Shipping - 9/10 - Pretty Standard, first class shipping. Three business days from confirmation of payment. Ordered on a Saturday afternoon and received it on a Wednesday.
Measurement Accuracy: 5/10 - The bottom of the knot, where the glue holds everything together, is 22mm on the money. Rather than gradually widen upward, the knot mushrooms out to approximately 24mm. I'm not complaining about the extra hair, there was just a TON of extra milling that needed to be done to an already finished and treated handle in order for it to fit.
Softness: 10/10 - It doesn't get any softer than this, folks.....seriously. This is the softest knot I've ever touched. I thought I liked soft knots. If you are using hot water, you can't even feel it on your face. It is as soft of a knot that is manufactured.
Water Retention: 10/10 - This little baby holds a lot of water. I would say that it holds the most water a non-Chubby/ Stubby style knot has ever held that I've seen.
Backbone: 8/10: For such a soft, three-banded brush, this baby is has a fair amount of backbone. Face lathering was quick and done with the TOBS Sandalwood soap, the hardest in my arsenal. No problem with loading, it loaded very quickly. Held enough for two passes and easily a third. I didn't need one as I get a BBS in two with my ATT H-1
Miscellaneous: Between handling the knot to install it into the handle and the first shave actually using it, it has shed just under twenty hairs so far. In all fairness, I was pretty rough with it while trying to jam it into an undersized hole do to the misleading knot size. I will keep an eye on it and report any more issues.
Conclusion: This is a VERY soft knot, the softest I've ever used by far. I wasn't sure I would ever be able to use "too soft" to describe a brush, but that's exactly what this one is YMMV. This knot does have some backbone and it is of high quality. Some people may enjoy it, but I need a little scrub in my life. I, personally, would recommend their Super Finest knot. It's less expensive, almost as soft, has just as much backbone and provides just a little bit of scrub. In my personal opinion, I think that this hair might appeal more to me in a Chubby-style, extra dense brush. Maybe with a little extra density I could get that x-factor that I kept looking for but could not find when lathering with this brush. The 22mm is currently the largest size HMW knot sold on the site. You can pick it up on thegoldennib.com for $57.00 plus shipping.
Measurement Accuracy: 5/10 - The bottom of the knot, where the glue holds everything together, is 22mm on the money. Rather than gradually widen upward, the knot mushrooms out to approximately 24mm. I'm not complaining about the extra hair, there was just a TON of extra milling that needed to be done to an already finished and treated handle in order for it to fit.
Softness: 10/10 - It doesn't get any softer than this, folks.....seriously. This is the softest knot I've ever touched. I thought I liked soft knots. If you are using hot water, you can't even feel it on your face. It is as soft of a knot that is manufactured.
Water Retention: 10/10 - This little baby holds a lot of water. I would say that it holds the most water a non-Chubby/ Stubby style knot has ever held that I've seen.
Backbone: 8/10: For such a soft, three-banded brush, this baby is has a fair amount of backbone. Face lathering was quick and done with the TOBS Sandalwood soap, the hardest in my arsenal. No problem with loading, it loaded very quickly. Held enough for two passes and easily a third. I didn't need one as I get a BBS in two with my ATT H-1
Miscellaneous: Between handling the knot to install it into the handle and the first shave actually using it, it has shed just under twenty hairs so far. In all fairness, I was pretty rough with it while trying to jam it into an undersized hole do to the misleading knot size. I will keep an eye on it and report any more issues.
Conclusion: This is a VERY soft knot, the softest I've ever used by far. I wasn't sure I would ever be able to use "too soft" to describe a brush, but that's exactly what this one is YMMV. This knot does have some backbone and it is of high quality. Some people may enjoy it, but I need a little scrub in my life. I, personally, would recommend their Super Finest knot. It's less expensive, almost as soft, has just as much backbone and provides just a little bit of scrub. In my personal opinion, I think that this hair might appeal more to me in a Chubby-style, extra dense brush. Maybe with a little extra density I could get that x-factor that I kept looking for but could not find when lathering with this brush. The 22mm is currently the largest size HMW knot sold on the site. You can pick it up on thegoldennib.com for $57.00 plus shipping.
