My first attempt at a brush restoration

[ndw76]

I just got this in the mail today. I'm going to attempt to restore some old shaving brushes. I figure this is a cheap way to get a new brush or three without paying heaps.
I bought this Cavalier brush from ebay. When I got it, it was a little stained and had ratty old boar bristles. Before I thought about taking any photos I attacked it with a pair of sharp scissors and a drill to get rid of the old knot. It was no where near as deep as I thought it would be. The handle still has a few scratches, but I'm not sure if I should bother to polish them out or not.
Now I'm waiting for the knot to arrive and I'll be able to put it all together. Just hoping that the hole is big enough. I don't like the thought of having to enlarge the hole. Anyway, here are a few pictures of my progress so far.

[dannywonderful]

That's a nice looking handle. Where did you order the knot from? I'm a big fan of the knots from Golden Nib, I have three so far and fully intend to get a few more.

[ndw76]

Thats the place, Golden Nib. I thought it would be a lot more expensive. I have two more handles coming soon, but I want to finish this one before i make any mistakes on the others.

[dannywonderful]

If the knot is only slightly too big you can use a small file - I used a nail file - to make the base of the knot fit.

Golden Nib are great for prices and shipping is very affordable too, as the knots are obviously very light. They are also *ahem* customs friendly.

[Johnny J]

I'd keep the scratches & dings in the handle. They make it look like the antique that it is. If you sand it down & re-finish it, you might as well have used a new handle, & where's the fun in that?

[ndw76]

Too late. It's nice and shiny now. I guess I can't be trusted with polish. However, it still has it's original lable. I'll take some more pictures tomorrow to show the progress so far. All I have to do now is wait for the brush to arrive. Waiting is the hardest part.

[dnjrboy]

Good on you. I restored acouple of brushes a little while ago. The golden nib brushes I got really benefitted from a nice long soak in some warm water.

I also ageed that you should leave the antique look to the brush handle.

[ndw76]

I got the brushes from TGN today and now they are in place with the epoxy setting as I type. With the Cavalier the hole was a little small and had to be widened just a little. This was easily done with a diamond file. I also have an old Eveready which even though the hole was a little small, when the brush was in place, it wanted to settle off to one side. This was because the hole left from the old bristles was a bit deep. This has been filled in with epoxy and the brush is being supported in place with a tube made from a piece of paper. I'll take some photos to show you all as soon as I charge the batteries for my camera.

[jreiter22]

Could you post the link for the knots. Now I have to hunt worn out brushes. Is the epoxy waterproof? Found Golden Nib on eBay

[ndw76]

Here is the link for The Golden Nib. Be careful, this site could become addictive.
The epoxy glue you find at the hardwear store should do the job. It should say that it is water proof. If it is clear and intended for out door use you should be fine. You can find old brushes for cheap prices on ebay, or you might be able to find some in antique stores.