Completed Come on chaps - cheer yourselves up!! - Meet the Alpha Classic...

[owlman]

Sorry guys yes shipped by surface mail - that's all there is AND the reason the brush was half price.

Yes, I wasn't complaining, just curious whether p.b getting his meant mine was soon to arrive as well. Turns out it wasn't, but I finally got it today! Ten weeks, almost a Jules Verne adventure journey!

I've already shaved for the day, but I did a test lather because the knot is quite misshaped from the travel. Didn't change much, I guess it will take a few uses to "de-flatten". The handle seems pretty comfortable to hold. Can't wait for a proper use tomorrow!

 

[p.b]

Yes, I wasn't complaining, just curious whether p.b getting his meant mine was soon to arrive as well. Turns out it wasn't, but I finally got it today! Ten weeks, almost a Jules Verne adventure journey!

I've already shaved for the day, but I did a test lather because the knot is quite misshaped from the travel. Didn't change much, I guess it will take a few uses to "de-flatten". The handle seems pretty comfortable to hold. Can't wait for a proper use tomorrow!

Dunk it in hot water and then it'll reform into the correct shape - that's what I did with mine as lathering it didn't work.

 

[Charcoal]

Beautiful brushes. The green is very nice.

 

[owlman]

Dunk it in hot water and then it'll reform into the correct shape - that's what I did with mine as lathering it didn't work.

Thanks! How hot is "hot"? I don't want to overdo it. I've tried hot tap water (about 40-50 C?), let it soak for a while and then pressured the glue bump with my fingers. That has worked to some degree:

It looks like I'm stuck with the "corner" though, that seems to be just be the way the knot is put together.

 

[SeanC]

Thanks! How hot is "hot"? I don't want to overdo it. I've tried hot tap water (about 40-50 C?), let it soak for a while and then pressured the glue bump with my fingers. That has worked to some degree:

It looks like I'm stuck with the "corner" though, that seems to be just be the way the knot is put together.

Try soaking it under hand hot water and massaging the knot (like washing hair) at the same time. After giving it a good shake, literally comb the knot bottom to top. Sounds a bit OTT, but has worked for me.

 

[p.b]

My tap water is so hot I can’t put my hands under a running tap. I filled a sink and then held it knot end under water for 20 seconds or so.

 

[AlphaShaving]

Hey guys I just saw this with the misshapes. yes the darned things have been stuck in an envelope for months on the way to you guys. I found that HOT water - about 60ºC works to reshape.

My process is to put it in the water and leave it to soak a minute or so, flick the water out and the leave it to dry in shape.

If anyone has a knot that is truly totally fxxked then I will send a new brush... when the mail gets back to normal.

 

[owlman]

I tried the "washing hair" and combing method yesterday, but that didn't work (or I was doing it wrong?). Today I used 70°C water in a mug, held the knot under for a minute (didn't let it sit on its own because I didn't want to risk the tips to bend) and then flicked the water out, did that a second time, and it worked just fine! Like magic, it just corrected itself, including the "corner". Thanks so much, guys!

Used it properly today, and like I said yesterday, the handle is pretty comfortable indeed. The knot is very soft, and similar to a SynBad in its feeling as a unitary entity (as in: not a collection of individual fibres) on the skin, and a backbone that puts some pressure behind it. In both regards it feels noticeably different from the Mühle/EJ STF knots.