000 grit. At this point, the brush has a near mirror finish. Using Maguirs Aluminum polish, the brush was polished and buffed several times. If you have made any mistakes in sanding, they will visible at this point. Take a step back and wet sand those areas again. I used a piece of Kydex cut to fit inside the collar and some two part epoxy to make a shelf for the knot. So after curing it will be time to set the knot. The knot was set using silicone adhesive so that Richard if he decides can remove and reset the knot at a higher loft without damage. The knot was set at 50mm loft. I am very pleased with the way this turned out and look forward to seeing it in upcoming SOTD photos. Hope you guys like it as much as Richard and I do.
I had intended to do the whole month of May with my faux 400 (Jayaruh #8), but I only got half way through because I completed the #6 with a High Mountain Badger. However, the #8 did a fine job. I am just getting too many brushes. The #8 has become a favorite though.
Clint it looks absolutely amazing. It is in every way possible exactly how I had envisioned/hoped it could be - actually better than I had hoped (that handle is SO shiny!) I vote for your CT to be "The 400 whisperer" as you seem to have an uncanny ability to bring the best out of these brushes! I can't wait to get my grubby hands on this beauty and of course include it in shaves and photos Thanks!!
