Don McIvor’s turned shaving accessories
The response to Wednesday’s post was very impressive – I got lots of comments from folks I hadn’t heard from in years.
One response pointed me in the direction of Don McIvor, a wood turner who makes exquisite shaving brushes and bowls for whipping up lather for a great shave.
The woods he selects are exotic beauties such as Tasmanian Rose Myrtle, Cocobolo and African Blackwood. The brushes are made of silver tipped badger hair for maximum shaving comfort.
Even if you aren’t interested in shaving this way, it’s hard to deny the artistry of Don’s work.
Would really like to know what finish is used on the bowls. I recently made a holder for my water stones and used salad bowl finish. It did not seal the wood very well.
Don says that he uses tung oil… I’m not sure how well that will hold up over time, but they do look sweet!
The brush handles and exterior of the mugs are open to a variety of options, and depending on the species I may use anything from a proprietary tung oil blend to a teak oil finish.
The inside of the mug is trickier because of the constant exposure to moisture. This is a very challenging situation for wood, and I warn everyone that wood is not the best material for a shaving mug, if longevity is your primary concern. On tropical hardwoods I tend to use Watco’s teak oil. Domestic hardwoods get a coat of epoxy, which makes for a good finish for this duty.
I have also completed some pieces with Epiphanes varnish formulated for tropical hardwoods. This marine spar varnish does well on teak and mahogany, but still doesn’t cure properly on some other tropical hardwoods I’ve tried (cocobolo, African blackwood). It’s also a PIA to apply, and it’s expensive.