From Defective to Enhanced

We have all seen the advertisements of a certain company that is selling brushes with "defective handles" on a certain auction site. Well I decided to get one of these brushes to see how "defective" the handle was. The company had a statement about the handle on the selling post which is quoted as follows: "I select these shaving brush for sales, because the handle is not very important for shaving brush, I hope these shaving brush will be sold best while the Global economic slowdown, so if you didn't mind the handle, it is worth to buy, thanks!"

Well I understand their point that the handle is a tool to get the business end of the brush, the knot, to apply lather to the skin, however in terms of long term use the handle is important to the user both ergonomically as well as aesthetically. So I decided to take the defective brush with a handle that had a very deep and visible crack, and use the knot as a donor.

In addition I had received in a purchase of old handles a plain stained wooden handle which had a 20 mm hole that could accommodate such a knot as is. I don't know what wood or stain was used, but it had potential. The problem was that the handle made simply with no adornment of any type. So first, I went and found a concho in the shape of a 1943 Liberty Lady U.S. Dime. I went ahead and prepared the hole in the base and then proceeded to apply clear epoxy all over the handle as a finish both outside and inside the handle and applied the concho to the base and let it sit and cure to a nice shiny finish that will keep water out. I loaded up the inside of the handle with some ballast to increase the weight of the finished brush. Next I went and cut out the knot from the defective donor handle and epoxied the knot into the recipient handle. Here is the finished product and it lathers up very nicely and fits well in my hand.





P.S. In the final analysis, I guess I did mind the handle.