Bit of research

ajmw89

ajmw89

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188
Location
Sutton, Surrey
Evening chaps.
Quick couple of questions as I'm going to be setting out to make a few prototypes.

What do you look for in a shaving brush and shaving bowl?

If you use a bowl, do you prefer a wide and shallow bowl, deep and narrow or somewhere in-between? Any other features you like or just smooth?

With the brush, do you want a contoured handle or a straight shape? What sort of knot do you prefer? Badger, Boar, Synthetic or other?

Sorry for all the questions but I have a few ideas sketched on paper but need some input from experienced shavers!
 
The overall answer to all your questions is, "Yes". Oh! the brush handle needs to be grippable whilst flicking dry and the bowl needs ridges inside to assist lathering.
 
When I use a bowl it's a 99c plastic salsa bowl. IMO, many fret over brush handle styles for purely aesthetic reasons. After all, do you buy an automobile for the door handles? :rolleyes: ;)
 
I face lather.

For brushes, I think the handle I have fallen for the most is the Vie-Long Amphora which I re-knotted with a synthetic:

IMG_1608.JPG


... shown next to Vie-Long's own effort. I know which I prefer :D

Other than that, I tend to go for tall handles with shorter knots. I like synthetic and I like boar, I absolutely abhor badger in all forms (horrid floppy clods) and horse is even worse in my book.
 
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Mostly face lather too.

Own a Big Shave scuttle and a large Steve Woodhead bowl/mug too but rarely use them (reserved for luxury shaves with big brushes and posh creams).

Mostly use a Plisson synthetic for my daily shave. But still like an Omega boar or Simpson badger now and again for the natural hair feel.
 
Brushes - I have and use all sorts, and like the variety of different performance with different soaps. I'm working around to preferring barbershop handles.
I have several mugs and scuttles (Woodhead, Gallant&klein, Fiona Duckett , Fine etc) and I always want a handle. Now I'm using brushes with quite large handles I think wide and quite shallow is best to avoid rattling around the sides.
The Woodhead scuttle I have is excellent, but weighs a ton when it's filled. I fear for the washbasin if I were to drop it.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. I've got my hands on a few lumps of African Blackwood, and the pieces I've got taper from about 4" square at the bottom to 1 1/2" at the top. There's enough material there for me to make a bowl and a brush from one piece. Should get some nice looking pieces out of it!
 
I don't use a shaving bowl since I lather only on my face. As for brush handles, my preferred shapes are the Vie Long Amphora, shavemac Beehive, Persian Jar and Tulip. In the realm of handle material my clear favourite is faux ivory; I don't particularly like wood, metal or stone.
 
I like the design for the brush I made a while ago, but I know what I'm like when it comes to copying shapes of turnings... I get bored making the same shape. Have ordered some synthetic knots so I can get a few brushes made in different woods and styles. Will see where it goes after that!

Been a quiet one at work today, so spent a lot of time looking at brush designs etc.

Shaving bowls are a slightly different proposition shape wise, as I'm partly governed by the size of the stock to begin with, unless I buy blanks in (but then that will increase costs...)
 
I am also a fan of non lathe turned handles, squarish, octagonal, pyramid shaped, just not another roman vase, would really like to be able to make one myself only problem is I never managed to graduate still stuck at Kindergarten Play Doh level :)
 
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