What's new

Brush Advice: Rooney, Simpson, Shavemac?

The Rooneys are classic "English-style" brushes with fan shaped knots. Some find them plenty dense, others not so much. They are good, all-around performers. The Shavemacs are more continental in style with bulb shaped knots that also perform very well. The same caveats about density apply. It's hard to go wrong with any of the five.

Thanks for your help. I'll probably just throw darts at a board and pick.
 
I generally bowl lather w/ soaps. I have a couple creams, but many more soaps. At some point I'll try face lathering, but I don't know if I can completely abandon the bowl
 
The Rooney 1/1 has a smaller handle that is more amenable to face lathering. The 2/1, 3/1 and two Shavemacs each have handles that are very bowl lather-friendly.
 
It really depends on the bowl. I've got a 4" deep 3" diameter scuttle, and none of those handles are long enough to lather in it comfortably (I basically use it for holding hot water these days). When I bowl lather (usually just to break in boars), I have a 4" diameter, 1" deep saucer I use, and it's perfectly comfortable with any brush, including several quite similar to a 1/1 handle.

But yes, if your bowl falls in between, the 2/1 and 3/1's longer handles will likely make bowl lathering less of a nuisance. I've decided that if I ever go back to regular bowl lathering, I'll let my brushes determine my bowl and not the other way around. I own way more brushes than bowls, and they tend to be more expensive as well.
 
If you're like the majority of people here, you'll end up with all of them anyway, so just pick one randomly for starters and you can get the next one in a week or two.:tongue_sm
 
So lets see... a Rooney 3/1 or 2/1 or 1/1 for 75 in Super silvertip or a Shavemac 177 21mm or #25 in 21mm for 85. Any thoughts between these two?

I had been using a Rooney 3/1 up until about a month or two ago, when as a contributor I got my hands on a B&B Essentials brush.
I had a Rooney 1/1 for a short while on trial and had a real hard time using this in a bowl. This is suited far better for face lathering.

I too bowl lather exclusively, and use both creams and soaps equally.
The Rooney 3/1 (44mm loft) was definately softer and the handle fit very well in my hands.
BUT, I did find overall bowl lathering is easier with the greater loft of the Essentials brush (close to 54mm)

I have often thought if Rooney made their Super 3/1 in a larger loft it would be ideal. Alternatively, the Edwin Jagger best in medium, upgraded in matching size to Super with a slight density bump, would be great too.

In the meantime I'm very happy with the Essentials brush, and it has gotten slightly softer since I've been using it as well.
 
Last edited:
If you're like the majority of people here, you'll end up with all of them anyway, so just pick one randomly for starters and you can get the next one in a week or two.:tongue_sm

This would certainly be ideal, but just not yet... in due time I'm sure I will have collected several more!

My bowl is 4" diameter x 3" wide. I'm going to go ahead and cross off the Rooney 1/1 based on the difficulties that some of you have had using it to bowl lather. That leaves 4. I'm pretty sure I can take it from there, unless somebody has any other thoughts for me?

Thanks again guys
 
Just did some quick research- looks like the 2/1 has an overall height of 103-105mm vs the 94 of the 3/1. The loft is larger too in the 2/1 (48mm vs 44), so I think I'd be inclined to go with the 2/1. NOW.... Rooney 2/1 vs Shavemac 177 or 25 haha.
 
I have a Shavemac 177 23mm in silvertip and a Rooney 3/1 in Super Silvertip and they are entirely different animals. I am a hard soap guy and primarily face lather. The Shavemac has the softest tips you could ever imagine and is much better, in my opinion, for bowl lathering. It requires alot of product because of its density, and when I use it and face lather, I have to reload it for my second pass. That being said, it feels amazing on my face.

The Rooney 3/1 has a smaller knot a shorter loft. It is also a dense brush and the bristles seem to have more backbone. This is not to say the Shavemac is floppy, because it isn't, it's just that the Rooney has a stouter feel. The tips are very soft, but not as soft as the Shavemac. I think the Rooney is a better brush for face lathering, while the Shavemac is superior for bowl lathering, but you can't go wrong with either. I rotate them daily and enjoy every lather I work up from them.
 
The #25 handle is great. It's really comfortable to use. I never liked the look of the #177 handle and don't find it nearly as comfortable as the #25.

I vote Shavemac Finest. It's great value for money, and even though Finest contains a small amount of Pure hair, it's mostly Silvertip. I guarantee you'll never notice the little bit of Pure. I recommend a 21mm to 23mm diameter knot with a 50mm or so loft.

-Andy
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom