Fine Angel hair, not so Fine?

So, after seeing many great reviews on this brush, I went for it and picked one up off Amazon.  Upon receipt, I was a little disappointed.  The knot looks, to me, set askew... 

[Image: 20150705_090942_zpsidtya08w.jpg]

I contacted the seller, "Mr. Fine", he wrote me back almost immediately....  "In the case of these brushes, it's not that the knot was set improperly, it's just that the knots themselves are not totally symmetrical from the factory.  If you want to return the brush for a replacement, you might get one that is a bit better, but I can't guarantee it (I am unable to inspect individual orders); or you can just return it for a refund.  Either way, please select the return option directly on amazon to proceed."

So, I asked for an exchange and started the return process on Amazon, but have yet to hear back from the seller.

So the gist of it is they are supposed to be like this?     Fine brush owners, do your brushes look like this?  Can you please post some pictures?

I know that I have seen some brushes on the web in which the hairs do not look symmetrical, however the knot looks straight.  I could live with a little bit of a lop sided loft, but this guy looks like a strong wind in blowing from the east.  Man I had higher hopes...

So, after seeing many great reviews on this brush, I went for it and picked one up off Amazon.  Upon receipt, I was a little disappointed.  The knot looks, to me, set askew... 

[Image: 20150705_090942_zpsidtya08w.jpg]

I contacted the seller, "Mr. Fine", he wrote me back almost immediately....  "In the case of these brushes, it's not that the knot was set improperly, it's just that the knots themselves are not totally symmetrical from the factory.  If you want to return the brush for a replacement, you might get one that is a bit better, but I can't guarantee it (I am unable to inspect individual orders); or you can just return it for a refund.  Either way, please select the return option directly on amazon to proceed."

So, I asked for an exchange and started the return process on Amazon, but have yet to hear back from the seller.

So the gist of it is they are supposed to be like this?     Fine brush owners, do your brushes look like this?  Can you please post some pictures?

I know that I have seen some brushes on the web in which the hairs do not look symmetrical, however the knot looks straight.  I could live with a little bit of a lop sided loft, but this guy looks like a strong wind in blowing from the east.  Man I had higher hopes...

Sorry to see that.  It's definitely crooked and I wouldn't be happy with it either.

Unfortunately I've seen several newer synthetics with knots that don't look great to me. I hope you have better luck with the next one. As consumers we know things like this can happen, but hopefully we won't be seeing this more often.

... to put it mildly!

I'd be furious! I'd be especially furious if I was an international customer as the return postage would be as much as the brush itself.

What I would do is pull the knot, ditch the cheap handle and drop it into a vintage Ever Ready 100 or 150 of the same style, but with some class, setting it exactly right.

I hope you get a suitable and sensible resolution.

Your dilemma brings up something I think is of value and worth pointing out.  A couple of years ago I ceased buying my shave products on Amazon for this very reason. 

I think there is too much room for "knock offs" on Amazon when it comes to certain products.  Yes, there are reputable vendors on Amazon, but there are also "shady" vendors as well. Secondly, the process on Amazon for returning products is cumbersome at best and can be such a pain, I might be tempted to keep the brush as is since it is a functional product.

I buy my shave gear exclusively from two vendors, Maggard Razors being the one I do a bulk of my business with.  They carry just about everything I could ever need, their inventory grows and changes weekly and ABOVE ALL... their customer service is second to none.  If you had this issue with a brush purchased from them, a replacement would be sent, with no problems and chances are a sample soap or aftershave would be included for your troubles.  I hope your return process with this isn't a hassle, but my experiences on Amazon when it comes to returns have never been easy.

It's not uncommon for the bristles to not be perfectly symmetrical, but I'll agree that does look a little too off.

I had a similar experience with some boar knots I ordered. The bristles were symmetrical and the handle hole was level, but the knot plug was not. The result was similar to your picture and we're talking about them being off by a millimeter or so.

I hope you can get things worked out.

That is not a symmetric issue, the knot was set crooked. Did you send Fine the photo? It sounds like he is just having these made and then drop shipped to the consumer.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions!

I should have used Maggards. I have done a lot of purchases from them, and their service, shipping, and product is great.

I did send them a pic of the brush in the initial inquiry, yet that is what they emailed me as an explaination. They have contacted me about the return, I need to print out a lable and follow through later today.

if that does not work out, then perhaps I'll re-set the knot in something else.

I had one for 2 days when it broke simply by dropping it in the sink...and I mean no more than 18 inches.  Mine is also bleeding ink from the bottom engraving.  I do really enjoy this brush, so I chose to fix it and hope for the best, but in my opinion I would probably gone with a different brush having known there were some quality issues.  But, what do you expect from a $20 brush...er uh I mean a $24 dollar brush, I paid $4 for new epoxy.

I had one for 2 days when it broke simply by dropping it in the sink...and I mean no more than 18 inches.  Mine is also bleeding ink from the bottom engraving.  I do really enjoy this brush, so I chose to fix it and hope for the best, but in my opinion I would probably gone with a different brush having known there were some quality issues.  But, what do you expect from a $20 brush...er uh I mean a $24 dollar brush, I paid $4 for new epoxy.

Wow.  That  sucks.  at least it was an easy repair though.

I know what you mean about it being a $20 brush...  My Semogue 830 was around the same price though, and it is a beautiful and great performer, so that is what I had expected from a $20 brush.