Three new M&F Stowaways

Gentlemen,


Morris & Forndran managed to include three new ReadyMade shaving brushes in our last custom brush shipment.

Shown here and offered for your consideration in The ReadyMade Collection are two, 26mm Finest Badger Ebonite 2XL's along with a lustrous Single-Ring Moonjava 3XL.  And while you're there, feel free to check our our new "About Ebonite" page. 

 

Enjoy!

Love the Moonjava!!!!


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(11-02-2019, 03:26 PM)number six Wrote: Love the Moonjava!!!!


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Glad you like it, Chris.  It's been sold. But we can always make another    and use the right name.  (I'ts "New Moon."  Loooong day.)

Brad, that red brick xl is speaking to me.   Beautiful brush.

(11-03-2019, 03:59 AM)BSWoodturning Wrote:

(11-02-2019, 03:26 PM)number six Wrote: Love the Moonjava!!!!


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Glad you like it, Chris.  It's been sold. But we can always make another    and use the right name.  (I'ts "New Moon."  Loooong day.)

New Moon it is. I'd like to hear some first hand observations of the new M&F Finest knots. This one looks outstanding.  
Cheers

(11-03-2019, 06:34 AM)number six Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 03:59 AM)BSWoodturning Wrote:

(11-02-2019, 03:26 PM)number six Wrote: Love the Moonjava!!!!


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Glad you like it, Chris.  It's been sold. But we can always make another    and use the right name.  (I'ts "New Moon."  Loooong day.)

New Moon it is. I'd like to hear some first hand observations of the new M&F Finest knots. This one looks outstanding.  
Cheers

I just got a brush a couple of days ago (knotted by Lee Sabini), my first observation is that is has quite some scrubby tips, which is not the most pleasant thing in the face. Other than that it's a great knot and lathers very easily and is quite soft on the face.

I must say it's my first brush from Brad Sears/Lee Sabini, I have experience with other hand-tied brushes (Declaration Grooming for example, and there I don't feel that at all)

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(11-03-2019, 05:23 AM)NJDJ Wrote: Brad, that red brick xl is speaking to me.   Beautiful brush.

Glad you appreciate it.  Ebonite makes a distinctive handle without a doubt.  The 26mm size is a personal favorite.

(11-03-2019, 10:55 AM)shadowman12 Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 06:34 AM)number six Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 03:59 AM)BSWoodturning Wrote: Glad you like it, Chris.  It's been sold. But we can always make another    and use the right name.  (I'ts "New Moon."  Loooong day.)

New Moon it is. I'd like to hear some first hand observations of the new M&F Finest knots. This one looks outstanding.  
Cheers

I just got a brush a couple of days ago (knotted by Lee Sabini), my first observation is that is has quite some stubby tips, which is not the most pleasant thing in the face. Other than that it's a great knot and lathers very easily and is quite soft on the face.

I must say it's my first brush from Brad Sears/Lee Sabini, I have experience with other hand-tied brushes (Declaration Grooming for example, and there I don't feel that at all)

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Thanks. Not sure what you mean about the stubby tips.


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Sorry that was a typo, I meant scrubby

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(11-03-2019, 10:55 AM)shadowman12 Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 06:34 AM)number six Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 03:59 AM)BSWoodturning Wrote: Glad you like it, Chris.  It's been sold. But we can always make another    and use the right name.  (I'ts "New Moon."  Loooong day.)

New Moon it is. I'd like to hear some first hand observations of the new M&F Finest knots. This one looks outstanding.  
Cheers

I just got a brush a couple of days ago (knotted by Lee Sabini), my first observation is that is has quite some stubby tips, which is not the most pleasant thing in the face. Other than that it's a great knot and lathers very easily and is quite soft on the face.

I must say it's my first brush from Brad Sears/Lee Sabini, I have experience with other hand-tied brushes (Declaration Grooming for example, and there I don't feel that at all)

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As I think most of us know, brush preferences are highly subjective.  What works for one might too much (or too little) for another.  With that said, I offer two thoughts:

1. My admittedly subjective experience with Lee's Finests has been that the first shaves can be deceiving.  It often takes 8-10--and can take as many as 15-20--shaves before they "open up" and come into their own.  (Your mileage, of course, may vary.)  I can say that the hair Lee imports tends to be a bit thicker--with perhaps less pre-treatment--than the hair used by the folks who hand-tie our BSSW knots, which have soft tips almost from the start.  (The latter is by design as it would make little sense for us to offer two brands of knots with similar characteristics.)
2. Secondly, and at the risk of taking this conversation in a different direction, I will say that most--if not all--badger hair knots used by today's mid- to high-end brush makers are tied by hand.  Most of us know of three individuals, outside the large makers, who have ventured into tying their own knots.  That has led to the unfortunate impression that the rest of us use knots not made by hand.  I will not speak for any other makers, but I do know of at least one, aside from Nancy and me, who has done extensive research and spent significant up-front capital speaking with and testing samples from numerous Chinese knot makers until we have obtained knots that meet our individual quality and performance standards.  For us it's a perfect combination.  On the one hand, we are able to offer both bespoke and ReadyMade brushes to help keep the Morris & Forndran name alive and thriving while on the other, we can offer the same quality brushes--albeit with different knot characteristics--at a slightly lower price.  (Apologies for the digression.)  I hope that some of what I've shared helps.
   

I have a couple of M&F's from the last four or five months and they are fantastic. Quite dense, with strong backbone. I agree with Brad that M&F's take some time to break in. All of mine have taken a few shaves, but even so, I've liked them right away. I like some scrub as long as they aren't too scritchy.

I must say, after a couple of more shaves the knot feels much nicer and already a bit less scrubby, which I'm very pleased with.

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(11-03-2019, 01:31 PM)BSWoodturning Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 10:55 AM)shadowman12 Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 06:34 AM)number six Wrote: New Moon it is. I'd like to hear some first hand observations of the new M&F Finest knots. This one looks outstanding.  
Cheers

I just got a brush a couple of days ago (knotted by Lee Sabini), my first observation is that is has quite some stubby tips, which is not the most pleasant thing in the face. Other than that it's a great knot and lathers very easily and is quite soft on the face.

I must say it's my first brush from Brad Sears/Lee Sabini, I have experience with other hand-tied brushes (Declaration Grooming for example, and there I don't feel that at all)

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

As I think most of us know, brush preferences are highly subjective.  What works for one might too much (or too little) for another.  With that said, I offer two thoughts:

1. My admittedly subjective experience with Lee's Finests has been that the first shaves can be deceiving.  It often takes 8-10--and can take as many as 15-20--shaves before they "open up" and come into their own.  (Your mileage, of course, may vary.)  I can say that the hair Lee imports tends to be a bit thicker--with perhaps less pre-treatment--than the hair used by the folks who hand-tie our BSSW knots, which have soft tips almost from the start.  (The latter is by design as it would make little sense for us to offer two brands of knots with similar characteristics.)
2. Secondly, and at the risk of taking this conversation in a different direction, I will say that most--if not all--badger hair knots used by today's mid- to high-end brush makers are tied by hand.  Most of us know of three individuals, outside the large makers, who have ventured into tying their own knots.  That has led to the unfortunate impression that the rest of us use knots not made by hand.  I will not speak for any other makers, but I do know of at least one, aside from Nancy and me, who has done extensive research and spent significant up-front capital speaking with and testing samples from numerous Chinese knot makers until we have obtained knots that meet our individual quality and performance standards.  For us it's a perfect combination.  On the one hand, we are able to offer both bespoke and ReadyMade brushes to help keep the Morris & Forndran name alive and thriving while on the other, we can offer the same quality brushes--albeit with different knot characteristics--at a slightly lower price.  (Apologies for the digression.)  I hope that some of what I've shared helps.
   

I must say, after a couple of more shaves the knot feels much nicer and already a bit less scrubby, which I'm very pleased with.

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(11-06-2019, 03:48 PM)shadowman12 Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 01:31 PM)BSWoodturning Wrote:

(11-03-2019, 10:55 AM)shadowman12 Wrote: I just got a brush a couple of days ago (knotted by Lee Sabini), my first observation is that is has quite some stubby tips, which is not the most pleasant thing in the face. Other than that it's a great knot and lathers very easily and is quite soft on the face.

I must say it's my first brush from Brad Sears/Lee Sabini, I have experience with other hand-tied brushes (Declaration Grooming for example, and there I don't feel that at all)

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

As I think most of us know, brush preferences are highly subjective.  What works for one might too much (or too little) for another.  With that said, I offer two thoughts:

1. My admittedly subjective experience with Lee's Finests has been that the first shaves can be deceiving.  It often takes 8-10--and can take as many as 15-20--shaves before they "open up" and come into their own.  (Your mileage, of course, may vary.)  I can say that the hair Lee imports tends to be a bit thicker--with perhaps less pre-treatment--than the hair used by the folks who hand-tie our BSSW knots, which have soft tips almost from the start.  (The latter is by design as it would make little sense for us to offer two brands of knots with similar characteristics.)
2. Secondly, and at the risk of taking this conversation in a different direction, I will say that most--if not all--badger hair knots used by today's mid- to high-end brush makers are tied by hand.  Most of us know of three individuals, outside the large makers, who have ventured into tying their own knots.  That has led to the unfortunate impression that the rest of us use knots not made by hand.  I will not speak for any other makers, but I do know of at least one, aside from Nancy and me, who has done extensive research and spent significant up-front capital speaking with and testing samples from numerous Chinese knot makers until we have obtained knots that meet our individual quality and performance standards.  For us it's a perfect combination.  On the one hand, we are able to offer both bespoke and ReadyMade brushes to help keep the Morris & Forndran name alive and thriving while on the other, we can offer the same quality brushes--albeit with different knot characteristics--at a slightly lower price.  (Apologies for the digression.)  I hope that some of what I've shared helps.
   

I must say, after a couple of more shaves the knot feels much nicer and already a bit less scrubby, which I'm very pleased with.

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Thank you for your follow-up remarks.  I expect your brush will continue to break-in and become softer the more it's used.  As mentioned last time, Lee's (M&F) knots, like many others that are classically-tied, do take time to fully break in.  The main thing to remember is that Lee's been tying knots for a long time and is considered one of the premier world's knot makers as many here will attest. Given the interest in high-end shaving brushes, it's not surprising to see others to dip their feet in the knot-tying water.  Frankly, I'm delighted to see them join the fray--and wish them the best.