Razorock HMW Surprise

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I think I just found my new best value in shaving equipment. This is the Razorock HMW Silvertip. I was amazed and surprised at the bloom. Compare it to the size of the SV tin. Sorry I'm not very good with pictures, this is the first time I tried to attach a picture. The brush is soft, splays nicely, is reasonably dense with nice quality silver tip, and generates and releases lather well due to the way the knot blooms. I would recommend this brush more for bowl and scuttle users. For face latherers, I would recommend his chubby due to the combination of density and loft. However, this brush is a really nice value and currently at $39 bucks is a steal. I lost a few hairs the first use but not since. The handle is a comfortable solid black resin Barber Shop style handle and is the same as his synthetic brush. Overall I would say that I have spent more in the past and did not get this value.

Very nice review - thanks! I will try a badger brush one of these days, and looks like this would be a good one!

What other brushes have you used that you would say are better/worse both in performance and value?

blzrfn said:

What other brushes have you used that you would say are better/worse both in performance and value?

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Thats a tough one. I have around 25 brushes. Eight boars, 3 synthetics, and the balance of various badgers. Of the badgers, I have a couple Kents of which my favorite is the BLK 8, Simpsons a T3 and Chubby 2. several customs, Da Vinci 290 and 293, the Razorock HMW and the chubby made by Zenith, and a couple of cheaper Frank Shaving brushes. In the price range of the Razorock HMW at $39, I haven't seen a better value. Also his chubby made by Zenith at $59 is great. I really like most of my brushes, but I really like the the Razorock HMW and wish I would have saved a few hundred dollars on some of the other brushes I have purchased.

I am very familiar with the Da Vinci and Zenith brushes and they are very consistent. How does the density, backbone and tip softness compare?

Thank you for the review, I've been looking at this for a while now. I received the synthetic version with this handle yesterday and I really love this handle and the brush. I have boar, horse and synthetics but never used a badger and this one really looks great.

blzrfn said:

I am very familiar with the Da Vinci and Zenith brushes and they are very consistent. How does the density, backbone and tip softness compare?

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My Da Vinci 290 is the softest brush I have ever owned. It is a reasonably dense brush with the finest badger hair of all my brushes. I believe they may use a European badger as opposed to Chinese badger. The hair does seem somewhat different than my other brushes. The Da Vinci 290 has a higher loft than most brushes making it excellent for bowl lathering or face lathering if you are looking for luxury more than scratch. If you face lather with a boar or two band badger, you may not be happy with the Da Vinci for face lathering.

The only Zenith I have is the chubby 28mm. It is a well made, dense brush with soft tips. It is a great face latherer with soft soaps. I use it for bowl lathering a lot but it is a soap hog because of its density. At $59 at Razorock this is just a great brush. Its made in Italy and is a quality brush with a comfortable handle.

Of the the three, the Zenith Chubby will have much more backbone because it has less loft and is a dense 28mm brush. The Da Vinci does not have great backbone due to it high loft but it is a luxuriously soft and dense brush that just feels so great. I also really like the ball handle which some do not. The Razorock, HMW is a nicely packed brush with reasonably soft tips. I wouldn't say it has great backbone but I love this brush for bowl lathering. It performs well generating great lather and releasing it from the brush.

Puerco said:

Thank you for the review, I've been looking at this for a while now. I received the synthetic version with this handle yesterday and I really love this handle and the brush. I have boar, horse and synthetics but never used a badger and this one really looks great.

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I think this would make a wonderful first badger. It is a quality brush that is discounted currently at Italian Barber. I don't think you can do better for the price and it is a brush that you won't tire of. In addition, you know that you already enjoy the handle so I think it would be a great choice to jump into the badger world of brushes. I also have the synthetic. Isn't it awesome for the price? Joe is really providing a range of nice workhorse brushes for a great price. I think I could be happy with just the synthetic, the HMW, and the Chubby and also a boar and could have saved the money on all the rest.

steelhead52 said:

I think this would make a wonderful first badger. It is a quality brush that is discounted currently at Italian Barber. I don't think you can do better for the price and it is a brush that you won't tire of. In addition, you know that you already enjoy the handle so I think it would be a great choice to jump into the badger world of brushes. I also have the synthetic. Isn't it awesome for the price? Joe is really providing a range of nice workhorse brushes for a great price. I think I could be happy with just the synthetic, the HMW, and the Chubby and also a boar and could have saved the money on all the rest.

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Thanks for the reviews. I love my synthetics including the plissofts and just ordered the HMW to give "decent" badgers a try.

Riyame said:

Thanks for the reviews. I love my synthetics including the plissofts and just ordered the HMW to give "decent" badgers a try.

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Awesome, I hope you really enjoy it. Just a suggestion. When you get a new badger, its good to shampoo it first using a gentle shampoo in warm but not hot water. Expect to lose a few hairs the first few times you use it. Shedding should stop shortly after that. Badgers will hold a lot of water vs a synthetic so you will need to experiment the first few times you lather. The synthetic will feel much softer dry but when a HMW is wet it is very soft also and it has a very luxurious feel that I don't quite get with my synthetic. Generally I soak my badgers in a cup with warm and not water for at least 5 minutes. I'm not sure it matters, but i only fill the cup to less than where the knot is glued into the handle. When beginning to lather, I give the brush a couple of good shakes. You will be surprised how much water is left in the brush. This brush will really bloom so you may need a drying stand with a slightly larger than normal for a 24mm brush. I generally take a standard size stand and use my Dremel Tool to open it up slightly. A key to longevity with your badger is to thoroughly rinse after use. Dried soap and minerals end up coating the hairs and just like human hairs they can become brittle. I have a Da Vinci brush cleaning soap that I use periodically on my brushes. It removes clays and lanolin that is sometimes added to soaps. I'm not sure its necessary if you rinse your brushes well but I find my brushes are looking great after long periods of use. Some people even use an organic hair conditioner once in a while. I'm making this sound a lot more involved than it needs to be, but caring for your brush will go a long way towards years of enjoyment. Hey, if you get 10 years out this brush, that's only $4 a year.

Nice review. Thanks for posting your thoughts.

Great, knowledgeable review!! Thanks...............

I tried to resist but we all know how this things end up..... So I'm expecting a present to myself in a week or two, hope it's as good as you say it is. Does it have a break in period and smell like a boar or is it good to use from the start???

Puerco said:

I tried to resist but we all know how this things end up..... So I'm expecting a present to myself in a week or two, hope it's as good as you say it is. Does it have a break in period and smell like a boar or is it good to use from the start???

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I hope you really enjoy it. Man your making me feel guilty. We are all pretty good on this board about spending each others money. I feel you are buying an excellent product well worth the price. It does not have a breaking in period like boar. The breaking in period for boar really revolves around the time it takes for the ends to split through wetting and drying cycles and generate a softer feel on the tips. Badger does not split like that. There may be a smell with a new badger, and I have had a couple of real funky ones. However, the smell with the one I received from Razorock was very minor and was gone after the initial shampoo and after the first use shaving. As I mentioned in my original post, it is likely you will lose a few hairs the first couple of shaves, but that should stop after the couple of uses. If you are pleased with the quality of the synthetic you purchased, you should be very pleased with the quality and value of this brush. I have several other brushes in this price range and they can not compare in overall value. In fact as I mentioned, this brush is performing as good or better than some I have spent significantly more on. I'll be anxious to hear your thoughts after you have a chance to use it for awhile.

Yeah you should fee guilty, it's all your fault..... [/sarcasm]
You're right though, we are all good in spending each others money, aint it fun doing that?! But don't feel bad, I had some money left over from my birthday and my wife insisted that I buy something for ME with it and I just had to add two euros for the brush and shipment. I was already looking at that brush, your review was just that last drop I needed.
At least now I have the full list of badger, boar, horse and synthetic (at least in a week or two when the postman stops by).

Puerco said:

Yeah you should fee guilty, it's all your fault..... [/sarcasm]
You're right though, we are all good in spending each others money, aint it fun doing that?! But don't feel bad, I had some money left over from my birthday and my wife insisted that I buy something for ME with it and I just had to add two euros for the brush and shipment. I was already looking at that brush, your review was just that last drop I needed.
At least now I have the full list of badger, boar, horse and synthetic (at least in a week or two when the postman stops by).

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Happy Birthday, and I hope you really enjoy the brush as much as I do!

Another vote for heavy guilt! I checked out the brushes out of curiousity and ended up buying one of the Chubby Extra Silvertip: 27.5mmx51mm.

I think he is on to something.............

Bobcat said:

Another vote for heavy guilt! I checked out the brushes out of curiousity and ended up buying one of the Chubby Extra Silvertip: 27.5mmx51mm.

I think he is on to something.............

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Awesome Bobcat. At $12 for the synthetic, $39 for the HMW, and $59 for the chubby, you can have the triumvirate of brushes for just over $110 for some great quality and variety whether you are a face or bowl latherer. However, I would still need my Semogue boar for my super hard soaps just because I like it.

You guys know you're killing me here, right? I....MUST.......RESIST!

Blade4vor said:

You guys know you're killing me here, right? I....MUST.......RESIST!

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You know how it goes... You will give in, I know I did...