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We are privileged to be the American purveyor of hand-made Morris & Forndran shaving brushes!  These exquisite shaving brushes are filled in your choice of Blonde or Finest badger hair in Bulb, Hybrid or Fan configurations.

At the same time, we are excited to announce that our BSSW shaving brushes will now be filled with and exquisite 2-Band Silvertip badger hair knots hand-tied to our specifications by a Chinese company with many years of knot making expertise.  They are available in 24, 26, 28, and 30mm sizes.  The 24mm knots will be available in a Fan profile, while the larger sizes can be had in either Fan or Bulb shapes.  These are comparatively soft knots very similar to our widely acclaimed Manchurians but with slightly softer, "gel-like" tips and moderate backbone.  The main difference is that the 2-band Silvertips are made from a thinner, slightly higher-quality hair that tends not to form hooked tips that "crackle" when dry.  We feel that these knots are on a par, from a quality standpoint, with any in the world.

Please note: although we are happy to set the loft to your stated height, we strongly recommend that you allow us to determine the loft based on your preferred face feel, etc. We encourage you to share your thoughts with us.  That way we can set the loft accordingly.

Between our hand-tied Morris & Forndran and BSSW knots, we believe we offer some of the finest quality badger hair shaving brush knots available today.  Because these knots have characteristics unique to our brands, we believe that filling our handles with other knots--even though they might be of excellent quality--could result in characteristics different from those the wet shaving community has come to expect of our brushes. We are, therefore, no longer offering this option.

Morris & Forndran Badger hair knots are considered by most wet shaving enthusiasts to be among the "finest" in the world!  It's probably not much of an exaggeration to suggest that many consider these knots to be the very best shaving brush knot currently being made.

Each knot is hand-crafted by Lee Sabini in the United Kingdom to fit the specific handle.  This is the exact opposite approach from that taken by most other brushmakers who typically fit pre-made knots into the handle.

We currently offer Lee’s knots in two types of badger hair:  "Finest" and "Blonde."  Both are 2-band knots, that means they typically, but not always, show two different colors of hair: dark at the base with white or cream-colored tips. We consider both to be of the same "quality."

These knots are dense, denser perhaps than most.  As such, they both work very well with both soaps--including hard soaps--and creams.  Finests generally have more backbone and are prone to develop hooked/gel tips. The additional backbone can lead to a somewhat scrubby knot that can feel "scritchy" to those with more sensitive skin.  The blonde is plush.  The tips are not quite as soft, but with less backbone they are very well balanced.

Both knots are available in Bulb, Fan and "Hybrid" shapes.  Fans have have hair that's pretty much the same length throughout, giving the tops a "flatter" appearance than the Bulb that, due to the longer hair in the center, gives the knot a more rounded profile.  The Hybrid shape is about midway between the Fan and Bulb profiles.

You can see a Fan here and a Bulb here.

Our Order Process is similar to most online stores, but with differences... 

When you "check out," an Order Form opens up for you to share the details of what you want along with any special instructions you might wish to share with us. 

When checkout is complete, you should receive an email confirmation showing everything you've shared with us.  Please review this confirmation carefully and let us know as soon as possible if anything needs to be changed.

Some things to know... 

• We now request a $50.00/item deposit on all shaving brush orders. We will send a PayPal invoice for the full amount of your purchase, noting the amount of the deposit due. Please pay this deposit within seven (7) calendar days.  If we don't receive your deposit within that time, we will be forced to cancel the order. 
  
  
• As a convenience, you may make periodic payments toward the outstanding balance, if that works better for you.
  
  
• Please let us know if you use a Freight Forwarder!  Freight Forwarders provide a valuable service to our International customers, but because we want to give these shipments special handling, help us to help you.
  

We will let you know when your items are ready for shipment. Any outstanding balance will be due at that time. If we have not heard from you within seven days of this notification, we reserve the right to cancel your order and your deposit will be forfeit.

Please note that if you decide to cancel this order, we may withhold a $25.00 per item cancellation fee.

As mentioned above, we accept payments through PayPal.  We find this to be the fastest and most secure method of payment.  Although PayPal will encourage you to set up an account, they do give the option of paying with a Credit Card without setting up an account.  Let us know if you have any problems and we'll try to help out!

All Domestic U.S. and APO orders placed after February 18, 2017 will be shipped via USPS with Tracking.  An $8.00 shipping cost will be added to your invoice.

If you use a Freight Forwarder, your brush will be sent with a Signature Confirmation at an additional cost of $6.00.  Please note:  if your brush is shipped to a Freight Forwarder's address without its being specified on the Order Form, our liability for your brush ends when Post Office tracking shows the brush as being delivered.

Because we have an import/export license from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, we are able to ship our badger brushes internationally. 

Unless otherwise you tell us otherwise, we ship International orders via USPS First Class International Mail, insured for $25.00USD. 

Canadian orders will also be shipped via USPS First Class International Mail, insured for $10.00USD.

Please Note:  

• Please be sure to include your Telephone Number in the "Comments" section of the order form.  Your Telephone Number is Required by Customs and we CANNOT Ship your new brush without it.
  
  
• We ask you to be responsible for any import tariffs/fees that might be assessed by your country.  We sympathize that import tariffs can be high, but we are also obliged to follow the law when it comes to declaring full value on all shipments.
  

Unlike most major brush makers, every shaving brush that leaves our shop is made completely by hand in much the same way brushes were made 150 years ago.  Our handles are lathe-turned and polished on a manually-controlled wood lathe.  Our knots as painstakingly hand-crafted--the Manchurians by a small company in China while the Morris & Forndran knots are carefully hand-fitted to each handle by Lee Sabin in his one-man shop the U.K.  

All this takes time.  Our estimated lead time on Morris & Forndran brushes is currently between three-five months.  Brushes filled with our 2-band Silvertip hair should be available in about two months, depending on when we receive our latest knot order.

All shipments are well padded and securely packaged using recycled or re-used packing materials wherever practical.

All that said:  once your new brush is in hand, we try to invoice within 1 - 2 business days and ship within one business day of payment receipt.

Our Shipping Address is: 

P.O. Box 791

Ridgely, MD 21660-0791

We guarantee our brushes against manufacturing defects for one year (12 months from the date of shipment). Please inspect your brush when you first receive it.

If you are not satisfied with our product, we will be happy to provide a refund as long as you return it to us in unused, undamaged condition within 30 days of receipt. Standard orders will be refunded at 100% (less $25 cancellation fee) upon receipt; however, orders with specific knot specifications or handle variations will be refunded under the same terms once we have been able to resell it.   

But after the brush has been wetted or lathered, we are no longer able to sell it as new. If returned within 30 days, we will refund 75% of purchase price (less $25 cancellation fee) as these brushes can only be resold as used.   The waiting period for refunds is the same as noted above

[Editor's Note:  the following is extracted from the Shaving Brush Care brochure included with all BSSW shaving Brushes.  We re-publish it here as a public service whether you own--or decide to purchase--one of our brushes.  Enjoy!]

Receiving a new shaving brush is--or at least we think it should be--exciting.  A quality shaving brush should give you many years of fine shaves; but how long your brush lasts is at least as dependent on the care you give it as it is on how well it's made!  So, with that said...

What’s “Proper Care?”   Before first use, it’s a good idea to shampoo your new brush with warm water and a good quality shampoo with conditioner. This should get rid of any “stuff” collected during manufacturing and shipping and start the “break-in” process.

Work up a good lather by gently “brushing” back and forth against the palm of your hand.  After a minute or so, rinse your brush thoroughly–again with warm water—until the water runs clear.  Gently squeeze out the excess water, shake out the remainder, then dry the handle with a soft towel.   Set your brush on its base and allow it to dry completely in a well-ventilated area.  That prevents mildew, which will ruin your brush in very short order! 

Please note:  Your brush might exhibit an “animal smell” at first and could shed a few hairs during the break-in period.  Both are normal.  Don’t worry, any smell and/or hair loss should disappear over the first 8 – 12 shaves.

The Keys to Long Brush Life…

1.      First of all...don’t subject your brush to water hotter than your hand can tolerate!  Be nice to it.  Your brush is made of hair which will break and/or fall out if you mistreat it…. [Editor's note:  while the occasional "shedder" is an unfortunate fact of life, our tests have shown that subjecting a brush to very hot water is the fastest way to cause a perfectly good brush to shed hair copiously.]

2.      When lathering, compress your brush only about ¼ of the way down.  Pressing harder slows lather formation, ruins the tips and eventually leaves a “donut hole” in the center of the knot.

3.      After every use, rinse your brush thoroughly under warm water until the water runs clear.  Then squeeze out the excess water, etc. as described above, and set it on its base in a dry area.

In short, take care of your new Shaving Brush and it will care for you!

We feel there's nothing more satisfying (well, ALMOST nothing) than shaving with rich lather you've whipped up yourself using a finely-crafted shaving brush!  But...

Building terrific lather with a new shaving brush can be a challenge—especially if you’re new to wet shaving!  So we’d like to offer some suggestions.  Most of this pertains to soap, since that’s what we use.  Cream users will need to pick and choose.  The big thing is to relax and enjoy the experience! J

To start, lather consists of three components:  soap (or cream), water and air.  Get those proportions right and you will build terrific lather!  Let’s get to it….

First off, most lather “failures” come from using too much water—or too much water too soon!  So lesson #1 is learning how to control the amount of water.  The rule of thumb is:  better too little than too much.   You can always add more water, but it’s tougher to remove too much. 

To start, we like to soak the entire puck in water for five minutes or so while showering.  Soaking the entire puck works for especially well for hard soaps like Mitchell’s Wool Fat—and for those who have hard water.  The idea is to soften the soap to get it ready for “Loading the Brush.”  (Cream users can obviously bypass this step.)

Next comes “prepping the brush.”  Some folks like to soak their brushes for a few minutes, which is fine, but if you're using one our BSSW brushes, know that we engineer our brushes to hold more water than the typical premium brush; so prolonged soaking can result in too much water at the outset.  So instead of soaking, we prefer to simply run the brush under warm tap water just enough to get it wet, then gently wring out most of the water.  So, if you do soak your brush, remember to do so in warm—not hot—water.  (Hot water—hotter than your hand can stand for 30 seconds—will eventually ruin the hair and loosen the epoxy, which will result in shedding and other nasty things.)

Loading the brush.  Loading the brush is probably the most important step in the process—it’s certainly where most “lather failures” happen.  If you’re using a synthetic brush, leave a little water on top of the puck; otherwise dump all the water from around the puck.  Then swirl the brush against the puck for 30-45 seconds, depressing the bristles no more than about ¼ of the way down.  (Pressing any farther only slows the loading process and breaks the tips, eventually causing the dreaded “donut hole” in the center.)  You should feel resistance as the tips drag across the soap.  This means soap is collecting in the bristles.  Ignore what appears to be lather forming at this stage.  This “proto lather” is just a precursor to true lather.  If the soap starts to feel dry and pasty, you can add a few drops of water.  What we’re looking for is rubbery “goo” on both the soap and brush. 

Now that our brush is loaded, we can either “face lather” or “bowl lather.”  Which one you choose is purely personal preference.   Let’s talk about face lathering first.

Face Lathering:  Swirl the loaded brush around on your face, alternating between swirls and back and forth “paint brush” strokes.  Gradually add water, a little at a time, by dipping the tips of your brush in hot tap water.   Continue lathering for a few minutes or until the lather reaches a rich, foamy consistency.              

Bowl lathering.  Bowl lathering is similar to face lathering except here we develop our lather in either a soup bowl sized shaving bowl or scuttle (the choice is yours.)  Put a small amount of tap water in the bottom of the bowl, then swirl the brush around for 30 seconds or so gradually adding water a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.  Again, depress the brush only about ¼ of the way down.  Then start shaving.

This is what works for us, but know that “your mileage may vary” as they say.  You can always call or email me with questions.  I love to hear from you.  There are also a ton of shaving videos on YouTube and lots of advice on the shaving forums.

Bottom line:  I find immense satisfaction in building terrific lather the way my father and grandfathers did.  It’s one way to connect with the generations that have gone before us.  But whether you think this way or not, the big thing is to enjoy the ride!

Yours in fine shaving,

Brad

brad@TurningArts.com

www.BradSearsShaveWorks.com

Short answer:  I wish we could.  When our business was small--10-15 brushes a week--Special Orders made good business sense.  But as demand for our shaving brushes has grown over the past year, we've been faced with a tough choice, what mathematicians call a "binary solution set":  we could either:  a) Continue to spend hours on the phone/email/text talking with patrons, plus additional hours researching requests for special materials and lose production time; or b)  Limit communication time in order to better meet demand within reasonable timeframes.  Since this business is needed to provide a substantial fraction of our income, the choice was obvious.

We have however substantially expanded our materials inventory with commercially cast domestic and imported handle materials ("rods") to give you as many options as practical--and have done our best to provide you with lists (and where possible, photographs) of the materials we have available.  We have also added a new Order Form that allows you to specify precisely what you want, within our brush "repertoire." 

Shaving forums are filled with posts complaining of "non-responsiveness" and "long wait times" from artisan makers.  We understand that we might soon be subject to similar "complaints."  While we will do our best to respond to within 24 - 48 hours to reasonable questions/comments, we can't make that promise unconditionally.

Bottom line:  our objective is to give you the best shaving brush we are capable of making as quickly as possible at prices commensurate with quality.  We simply ask for your understanding.  It is a privilege to be of service!

Due to our large backlog of orders, we must spend our time wisely to first meet the needs of those who have placed an order.  That means we have limited time to develop new handle designs. 

While we are always looking to expand our handle "repertoire," we reserve the right to accept or reject proposed designs.  Generally speaking, whatever designs we accept must conform to the look and feel of what fine artists call, "voice."  In other words, a new design must look like a BSSW or Morris & Forndran design. That said:  we do not copy other artisan's work, nor will we copy any handle design that's not in the public domain.

If we agree to create a custom-designed handle--or produce a limited edition design or color ("work product"); any such designs/work product automatically become the property of Brad Sears Shave Works unless we agree otherwise at the beginning of any custom design conversation.  Please understand that the price of proprietary or "one-off" work products will include additional charges.

While we have occasionally sold our handles without a knot in the past, the demand for our brushes has increased to the point where we can no longer sell handles by themselves.  We've taken this step in order to maintain the distinctiveness of the Morris & Forndran and BSSW brands of shaving brushes.

We take great pride in our workmanship; so it's extremely important to us that you be delighted with your purchases.  For that reason, we guarantee every hand-crafted piece that leaves our workshops for one (1) year from the date of purchase against defects in material and workmanship.  

We do ask that you check your brush thoroughly before wetting or using it!  If you're not completely satisfied, you may return it in its unused condition for a full refund.  But once it's been wetted, we cannot sell it as a new brush; so if you wish to return it for refund after it's been used you may do so within 30 days subject to a 20% restocking charge.

Beyond that, we will repair or replace any brushes deemed defective at our option during the warranty period.

We cannot however warrant against matters beyond our control like improper care, damage due to inappropriate use, accident, or neglect.

To obtain service within the guarantee period, simply ship the product along with a copy of your sales receipt to Brad Sears Shave Works.  We will work with you to ensure that you are delighted.

We are happy to honor our guarantee for one (1) year from the date of sale to the original owner.  To that point, if you buy (or sell) one of our brushes during that period, please be sure you have the original owner's name and date of purchase (if you're the buyer) or provide that information to the buyer (if you're the seller.)  Without that information, we might not be able to help if you find it necessary to file a claim.

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry best practices to make sure it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored with a AES-256 encryption.  Although no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional generally accepted industry standards.

For further information, please see our Privacy Policy.

What a great question!  The short answer is:  a LOT!  We use only the highest-quality cast polyester resins to create our shaving brush handles.  We have spent many hours testing and evaluating different handle materials in order to bring you the best shaving brush we can.  Check out our Handle Material page for more information.

Unfortunately not.  While many good looking woods, plastics and other materials being offered these days, only a very few can be made into a best-quality shaving brush handle.  We have spend many hours and researching and testing numerous potential handle materials in order to offer you the very best in the world.  You need only read the many "tales of woe" on the shaving forums in order to understand our position.  

Check out our materials inventory here.

While we have had some success with patrons supplying their own handle materials, the vast majority of instances have been less than satisfactory.  We try to keep a good selection of materials in stock, which you can here, to give you a wide range of handle options.