Friendly Enquiry

I don't mean to cause any upset by asking, and I don't mind if a mod or admin decides to delete this and reply by PM. I used to be active on the old Yahoo! group, and at the time of the great shaving forum wars (remember Wetshavers vs The Wetshavers, SMF, and the web forum intended to replace straightrazorplace started by Yo!Adrian and Laz, then the B&B debacle, followed by more forums coming and going than I could be bothered to follow). I settled at SMF and have been honored (I don't own the site) to be site admin for many years. I've been out of touch, having had my life turned upside down with leukemia and chemo. Imagine the humiliation of being banned because of low platelets from using a straight, or even a safety razor, and having to use a Philips! I'm back on the blades now and hope to stay that way.
I'm trying to understand, without drama, what's going on at SRP. I'm guessing someone bought out the domain when it wasn't renewed promptly, but it's changed again recently. Now I get an e-mail that SRD is closing, but I find the old straightrazorplace.com redirects to SRD. Most worrying to me, I see Lynn hasn't posted here since January. That makes me concerned - is he OK? I've sent an e-mail to the old address I had used for him in the past, but it may be ancient history by now. I last used it a few years back to alert him to a crooked vendor who was trying to buy favorable reviews with free gifts. We used to pass such info back and forth between various site admins at one time.
Please let me know - I'm not interested in causing offense or crowing over anything. I'd just like to know that Lynn is OK.

Chris

Welcome back.

Much has happened since you left. Basically SRD was closed because Lynn retired.

As far as this site goes there was an issue between the site owners and to make a long story short Lynn has no part in this site anymore. The staff has been keeping the site going and the name changes were required. Hopefully things have stabilized now and time will bring us back to where we were before the issues.

Welcome back. Sorry to here that your life was turned upside down by leukemia/chemo and glad you are able to use blades again.

Just one question if I may. Out of curiosity are you the Doc Moss associated with the Moss scuttle and Shavemac Variable loft Brush?

Bob

Thanks for the answers. I hope Lynn is enjoying himself and that SRP thrives. And yes, my crimes include the first cream scuttle, and the VLB.

Welcome drmoss. I would like to see a variable loft brush!

That's old stuff now! There were several versions, and colours with fan and bulb shaped knots. This was the prototype:

Attachment 299500
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Attachment 299502
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Attachment 299504

I gave the design to Bernd Blos at Shavemac and he made and sold them for a while, but had problems with the screw thread inside jamming. I think I still have three or four of them in the basement. The idea was that the brush could be stiff to raise a lather, and large and soft for spreading it around. You just twisted the base and the knot rose up like a lipstick from the handle.

Chris

Extremely cool! Thanks for sharing! :tu

I hope you may hang around with us!

Blow me! I see Bernd has restarted production:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esiits_t0lk

Imagine THAT! :thinking:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Imagine THAT! :thinking:

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The ATG forum are trying to put together a group buy for a VLB.

Bob

Just looked at the vid and saw that info was on there, sorry.

Who Knew? :shrug:

I can entertain owning one....How much?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Who Knew? :shrug:

I can entertain owning one....How much?

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I don't think it has been determined yet. Go to the ATG shaving forum and there is a long running thread on it and the group buy.

Bob

Sounds like a lot.....

The story of SRP is....
Oh forget it. Its too long and end the end the best man won the rights and was able to keep all the history/info that made us the place we are. Glax you stopped in to check on Lynn but he is no longer with us.

Hope you stick around SRP. Its alwayz a good thing when folks come back. You will find a great bunch of folks here that love to help others.

A variable loft design.
That’s cool enough to make me want to try a go at it actually.
Haven’t made a brush in some time either, so may have to borrow the inspiration Dr.
Hope you take that as a compliment.
:beer1:

..................DIBS!.......

I would like one of the second generation brushes you make Mike. The first generation will be real nice, but you are know to be a perfectionist and the second generation will be all that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drmoss_ca

That's old stuff now! There were several versions, and colours with fan and bulb shaped knots. This was the prototype:

Attachment 299500
Attachment 299501
Attachment 299502
Attachment 299503
Attachment 299504

I gave the design to Bernd Blos at Shavemac and he made and sold them for a while, but had problems with the screw thread inside jamming. I think I still have three or four of them in the basement. The idea was that the brush could be stiff to raise a lather, and large and soft for spreading it around. You just twisted the base and the knot rose up like a lipstick from the handle.

Chris

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Those look great. How would you describe the short knot of the first brush with the full bloom of the bottom one?
I have a Thater that is almost like a badger hair tennis ball, and I'm wondering if a less lofty one would be the way to go.

Wondering if a lock or tension ring would be needed to keep the loft set at one position, or it would drop down when using or sitting. Its a cool idea. But i think id rather have a dozzen or so brushes enstead of an adjustable one.

Welcome, Chris.

I'm very glad you are ok after a battle with leukemia!

As others posted earlier, Lynn is no longer around; he is enjoying his well deserved retirement and we wish him best.

Our community is better than ever and really thriving! We just participated in the global Movember fundraiser for men's health issues and it was our most successful one yet.

FWW:
Just info, For those with a hair ball brush, An "O" ring of the correct inside diameter at the junction of the knot and handle may be carefully moved/ rolled up and down the knot to vary the loft.( I made my first brushes with a brass ferrule and ring that worked quite well in that function.)
Attachment 299538Attachment 299537

~Richard

Welcome back! Nice hearing from a pre-website member.

Glad you are doing better!!! Cancer free?

I was curious about the state of things so that is good to hear Lynn is enjoying retirement.

I ended up with a partial remission, so now it's a waiting game to see how long I can go before we start again. I try to keep in mind that the way you 'beat' cancer is to die of something else!

C.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drmoss_ca

I ended up with a partial remission, so now it's a waiting game to see how long I can go before we start again. I try to keep in mind that the way you 'beat' cancer is to die of something else!

C.

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Hope it stays that way.
Haha, I guess that is true in some cases.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Geezer

FWW:
Just info, For those with a hair ball brush, An "O" ring of the correct inside diameter at the junction of the knot and handle may be carefully moved/ rolled up and down the knot to vary the loft.( I made my first brushes with a brass ferrule and ring that worked quite well in that function.)
Attachment 299538Attachment 299537

~Richard

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I have one of Geezers brass ferrule brushes and it works great with a little care needed to move the ferrule.

I found the setting that I like and have left it there for a long time though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bruno

Those look great. How would you describe the short knot of the first brush with the full bloom of the bottom one?
I have a Thater that is almost like a badger hair tennis ball, and I'm wondering if a less lofty one would be the way to go.

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Just as you'd expect: firm and scrubby versus soft and floppy, or anywhere in between. It was a hopeless exercise though, as like all shaving addicts I'm a slut for variety, and why would I be satisfied with one brush to do it all when I could have dozens?

A variable loft brush....superb idea, I'd be willing to do a buy as well.

MikeB52, maybe we could pool our resources and grab a few to try out....welcome back OP.

Looks like lots will go for it. Gotta admit. Pretty novel! I liked the 3rd position above, I think! ;)

Well, I'll be the nay sayer. It looks kind of like a solution in search of a problem. I think most would want a variety of brushes instead of one and it seems the mechanism would be subject to issues with the knot over time. I imagine it could be costly which might shoot down the idea of one brush equaling several and a cost savings.

A for the man that has everything gift.:hmmm:

When I first read about the VLB several years ago I did think, still do, that it was an interesting and novel idea. Unfortunately by that time I basically knew what loft to size ratios I liked in my 2 band badger, boar and synthetic knots. So for me it was a solution to a non-existent problem by that time. Still that takes nothing away from the uniqueness of the VLB design.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

When I first read about the VLB several years ago I did think, still do, that it was an interesting and novel idea. Unfortunately by that time I basically knew what loft to size ratios I liked in my 2 band badger, boar and synthetic knots. So for me it was a solution to a non-existent problem by that time. Still that takes nothing away from the uniqueness of the VLB design.

Bob

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Not sure what my preferences are yet, so one of those would be nice to experiment with!

Welcome back! Hope you stick around as you seem to be a good natured inventive chap with a lot of experience and good things to say... That's a great combo!

The info on the history which led us all here is great to clear up and discuss in a decent way, I for one know more now than I did, so thank you for bringing it up.
My best wishes for everyone involved.

As far as that brush goes.. Right on! The more variety the better. Someone will like it.
I have had similar concepts skip across my manic imagination before, like stones on a frozen pond..
Now they just sit there taunting me.
I love mechanical devices, maybe a steam-punk style, brass and exotic woods, keep the mechanical aspect external for show..
Uh oh! Dang it, what have you done?! Now I won't get it out of my head for weeks! Hehehe
:beer1:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JP5

Not sure what my preferences are yet, so one of those would be nice to experiment with!

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Yes, it's perfect for that. Do keep in mind that the setting you settle on will likely be good for only one type of badger grade and not directly applicable to boar, synthetic of horse hair knots. That is if you plan to buy more brushes in the future.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

Yes, it's perfect for that. Do keep in mind that the setting you settle on will likely be good for only one type of badger grade and not directly applicable to boar, synthetic of horse hair knots. That is if you plan to buy more brushes in the future.

Bob

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Also, when you try a different badger brush it could be different. Not all badger knots are the same. Its still a cool idea.