Morris&Forndran

I like the chunkier bottom on that older Polo.

I like the chunkier bottom on that older Polo.

I do too, I'm kinda after one of those but they don't come up often. I know someone who turns Polos like that so might ask them.

But I also saw a Sabini Polo with a more rounded bottom but still chunky so that can be a sign of a Sabini Polo the thickness of the bottom.

I have a couple of pre-collaboration Polos, which have a not-so-chunky base.

I have a couple of pre-collaboration Polos, which have a not-so-chunky base.

First off those are beauties. Second the bottom is still much thicker than the BSSW Polo's which I guess is another tell.

How can you tell if a brush is an original M&F or a Brad Sears Collaboration? Does it even matter?


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Good morning, Gentlemen.  I hope nobody minds my jumping in to (hopefully!) lend a bit of clarity.   (If so, I'll sit down and be quiet   Admin, please note.)

To answer the basic question, the best, but not infallible, way to tell the difference is by the box, as others have said.  The other thing is that the brushes Lee made were all turned on a CNC lathe whereas our "collaboration" brushes are ones I turn on a manually-controlled wood lathe. (If interested, you can see the actual machine on our website Home Page.)  For practical purposes, that means you might see a bit more size/shape variance in the collaboration brushes.  (Yes, I'm good at replication; but a CNC is better.)

However, doing things by hand means that we have a lot more flexibility to vary a design.  For example:  the Alibaba and Emillion were originally designed to accommodate smaller 18-22mm knots.  Re-programming a CNC for larger knots would have been a significant undertaking, whereas turning by hand is a comparatively simple matter.  That's not to suggest that these are easy handles to turn (they're not, as my trash can will attest!), but once Lee and I got the revised designs right, I can (usually!) replicate handles pretty closely.  (Experience and all that....)  That's why when you order a Polo, L7, 2XL, etc. there's very little difference between the collaboration brushes and those made on Lee's CNC-- a machine that "died" a few years ago.

Further to the flexibility question, Nancy and I are in the process of adding a "Special Services" section to our website where you can go to ask about design modifications (things like a Polo with a chunkier bottom, special knots (e.g. Shavemac, TGN, et al.), as well as brush re-knotting, etc.)  The point is:  we've gotten pretty good at doing special things and want to share that expertise with the broader community.

Finally, the Pink rods Vinny mentioned at the outset are, as he said, no longer available in practical quantities.  (Trust me:  I shook that tree pretty hard!)  That's why we went to the closest available alternative, what we call Passionate Pink.  The brush pictured was part of a group of 26mm Polos and L7's I made in August/September of 2016.

Anyway, I hope this helps.  And if anyone has specific questions, the best way to reach is through this link.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

How can you tell if a brush is an original M&F or a Brad Sears Collaboration? Does it even matter?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good morning, Gentlemen.  I hope nobody minds my jumping in to (hopefully!) lend a bit of clarity.   (If so, I'll sit down and be quiet   Admin, please note.)

To answer the basic question, the best, but not infallible, way to tell the difference is by the box, as others have said.  The other thing is that the brushes Lee made were all turned on a CNC lathe whereas our "collaboration" brushes are ones I turn on a manually-controlled wood lathe. (If interested, you can see the actual machine on our website Home Page.)  For practical purposes, that means you might see a bit more size/shape variance in the collaboration brushes.  (Yes, I'm good at replication; but a CNC is better.)

However, doing things by hand means that we have a lot more flexibility to vary a design.  For example:  the Alibaba and Emillion were originally designed to accommodate smaller 18-22mm knots.  Re-programming a CNC for larger knots would have been a significant undertaking, whereas turning by hand is a comparatively simple matter.  That's not to suggest that these are easy handles to turn (they're not, as my trash can will attest!), but once Lee and I got the revised designs right, I can (usually!) replicate handles pretty closely.  (Experience and all that....)  That's why when you order a Polo, L7, 2XL, etc. there's very little difference between the collaboration brushes and those made on Lee's CNC-- a machine that "died" a few years ago.

Further to the flexibility question, Nancy and I are in the process of adding a "Special Services" section to our website where you can go to ask about design modifications (things like a Polo with a chunkier bottom, special knots (e.g. Shavemac, TGN, et al.), as well as brush re-knotting, etc.)  The point is:  we've gotten pretty good at doing special things and want to share that expertise with the broader community.

Finally, the Pink rods Vinny mentioned at the outset are, as he said, no longer available in practical quantities.  (Trust me:  I shook that tree pretty hard!)  That's why we went to the closest available alternative, what we call Passionate Pink.  The brush pictured was part of a group of 26mm Polos and L7's I made in August/September of 2016.

Anyway, I hope this helps.  And if anyone has specific questions, the best way to reach is through this link.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

That was very helpful Brad and thanks for sharing here! The passionate pink is also a beautiful coloring. And I do believe you are right about the new badger hair that Lee is usisng. Very nice!


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I do not know if this helps but I purchased this brush directly from Lee in 2014.  I believe at the time he was not making brushes for anyone else.

How can you tell if a brush is an original M&F or a Brad Sears Collaboration? Does it even matter?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good morning, Gentlemen.  I hope nobody minds my jumping in to (hopefully!) lend a bit of clarity.   (If so, I'll sit down and be quiet   Admin, please note.)

To answer the basic question, the best, but not infallible, way to tell the difference is by the box, as others have said.  The other thing is that the brushes Lee made were all turned on a CNC lathe whereas our "collaboration" brushes are ones I turn on a manually-controlled wood lathe. (If interested, you can see the actual machine on our website Home Page.)  For practical purposes, that means you might see a bit more size/shape variance in the collaboration brushes.  (Yes, I'm good at replication; but a CNC is better.)

However, doing things by hand means that we have a lot more flexibility to vary a design.  For example:  the Alibaba and Emillion were originally designed to accommodate smaller 18-22mm knots.  Re-programming a CNC for larger knots would have been a significant undertaking, whereas turning by hand is a comparatively simple matter.  That's not to suggest that these are easy handles to turn (they're not, as my trash can will attest!), but once Lee and I got the revised designs right, I can (usually!) replicate handles pretty closely.  (Experience and all that....)  That's why when you order a Polo, L7, 2XL, etc. there's very little difference between the collaboration brushes and those made on Lee's CNC-- a machine that "died" a few years ago.

Further to the flexibility question, Nancy and I are in the process of adding a "Special Services" section to our website where you can go to ask about design modifications (things like a Polo with a chunkier bottom, special knots (e.g. Shavemac, TGN, et al.), as well as brush re-knotting, etc.)  The point is:  we've gotten pretty good at doing special things and want to share that expertise with the broader community.

Finally, the Pink rods Vinny mentioned at the outset are, as he said, no longer available in practical quantities.  (Trust me:  I shook that tree pretty hard!)  That's why we went to the closest available alternative, what we call Passionate Pink.  The brush pictured was part of a group of 26mm Polos and L7's I made in August/September of 2016.

Anyway, I hope this helps.  And if anyone has specific questions, the best way to reach is through this link.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Brad thanks for the response and love the work you and Lee are doing together.

Also the Special Services you'll be offering soon looks very interesting. Also chunky bottom Polo brushes sound awesome among the option of re-knotting as well.