I'm looking for another brush that I can use regularly. Answers to the key questions:
1. Your existing harem of badgery beauties! ... tell us what brushes you already have (if any) and what qualities about each you like or dislike
2. Your lathery leanings ... mostly this means do you use soaps or creams? Do you facelather or lather in a bowl? Those answers can often influence the type and size of a brush
I use soaps about 65% of the time and creams about 35%. As of now, my go-to soaps are Provence Sante and Penghalion's English Fern. I also occasionally use a TOBS shave stick (and face lather). I want the brush primarily for the soaps, though I'd use it in creams as well. I build my lather in a Schwarzweisskeramik scuttle. After mostly building in the scuttle, I finish on the face to really get the lather into the pores.
3. What you want from your next brush ....
I want an all-around brush that is smaller and slightly less dense than the Rooney Heritage. More dense and more backbone than the Kent BK4. Want to use it for soaps, including glycerin soaps like Mama Bear, but also for occasional use with creams like TOBS. I want something that works well for scrubbing, though I'm not looking to exfoliate.
I am thinking that maybe my next brush should be a Best Badger rather than a silvertip. I may get more of the scrubbiness that I'm looking for, particularly within my budget.
4. Brush aesthetics ...
I don't feel too strongly about aesthetics. Beyond the traditional hand-turned ivory/horn/black, I do like some of the wooden handled brushes I've seen out there like the ones made by Shavemac. I like the grip you can get on the Stubby as well as the Savile Row. But I also like the shape of the Simpson's Persian Jar brush. I don't care for the Simpson's Tulip or the Rooney Turned Beauty shapes. But this is the least significant of my concerns.
5. Budget.
I'd like to stay in the $70-85 range, but would be willing to go up to $100 (all in).
6. Size matters .... if you like small brushes, or large, or medium ... or whatever ... let us know and we can direct you.
I am deducing -- based on the brushes I have -- that something in the 20mm-22mm knot with a loft of less than 50mm would probably fit within the sweet spot. In other words, something definitely on the smaller side, but not quite as small as my Savile Row 18mm or the Simpson's Wee Scot.
But this is my own impression. If you guys think I can get what I want from a different set of size specifications, I'm all ears.
7. Brushes that have already piqued your interest ....
Some of the brushes I've looked at are the Simpson's Duke 2 in Best Badger, the Rooney 1 in Best, and Shavemac #25 21mm in finest. But I am very much open to ideas, particularly for any brushes that might be a little off the beaten path. Or that have wooden handles, or such. That's why I'm posting here. I'd like thoughts beyond these three possibilitiesl
8. Please don't forget to tell us that this will be your last or only brush, and that "SBAD hasn't really gotten ahold of me." We need a good laugh.
Won't be my last or only brush, but am hoping this will quell the SBAD for a year or two.
1. Your existing harem of badgery beauties! ... tell us what brushes you already have (if any) and what qualities about each you like or dislike
Rooney Heritage Stubby in Medium -- Love the luxurious feel and dense knot. Brush feels very well balanced. It is, however, on the big side, and I find that the extreme density of the bristles results in more of a painting action rather than scrubbing action. The soap really gets into the bristles, and they don't splay quite that well. Also, I feel like this brush can't be used every single day as it needs more than 24 hrs to fully dry out because it's so dense. This was a gift (that I asked for), and if I were to do it over, I might have asked for the same brush in a small rather than medium.
Savile Row 3318 -- Got this brush primarily for travel, but ended up using it to rotate with the Rooney Heritage (see above). This brush, I'm afraid, may be a tad small with its 18mm knot. I like the feeling of the bristles and the general density. But it barely holds enough soap for 4 full passes. Also, I'm not sure I like the bulb shape. I think I prefer the fan shape of my Rooney.
Provence Sante redware badger -- This was my first brush, which I bought years ago before I learned about this site and really got into wetshaving. It was a fine brush, but lost tons of bristles and doesn't hold a candle to my Rooney or even the Savile Row. I've stopped using it and just keep it for sentimental value... my first brush...
As well, I recently got a Kent BK4, but decided to turn around and sell it because the bristles lacked the density and backbone I want. Also, maybe the loft was too high for my preference, as I achieved -- again -- a painting rather than scrubbing sensation.
Savile Row 3318 -- Got this brush primarily for travel, but ended up using it to rotate with the Rooney Heritage (see above). This brush, I'm afraid, may be a tad small with its 18mm knot. I like the feeling of the bristles and the general density. But it barely holds enough soap for 4 full passes. Also, I'm not sure I like the bulb shape. I think I prefer the fan shape of my Rooney.
Provence Sante redware badger -- This was my first brush, which I bought years ago before I learned about this site and really got into wetshaving. It was a fine brush, but lost tons of bristles and doesn't hold a candle to my Rooney or even the Savile Row. I've stopped using it and just keep it for sentimental value... my first brush...
As well, I recently got a Kent BK4, but decided to turn around and sell it because the bristles lacked the density and backbone I want. Also, maybe the loft was too high for my preference, as I achieved -- again -- a painting rather than scrubbing sensation.
2. Your lathery leanings ... mostly this means do you use soaps or creams? Do you facelather or lather in a bowl? Those answers can often influence the type and size of a brush
I use soaps about 65% of the time and creams about 35%. As of now, my go-to soaps are Provence Sante and Penghalion's English Fern. I also occasionally use a TOBS shave stick (and face lather). I want the brush primarily for the soaps, though I'd use it in creams as well. I build my lather in a Schwarzweisskeramik scuttle. After mostly building in the scuttle, I finish on the face to really get the lather into the pores.
3. What you want from your next brush ....
I want an all-around brush that is smaller and slightly less dense than the Rooney Heritage. More dense and more backbone than the Kent BK4. Want to use it for soaps, including glycerin soaps like Mama Bear, but also for occasional use with creams like TOBS. I want something that works well for scrubbing, though I'm not looking to exfoliate.
I am thinking that maybe my next brush should be a Best Badger rather than a silvertip. I may get more of the scrubbiness that I'm looking for, particularly within my budget.
4. Brush aesthetics ...
I don't feel too strongly about aesthetics. Beyond the traditional hand-turned ivory/horn/black, I do like some of the wooden handled brushes I've seen out there like the ones made by Shavemac. I like the grip you can get on the Stubby as well as the Savile Row. But I also like the shape of the Simpson's Persian Jar brush. I don't care for the Simpson's Tulip or the Rooney Turned Beauty shapes. But this is the least significant of my concerns.
5. Budget.
I'd like to stay in the $70-85 range, but would be willing to go up to $100 (all in).
6. Size matters .... if you like small brushes, or large, or medium ... or whatever ... let us know and we can direct you.
I am deducing -- based on the brushes I have -- that something in the 20mm-22mm knot with a loft of less than 50mm would probably fit within the sweet spot. In other words, something definitely on the smaller side, but not quite as small as my Savile Row 18mm or the Simpson's Wee Scot.
But this is my own impression. If you guys think I can get what I want from a different set of size specifications, I'm all ears.
7. Brushes that have already piqued your interest ....
Some of the brushes I've looked at are the Simpson's Duke 2 in Best Badger, the Rooney 1 in Best, and Shavemac #25 21mm in finest. But I am very much open to ideas, particularly for any brushes that might be a little off the beaten path. Or that have wooden handles, or such. That's why I'm posting here. I'd like thoughts beyond these three possibilitiesl
8. Please don't forget to tell us that this will be your last or only brush, and that "SBAD hasn't really gotten ahold of me." We need a good laugh.
Won't be my last or only brush, but am hoping this will quell the SBAD for a year or two.
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