Raffaele Talarico · Maker
Welcome to my atelier.
I’m Raffaele Talarico. I was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and have lived in Bologna since 2010. I hold a degree in Agricultural Science and a PhD in Agricultural Mechanisation, and work full-time for an industry association representing Europe’s machinery and equipment manufacturers.
A love of traditional shaving led me to brush making—a personal passion I pursue in my free time. In my atelier in Bologna, I prepare the materials, turn each handle and finish it by hand, with care and attention to every detail.
My approach to design draws on Bauhaus and Italian Rationalism: clear lines, balanced proportions and forms shaped by function.
The maker / The material / Made by hand / The wooden box
From a blank to your hand
Olivewood from Calabria, figured burls and woods such as Amboyna each ask for a different approach. I select the blank for its grain and structure, and decide whether to work it alone or bring it together with resin.
The chosen profile sets the proportions; the grain influences how I orient the blank.
For selected woods, I also carry out stabilisation in my laboratory, before turning. See how I prepare the wood →
Made by hand
I choose the blank, turn the profile and finish the surface myself. Each stage asks for a fresh look at the piece in front of me.
Years at the lathe have taught me how much a small change matters: a little width, a curve or a detail in the grain worth keeping.
One piece at a time
Even when I repeat a design, no two blanks turn out alike. I adjust the work to what the material reveals.
What matters is how the finished piece feels to you, each time you reach for it.
The master brushmaker’s craft
A master brushmaker’s craft goes beyond a beautiful handle and a knot glued in place. It is the art of balancing soft tips, backbone and the way the knot opens. I select the hair or fibre, diameter, density and shape, then set the loft: the length exposed above the handle. These choices work together, shaping the feel and movement of the finished brush.
As the brush moves, it works air into water and soap to build lather. The knot needs enough freedom to flex and open, allowing the mixture to move through it and the lather to release. Too compact a setting can restrict that movement and hold on to lather; too yielding a setting can sacrifice the backbone needed for control.
I look for that balance when I pair a knot with its handle and set its working height. The aim is soft contact, a responsive backbone and a brush that builds and releases lather comfortably, on the face or in the bowl.
I put my name on it.
Talarico is my surname. Every brush I make carries it on a small coin set into the base of the handle. I put my name on each piece because I stand behind my work.
Ready to come home
Before it leaves the atelier, I give your brush one last check and prepare its wooden box by hand.
The mark on the box
I burn the Talarico mark into the wooden lid. It’s a small link between the brush inside and the hands that made its handle.
Packed with care
Tissue and paper cushioning make a place for your brush. Its jute pouch and a small tricolour around the knot are part of the presentation. Your model card introduces the design; the certificate of authenticity records your individual piece. They travel with your brush in a kraft envelope.