'Experience exchange' (aka damaged brush)

[N_Architect]

We call this at work 'experience exchange', i.e. sharing of quality cases, successes, failures, peculiar damages or safety incidents we may have come across, etc.

So for the benefit of this community, here's another case:

Used brush arrives, original case/box to come later, seller wraps it carefully in triple bubble wrap coating and seals it with sellotape. The parcel itself is well set up and protected on the inside as per commonly used practices, no mess or untidiness on its internals. Very weird, vertical crack/scraping pointer damage observed in the handle upon delivery to buyer. Hard to believe, not easy to damage a handle like this even if one wants to.

Then there seems to be a 50mm long crack in the middle of one of the parcel's sides. Perhaps a very edgy object hit the parcel, penetrated it and also did the damage on the brush handle after possibly going through the brush's bubble wrap packaging. Can so many 'safety' systems used during packaging fail simultaneously?

Take a look at the pics:

Alternative ways of repairing the brush handle are currently being investigated (with the manufacturer but also with one of TSR's resident brush restorers).

Moral of the story so far: pack well, very well, and always use anything available as when item was produced by the manufacturer (e.g. original case/box). Nonetheless, never forget that even when you've done all that, unexpected damages may still occur. Seems like anything can go through those thick cardboard shipment boxes at one stage or another.

 

[Evvaa]

make sure you put a claim in to royal mail for the damage, that way the seller gets there money, you then get what you paid to get the brush repaired

 

[hunnymonster]

Sadly because N_A is in Latvia, Royal Mail will say Latvia Post is at fault and Latvia Post will say Royal Mail is at fault and it'll be a Mexican standoff...

Must have taken some bang to penetrate all that packaging and still do that damage to the brush handle though.

 

[baz chaz]

I think Royal Fail see some packages as a challenge :twisted: I was in a sorting office one day (doing some security work) and I watched the sorters literally flinging packages across the sorting room into a corner, when I spoke to the manager about it he just said "if they're packed right they'll be OK" ... needless to say I followed it up, but don't know if anything ever came of it :evil:

 

[Sunburyboy93]

i would have thought that the box would have to be obliterated to cause that sort of damage, the brush is not just cracked, it has big chips in it too.......... has the bubble wrap inside been damaged and split too?

 

[antdad]

Oh no. Commiserations, that can't be fixed. You might be able to retrieve the knot with some work but that had been smashed with some force to create that sort of damage.

Isn't the sender responsible?

 

[N_Architect]

The bubble wrap of the brush was not torn apart, actually it feels as if it had not been penetrated at all, not even by an ultra thin and sharp object.

I could not see that the brush was damaged inside, so I opened the bubble wrap (cut it with pair of scissors) as usual. Once I saw the damaged handle, I tried to investigate the bubble wrap but cannot see big damage.

It must have been something thin and very sharp. If the box was there (unfortunately seller forgot to include it and sent it separately later) perhaps the damage could have been contained. Never mind.

For brush enthusiasts this would be a total disaster, I am sure that few would have sent it back and/or would not like to use it at all. If you touch and feel it from upclose you'll feel the damage is ugly and clearly visible, plus equally felt when you touch the damaged areas. The aesthetics of the handle have been wrecked, but I'm fine with it, absolutely no problem. If I can get beejay or Progress Vulfix to polish it a bit or make these parts (where the chips came off) a tad smoother for handling, I'll be just fine.

The brush is a queen, it has very soft hair (super or 2B, I don't remember now) and I intend to use it regularly in the rotation. I am kind of spoiled with Simpson brushes now, they are all you need really (thanks Tony, Martin and the rest of the lads as well).

If/when it's repaired I'll post pics or feedback here as usual.

 

[Yellow Jim]

What about the chips that are missing K? Could you see those in the package. It looks like it's been hit with an axe or something to cause damage like that. :shock:

 

[N_Architect]

Pic showing the bubble wrap and a small chip inside. No more small pieces (chips) found inside at this moment in time.

 

[Sunburyboy93]

I work in the Cargo Sheds at Heathrow, we handle tons of mail everyday for the Royal Mail and for different Postal Organisations worldwide, i have seen it get loaded and unloaded in our shed, and in the other sheds around the Airport, there is nothing in normal everyday handling that would cause that sort of damage, the only way that could of been done in the postal system is in a malicious way, no way accidental.

and something that sharp and thin that could pierce the box and create a slice crack or cut like that surely would pierce the bubble wrap ? and leave chips of the brush everywhere.

was the hole covered by tape or clearly visible ?, as where your finger is you can see the box has a roughed edge where tape has been put on and pulled away...

i have received boxes that rip and tear when tape is used, and i recycle all my received boxes by using them again, so when i send boxes to people, it may have been used twice before that, tape on, tape off etc, the boxes become weak and start to rip and tear anyway, thats why i use tons of parcel tape (as many on here can testify !!! ).

 

[Mikael]

I´m sorry to see this Konstantinos! Strange that there wheren´t any more chips in the box...

It looks lovely, the bristels (looks like Simpson super two band to me), what a sad outcome. I would try and save it too, looks sweet!!

 

[moodymick]

If the bubble wrap was intact, wouldn't all the chips have still been inside? :?

Royal Mail were obviously using those Provence Sante soaps from YellowJim as a warm up for your brush

 

[N_Architect]

Yes, it is a 2B Super, Simpson 57. If we manage to take care of the handle a little bit and polish the damaged areas in some way, I'll be fine.
I don't think I would go for the drastic option of changing handle at this stage, for example. As I intend to keep and never sell the brush, it is currently ok as is.

I view this as an extreme example of what can happen during transportation, mainly due to the nature of the damage in the handle.
This is why we should all pack such expensive items very very carefully.

The fact that I got it from a true gent here at TSR also implies no need in wanting a full or partial refund as promptly and kindly offered.

 

[baz chaz]

......... thats why i use tons of parcel tape (as many on here can testify !!! ).

Yup I can vouch for that, but ... the box and contents arrived safe and sound and intact :!:

 

[Audiolab]

Looking at the photos where the knot meets the handle the crack doesn't look as if it is all the way through so it has to be impact damage. If it were crush damage then I would expect a split all the way through at the weakest point which in this case would be where the handle has been hollowed out for the knot to fit.

I have no idea what cause this without damaging the bubble wrap but whatever it was it was either an (un)lucky strike and one hell of a whack. Such a shame....indeed it is a lesson for all of us, I usually always ship brushes in the original box or substitute, then bubble wrap that box and put inside a shipping box. I don't know if this would have helped in this situation.