Really depends on what soap/cream I'm using at the time. I'll usually try different brushes with a new soap/cream until I find one that works best with it, then I'll mostly stick with that brush. The past couple weeks, I've been finishing off a bowl of Arko and my Semogue Owner's Club boar has been working non-stop. I finished up the Arko yesterday so today will be a tube of Proraso green with a silvertip badger.
Careful now! Beware the slippery slope, Steve…Pretty soon you'll be posting in EVERY 'favorite' thread!
I have close to 40 brushes I've restored with various badger, boar and synthetic knots. I use them all pretty equally, but my favorites are the TGN synthetics.
I love the handle shape and size of the 1305, and loved the colors as well. It has a sort of retro look to me. I initially tried to touch up the chipped area with some model car paint, applying around 7 layers or so with several days drying in between coats. Unfortunately, when I began to use it again, the paint continued to flake off. So now I plan to strip the remaining paint, stain the brush, and finish with a clear protective coat.
Sounds good. Please post on how this goes and how you strip the paint. I believe the wood is beechwood so it should finish nicely.
I would welcome any suggestions on stripping the paint. Pains me to do so, because I loved the colors on it.
Yup, the paint scheme was awesome, I wish there were some way to seal it so the paint wouldn't chip. I never dropped mine, I made sure the knot soaked below the handle to protect the handle and the glue. I never bowl lathered so the handle never banged up against the side of a bowl, yet my handle's paint chipped by the end of the second month. There was nothing I could do to be more careful, other than not making lather with it. I have resigned myself that I will never purchase another painted wood handle from Semogue; which sucks, because their painted wood handles are gorgeous. I will be following this thread closely as I have the same decision to make. I really don't have any suggestions to make as far as stripping the wood. My wood working experience is very limited. Perhaps G.D. Carrington or Oscar 11 might be convinced to weigh in.
I am down to 4 brushes from almost 20; 2 badgers, a boar, and a boar/badger hybrid. I haven't used the badgers in months and have been favoring the hybrid a lot here lately. My Vulfix 404 just seems to be perfect right now.
I have a rotation 6, try to keep it there, enough to fill my brush holder (vintage stamp holder). I really like where my collection is right now, got rid of all the brushes I didn't thoroughly enjoy using and found new ones that I do. My collection is mostly badgers, though I have one synthetic that I love. Not much of a boar fan but I do have 5 of them that don't get a hole lot of use. And since I'm obsessed with my brushes, I'll use this thread as an excuse to show them off. Here's my rotation. Funny cause it actually does rotate, that's how I keep track of which brush to use. From left to right: Pav Brush Works Custom Chubbette TGN Grade A Silver Tip, Semogue Barbear Classico Textugo Finest Badger, Semogue Special Edition 2013 Olive Wood Silver Tip, Simpsons The Jubilee Manchurian, Ralph Lauren Polo Handle with TGN HMW, Muhle Black Fibre V2.
Nice brushes! I will say that using an old stamp carousel was one of the best things I have done in handling an every-growing collection of brushes.
I use boar brushes mostly. I find I love the scrubbing feel of it. I like badger but I love boar. Particularly the Omega Pro 48.
I suppose I could have, it's a bit late now. I would think the wax would wear off after a short time of use though.
More and more I find myself using horse, horse/badger mixes or synthetics. I am actually thinking of getting rid of my boars all together except for a 30mm monster that I like very much and a cheap BurmaShave that is actually just a fantastic brush.
I have 2 badger and 2 boar. Right now I am rotating all 4 to see how they rate for face lathering. I soak for 4 days. 1 day for each brush.
