Reclaimed Bannister Walnut Wet Shaving Brush

We were at a reclaimed wood lot (looking for an old growth barn beam) when this walnut bannister caught our eye.  The brushes that come from this walnut will be a limited edition as the bannister has only so much wood that could be reused.  If you would like to see some of the brushes, pop by the Etsy shop: http://tinyurl.com/m7nvv6k

This is a raw bannister.  No finish on it anymore.  At first we thought it was mahogany which would have been much more likely for the period but it was a happy surprise once we caught into it.  Notice the peg and the holes on either side also had pegs in them.  The large hole below held a huge screw to hold the other piece of it together.  Really glad Eric found it before trying to caught into it.

 It is such an elegant curve.  It must have been beautiful in its time.

I'm shining a flashlight into the space where the nut which held the bolt used to be.

The nut cubby hole. without the nut.  The round hole is to hold the stiles of the bannister.

 

This is the first handle to come out of the bannister to go to its new home.  The knot is boar.  Our customer preferred the boar and he sent his knot and we made the handle to accommodate the knot and collar.

 

For more of the brushes this is our shop: http://tinyurl.com/m7nvv6k

 

*Yes, the people before us didn't level the floor before putting tile on it.  Thus they crack and crack again.  Yes, it's on the list of things to do.  Just not terribly high on it.

 

Special Request Boar Knot and how much we love it

We take great pride in offering superior quality knots but we only offer Badger Knots.  But, it doesn't mean we dislike boar.  Eric used one for a really long time.  When we were contacted by a customer who wanted a boar brush I offered that we could just put the customer's favorite boar in one of our handles.

We didn't realize there would be a collar on the knot so to make sure it would work with the handle we decided it would be better to remake the handle that was a bit thicker in the collar around the knot. 

This is the first Walnut that came from a reclaimed walnut bannister we fell in love with in the reclaimed wood lot.  Our shop: http://tinyurl.com/m7nvv6k

The lighter wood is Holly which came from a residential cut down in North Carolina.

 

These walnut handles are limited edition.  They are all numbered.

 

We usually put the logo on the bottom but the customer wanted his initials there.  The customer is our main concern.  This brush came out beautifully.  We really enjoy working with our customers.  It always teaches us something or is inspirational in design.

 

To have one of your own or to discuss a custom brush please contact us: http://tinyurl.com/m7nvv6k

Hanging Hanged Hung the shave brush that spoke a thousand words

One of the brushes we have just sent along to it's new home was a great example of communication with the customer.  One of the things we always do it send an email to confirm what the customer wants and font and placement etc. when the customer wants engraving.

I usually do a test run of the engraving on a scrap handle in order to see how it will look.  I like to do most and especially if there is a new font I have never done before.   Low and behold, our customer assumed that the brush would be hanging and wanted the initials to be read from that direction.  We assume that the brush will stand on the end which would make the initials best the opposite direction.  Always double check to make sure. 

Don't forget to stop by the shop:  Lovgren & Daughter http://tinyurl.com/m7nvv6k

Here's what it looks like:

Beautiful Walnut Badger Shave Brush Handle special finish

We love when customers come up with ideas!

One of our customers liked the idea of Walnut in a more dramatic profile.  Now we usually do a very graceful profile (shape) of a handle but our customer had given us a sample of a Bavarian turning to use as a reference.  Actually now we are going to make a few in a similar manner because it looks great.  Also the Belle Époque curves are great but there are avenues and styles that look extraordinary also.  I keep falling back on the saying "A change is as good as a rest".  Sometimes to reignite the creative process we need to see from someone else's perspective.

Brilliant idea.  Having a picture for reference is always a good idea.  And it makes talking about the style and the wants of the customer easier. 

 

 

This finish on the wood is wee bit different.  It is a combination of walnut oil and a wax over the walnut oil.  Usually we do everything to make sure the new owner hasn't have to think about the handle again for the rest of their lives.  In this case, it was important to the customer to have a finish that was traditional.  The earliest forms of finish was some kind of oil either walnut, linseed or one of the other oil that provide a good seal.  On top of that is beeswax to provide a buffer between the oil and the air or water.    

 

This type of finish will need periodic renewing.  Which means the wax must be removed and then the oil replenished and the beeswax reapplied.  This maintenance is not for everyone.  We are happy to work with people to give them the shaving brush they really want.

 

Feel free to drop us a note, we would love to hear from you!

Etsy Shop Lovgren and Daughter:  http://tinyurl.com/m7nvv6k



 

The Great Brush Lilac Shaving Brush

We have had a great time working with our customers for Father's Day and other just because brushes.

Here is the lilac brush that is so captivating

This is the actual bush where the wood came from.

I love the way the Black Adder font compliments the brush.

Please have a look at the Etsy Shop: Lovgren & Daughter for your shaving brush. 

Antique Pine and the work was worth it.

Finally, got the finish finished on the antique pine special sized shave brush. 

You can see the branch terminal bud and the other black come from a nail that was nailed into the tree an age before it was felled.  Thanks goodness, Eric found the nail before it went flying through the air or it ruined a tool.  The tree had completely grown around it and it was not moved in the raising of the barn, cutting of the tree, or disassembling the beam.

 

This is a regular knot size compared to the 32mm x 65mm silvertip knots.  while it looks petite in the picture the smaller one is the "regular size".

 

Here is the large brush and bowl next to a regular size bowl.  The owner is a tall man (6'4) and wanted finally to be able to feel a brush in his hand correctly for someone who is taller.  We happily custom make brushes and bowls for individuals.  Please do not to hesitate to let us make your dream brush.

 

Antique Pine Challenges and Triumphs

We have been working on the antique pine brush a bowl.  Awesome and frustrating experience.

First did not expect the movement of the wood when cutting.  Since barn beams are green (very wet) at a bran raising, 2000 years later, they expect to be in the same position.  Once they are freed, they move quite a lot.  lol.  then they can split and check at random.

Second, the pine is now so very dry that the varnish gets sucked into the wood.  Much more then in any other type of wood we have worked with.  This makes building a finish takes several coats.  Actually it felt like several million coats to build a nice finish.

 

 

In the picture above, you can see the bumpy grain.  This should be flat.  normally, varnish slides over the surface and even things out.  The piece of wood is so dry it drinks in the varnish.  Then we have to sand and even out for the next coat.  In this picture, there are 4 coats of varnish already applied (sanded and re-applied, repeat)

 

 



You can see on the inside of the bowl, the same thing happens.  But it is important to remember in order to judge the level of the finish, you have to look at it in indirect light.  There must be shadows so that you can discern the high and low points.

 

You can see in this photo how the light can change what you are seeing.  It was taken literally 2 minutes after the example from above.  If you don't pay close attention, you could get an awful finish.

 

but all good things take time and effort.  So, in the next 2 coats we will finally have a proper finish.