shall we discuss a bit in details savile row (again)

soon time to get a new brush and of course, based on so many enthusiastic comments, savile row is an option...
I just have few relevant questions-
1. looking at the brushes, I think it's really impossible not to have Simpsons in mind...pure, best and silvertip...various knot sizes and various handles....for me it's pretty clear that the savile row concept is heavily inspired by the Simposons....is it indeed the case??
most important, for those who have both Savile Row and corresponding Simpsons, say a Simpsons Super and a Savile Row ST....any real differences??...in which respect??
2. 'Made in..'???...are Savile Row indeed 'Shavemac-made'...??...are they made in Germany??
3. If that's the case...how owners of SR and Shavemac find the performance of the brushes one compared to the other??
4. If 2&3 are correct- what would be the benefit to get a SR over an original Shavemac?

thanks for any input

greetings from the capital..

ooops....no savile rowers around...???...or basically, nothing to say???..

I think Charles would take umbrage at his brushes being compared to Simpsons (or any other brand for that matter). He's said they were designed as a counter to the dense and short-lofted brushes flooding the market. He continues to favor 3-band over 2- because those offer the softest tips and best flowthrough.

My many SR's have never shed a hair, compared to Simpsons. They've also been consistently softer-tipped than Simpson Best, Super, and 2-band silvertip.

Consensus is the SR's are built by Shavemac. I've always believed the hair is picked and sorted differently, the bulbs shaped a little differently also. But I can't prove it. QC is first-rate, a hallmark of Shavemac's business practice.

I'm not sure what to say about picking one over the other. Each offers a particular mix of qualities that you can choose to favor or not. But if you were to take a poll of Savile Row owners I'd bet none would willingly part with their brushes. They're not the flavor of the month, but they endure.

Don't see them for sale second hand too often like some of the other high dollar brands.

People who own them must be pretty satisfied with them.

I don't own one. The lofts, and frankly the pricing, does not appeal to me.

They do look like top notch products.

rsp1202 said:

Consensus is the SR's are built by Shavemac.

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well, that's a good point...why consensus??....for the bucks to be invested, why it's not transparent as who makes the brushes??....you get a 'made in...' info when you get a Shavemac, a Thaeter, a Simpson or a M&F, for example...
I think it's just fair to know...

Products are sub contracted out all the time, this is nothing new.

paintflinger said:

Products are sub contracted out all the time, this is nothing new.

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+1. I believe I read that Shavemac makes Thaters handles.

I've got a 3124 Silvertip and it's simply the plushest, softest tipped, and most comfortable brush I own. I have Simpsons, Rooneys, and a LE Rudy Vey to compare it to. I don't mean to say that there's not any backbone or that it's floppy, neither of those is the case. While I don't reach for the 3124 if I've got face lathering on my mind it'll do that without breaking a sweat. While I seem to prefer fan shapes and significant backbone, neither of which Savile Row brushes possess, It would be one of the very last brushes I got rid of. It just does its job extremely well and never sheds. What more can you ask?

Ford,
I will be particularly interested if you could comment on the comparison between the RV (shavemac knot??) with the SR 3124..

5 over said:

I've got a 3124 Silvertip and it's simply the plushest, softest tipped, and most comfortable brush I own. I have Simpsons, Rooneys, and a LE Rudy Vey to compare it to. I don't mean to say that there's not any backbone or that it's floppy, neither of those is the case. While I don't reach for the 3124 if I've got face lathering on my mind it'll do that without breaking a sweat. While I seem to prefer fan shapes and significant backbone, neither of which Savile Row brushes possess, It would be one of the very last brushes I got rid of. It just does its job extremely well and never sheds. What more can you ask?

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Recently took possession of a SR 3324 brush. While my Omega Pro49/Rubberset 400 will continue to be my go-to for soaps and croaps, the 3324 is a beast with creams and tubes. As others pointed out, the knot is absolutely fantastic.

I would urge you to consider other brands as well. If your intent is to purchase a high quality/high priced brush then Simpson's, Rooney, MF, Thater and Kent are where you should be looking. If you want to save some money look to SR, Shavemac, Omega, Vulfix or WSP. All make excellent brushes for much less. For my money, I notice a much greater difference in shave quality with shaving products than I do with brushes. Of the eight brushes I have, none have really disappointed. However, the same cannot be said for my soap, cream and after shave collections.

melesbern said:

Ford,
I will be particularly interested if you could comment on the comparison between the RV (shavemac knot??) with the SR 3124..

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I don't know if the RV is a Shavemac knot, but I'd say that the two are quite similar on the face, with the SR possibly a little softer in face feel. As far as the other qualities, it's been quite a while since I used either one (a 3 1/2 year hiatus due to vision issues - had to go electric for that time). I'd say that in general, I'd go with the RV for a face lather, the SR for a bowl lather. YMMV

I'm not sure which LE RV you have, but the past couple years have all been shavemacs as far as I remember.

I've got the 2011, the fan bulb in a butterscotch handle. It's a really, really good and efficient brush. I mostly face lather, and the RV may be slightly batter at that. As I said its probably the one of the two I'd think of first for a face lather (the RV). That said, I wouldn't hesitate to face lather with the SR. It's softer to the face as far as initial feel goes, and maybe not quite as efficient at the first stages of face lathering (building the lather and the hair lifting aspect). But not by a whole lot. And if my face was a little tender from too much sun or a too close shave the day before I'd reach for that Savile Row in a heartbeat.

5 over said:

I've got the 2011, the fan bulb in a butterscotch handle. It's a really, really good and efficient brush. I mostly face lather, and the RV may be slightly batter at that. As I said its probably the one of the two I'd think of first for a face lather (the RV). That said, I wouldn't hesitate to face lather with the SR. It's softer to the face as far as initial feel goes, and maybe not quite as efficient at the first stages of face lathering (building the lather and the hair lifting aspect). But not by a whole lot. And if my face was a little tender from too much sun or a too close shave the day before I'd reach for that Savile Row in a heartbeat.

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That would be a TGN finest knot then, not a shavemac.
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/B_and_B_Limited_Edition_2011_Shaving_Brush