Brushes Restored: Mutt and Jeff

GDCarrington

GDCarrington

Messages
2,255
Location
15 Miles SW of Denton, TX
Due to a lot of issues in the past year or so, my brush restorations and production has been severely curtailed, but this week I decided to take some time to finish a long term personal project. When I obtained the short brush a couple of years ago it was a Generation 1 nylon fiber synthetic brush. The fibers were as if it were brand new even after 60 years of age. The larger Plymouth brush I obtained early last year. It had a very long boar knot and had been used as a dusting brush by a barber since it had talcum deep in the knot. When I saw both together in the box, I began to have a plan that would link the two together with Custom Two Band Badger knots I received from a supplier who will remain unnamed. Given the facts that poly(methyl methacrylate) known by DuPont's patented name "Lucite" and DuPont "Nylon" were not developed until the mid to late 1930s these materials were expensive to produce initially. The outbreak of World War II allowed for investment for mass production to bring down the costs of both plastic materials. With the war completed the now excess production was turned to consumer goods so we can safely ascertain that these brushes were both made after the war.

http://www.bpf.co.uk/plastipedia/plastics_history/default.aspx

http://sharpologist.com/2012/09/synthetic-fibers-a-historical-perspective-and-how-they-relate-to-shaving-brushes-part-1.html

As I stated earlier, I had a plan and a name for these two brushes. Given the size differential and the fact that they seem to have some commonality and I like nostalgia, I decided to name these brushes Mutt and Jeff.

So I introduce to you my new brushes Mutt and Jeff.

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Here is a quick synopsis of what Mutt and Jeff is ...

Mutt and Jeff was a long-popular American newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Bud Fisher in 1907 about "two mismatched tinhorns." It is commonly regarded as the first daily comic strip.

Augustus Mutt is a tall, dimwitted racetrack character - a fanatic horse-race gambler who is motivated by greed. Mutt has a wife, known only as Mrs. Mutt (Mutt always referred to her as "M'love") and a son named Cicero. Mutt first encountered the half-pint Jeff, an inmate of an insane asylum who shares his passion for horseracing, in 1908. They appeared in more and more strips together until the strip abandoned the horse-race theme, and concentrated on Mutt's other outlandish, get-rich-quick schemes. Jeff usually served as a (sometimes unwilling) partner. Jeff was short, bald as a billiard ball, and wore mutton chop sideburns. He has no last name, stating his name is "just Jeff — first and last and always it's Jeff." However, at one point late in the strip's life, he is identified in the address of a cablegram as "Othello Jeff." He has a twin brother named Julius.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutt_and_Jeff
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For those who have never seen Mutt and Jeff, or have forgotten what they looked like, here are some comic book covers to complete the reference.

891933-muttjeffd_115.jpg


891929-muttjeffd_112.jpg

The short brush of unknown stock and origin does not have a pedigree or name associated with it so the fact that Jeff did not have a pedigree or even a first name in the early comics makes the association even stronger. The tall brush has a name with some distinction of "Plymouth." Tall Mr. Mutt has a distinctive first name of "Augustus," so that makes the association stronger as well.

Both brushes were completed yesterday and are in the process of at least a 48 hour curing of the epoxy. Soon I shall have this pair in my permanent rotation.


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Thanks for viewing.
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RE: Two Brushes Restored: Presenting Mutt and Jeff

Nice restores GDC. You may not be aware that these characters' names are also rhyming slang for deaf - as in 'he's Mutt and Jeff, can't hear a thing'.
 
RE: Two Brushes Restored: Presenting Mutt and Jeff

UKRob said:
Nice restores GDC. You may not be aware that these characters' names are also rhyming slang for deaf - as in 'he's Mutt and Jeff, can't hear a thing'.
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Thanks!

In fact over the years the couplet names have been applied to many different aspects of the human condition and actions.

"When written and pronounced as Mutt 'n' Jeff this has the meaning deaf. It is also a slang term for the 'good cop/bad cop' method of police interrogation or any other pair of people or items which are contrasting in size or nature.

The other meanings that relate to variable size etc. allude to the fact that in the Mutt and Jeff cartoons one was tall and the other short."

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/252125.html

It is interesting how the names of a simple cartoon characters captured a lot of meaning over the years and now is a standard part of the language with many never knowing where it started.


Mr_Smartepants said:
They look great together! Two peas in a pod.
Those knots look like exaggerated bulb types. Wonder what they'd look like bloomed.
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I hope to have bloom photos sometime soon.

BraveBlades said:
A fine pair with a fascinating history. Well restored and well named. Great job.
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Miles853 said:
Things of beauty. A great restoration.
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Thanks to all for the kind comments!
 
RE: Two Brushes Restored: Presenting Mutt and Jeff

Amazing looking brushes. Just goes to show that there were many other fantastic looking brushes made other than the usual suspects. It appears in the pictures that the outside diameters of the knots are smaller than the inside diameters of the handles. Is that just the picture or does the top of the rim curl in or something?
 
RE: Two Brushes Restored: Presenting Mutt and Jeff

Peejay said:
Amazing looking brushes. Just goes to show that there were many other fantastic looking brushes made other than the usual suspects. It appears in the pictures that the outside diameters of the knots are smaller than the inside diameters of the handles. Is that just the picture or does the top of the rim curl in or something?
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Thanks! The knots are set with a retaining ring material. It was a planned part of the restoration method.
 
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