Rooney Heritage Alibaba

Seraphim · 08-20-2008, 04:54 PM

Alibaba

UPS delivered my new little Mighty Mite last evening! Awesome service from Jim & Erin at Vintage Blades.

Let me start by saying I am not a shave brush maven. This is my third brush. I had thought myself immune from SBAD, since a brush is a simple tool for swirling lather and putting it on your face, right? The most I had paid for a brush previously was $80

Well, I may now be coming down with SBAD symptoms, as I now know what a really nice brush can feel/perform like. Yes, I had to pay $150 for it, but it is in a whole other class.

The specs (courtesy of Vintage Blades):
Rooney Heritage "Alibaba" Size 1 (Small)
Overall brush height: 92mm
Handle height: 48mm
Brush Loft: 44mm
Knot diameter: 20mm

Out of the box, it looks a bit small. I'm not a fan of white handles. Or rather I should say, I wasn't a fan of white handles, until I saw this brush in person--pure class!

First pic is the brush straight outta the box. This sucker is densely packed.

Second pic is a dog and pony show trick to illustrate what kind of backbone Ali has. Stands up on it's tips like an Olympic gymnast going for the gold!

Did I mention that this brush is densely packed?

No discernable Badger funk, so I decided to give it a little scent of my own by breaking it in on some Tabac.

I now also know why soap users prefer stiff brushes. I'm a soap user, but didn't know what I had been missing. The stiff, densely packed bristles did not back down from the Tabac puck, and gave as good as they got.

My other two brushes also lather similar to each other, but this Rooney definitely throws off my standard recipe. Not to worry- a little more soap swirling, a touch more water and viola! Pic three shows the vanilla cone ready for sprinkles....I mean the fully lathered brush! I love the contour of the small handle--feels great. (sorry about the pic)

Pic four just shows how the curve of the handle just happens to match up perfectly with my Japanese shave bowl. Kizmet, I guess... It just stays put.

On my face, Ali is all business. Short, compact bristles (did I mention how densely packed they are?) put the lather right where you want it, and not where you don't (goodbye lathered earlobes and nostrils!). The tips are quite soft, very, very nice.

As said to begin with, I never knew what a true quality brush felt like. My other brushes are nice and soft on my face, but don't have alot of backbone. I figured that lots of backbone would equal stiff and prickly. Not so with Alibaba. The bristles stand tall and firm, but the tips are truly nice and soft. It's fantastic.

I had been contemplating getting a big honkin' 28mm brush for the sake of "luxury". But then I realized that my current ~25mm brushes already feel a bit big for the way I like to lather. And they coat my face too quickly. 1,2,3,4 swipes and I'm done. Where's the luxury in that? I'm trying to enjoy a good shave, not painting a picket fence! So, I then reconsidered and decided to downsize, and I'm glad I did! Putting lather on your face with a smaller brush extends the process and the enjoyment of it.

Drawbacks to a smaller brush? Whipping up a lather (at least for us bowl latherers) takes a bit more effort, and the handle is now used with the fingertips, not palmed like a larger brush can be (not really a drawback, but I'm sort of reaching to find drawback here...).

Advantages of a smaller brush? Puts lather right where you want it. Extends the lathering process. And in the case of the Rooney Heritage it also gives you a densely packed little brush! (in case I hadn't mentioned that previously...). Handling the brush via the fingertips also gives a more precise feel to the lathering process.

Last pic shows the Alibaba in full bloom in the morning sunshine.

A thing of beauty!

JimmyHAD · 08-20-2008, 05:14 PM

Thanks for the great review. I got one of those from Jim too and it just gets better with more use. Enjoy it!

gssixgun · 08-20-2008, 05:16 PM

Great write up, however you are getting no thanks from me

I have been thinking of adding a smaller brush for awhile in either best or finest badger, and your excellent review has me wanting to do some "badger" hunting!!!!!!

Ditch Doc · 08-20-2008, 05:25 PM

Very nice. Almost makes me wish I had held off on my shavemac purchase.

Seraphim · 08-20-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Great write up, however you are getting no thanks from me

I have been thinking of adding a smaller brush for awhile in either best or finest badger, and your excellent review has me wanting to do some "badger" hunting!!!!!!

I came across a number of your posts when I was looking at and pondering the 28mm brushes, as I know it is your brush of choice.

Seeing that you are a lather maestro (I also add a touch of shave cream and glycerin to my mix as per your recommendation

), I submit that you owe it to yourself to give a small brush a try. Really, it is a quite different approach to lathering. Although a small brush may dissapear into your super sundae shave bowl

.

Seriously though, I cannot recommend the Rooney Heritage highly enough, it really rocks.

sicboater · 08-20-2008, 05:26 PM

Seraphim, would you consider doing a formal review for the Review section of the forum?

Seraphim · 08-20-2008, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sicboater

Seraphim, would you consider doing a formal review for the Review section of the forum?

I didn't see a brush review section, so I posted it here

. I feel that brushes deserve a catagory of their own, not to be lumped under "misc".

I have always found it interested that over at B&B they are crazy about talking about brushes. Here at SRP we tend to focus on the razor itself, and the brush seems to be more of an afterthought.

As I said, that was my thinking previously as well--I didn't particularly care about the brush.

Until this brush!

zenshaver · 08-22-2008, 05:04 PM

+1 for a seperate brush section. They are important too.

Besides, I need something else to push my buying in the right direction.

Bart · 08-22-2008, 08:20 PM

A very enjoyable write-up, "densely packed" with well chosen adjectives and superlatives. Very informative.
Thanks, Seraphim.
I am contemplating for quite some time now, about retiring my boar brush and replacing it with a badger.
May I ask what brand the brushes are, that you compared with the Rooney your review?

Bart.

Seraphim · 08-23-2008, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bart

A very enjoyable write-up, "densely packed" with well chosen adjectives and superlatives. Very informative.
Thanks, Seraphim.
I am contemplating for quite some time now, about retiring my boar brush and replacing it with a badger.
May I ask what brand the brushes are, that you compared with the Rooney your review?

Bart.

My first was a Kingsley:

Nice brush, very soft, great price.

My other is a PC Woodcraft custom silvertip:

Also a nice brush. Not quite as soft as the Kingsley, but the handle is pure class and fits the palm of my hand like nothing else.

The Rooney Heritage is excellent. If you are coming from a boars hair, you will see quite a difference even if you go for a lower end brush than the Heritage. I haven't tried one, but a Rooney 2/1 would be somewhat similar to the Heritage (but not as densely packed I imagine...), and those go for ~75 from Vintage Blades. Or just spring for the Heritage, as it is as nice as you can get!

gugi · 08-23-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I have been thinking of adding a smaller brush for awhile in either best or finest badger, and your excellent review has me wanting to do some "badger" hunting!!!!!!

I'd say take finest - it's very different than anything else. My everyday brush and I've got them down to two (the other one is custom fan-shaped shavemac which is very soft and luxurious).

Ockham · 08-23-2008, 09:14 AM

The finest looks very nice, but is really pricey: almost 220£ (http://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/s...est-badger.php) if you have the money and are ready to spend it, go for it.

If not - like I was - a wonderful brush is the Rooney Style 1 Large Silvertip: the brush is very well packed and dense, the bristles are stiffer than a Vulfix or Kent for instance, but still retain enough softness to be really enjoyable. The way it keeps the water is just incredible, and the lather made by it is just gorgeous - and it is far less expensive: less than 60£ (Rooney Ebony Shaving Brushes - Shave Brush UK)

Seraphim · 08-27-2008, 03:53 PM

After using this brush a few times I have aquired a better feel for it:

One thing that threw me off at first was that I was used to swirling up some lather in my bowl, and seeing the results pile up in there, where I could scoop it up with my brush and apply to my face.

With the Alibaba the results are a bit different, I'll get some lather in the bowl, but not mounds of it as I did with other brushes--the lather gets sucked up into the densely packed bristles of the brush itself, instead of remaining in the bowl.

It's amazing, since the brush itself is rather tiny, but it seemingly holds a bowl full of lather in there. Just put the brush to your face, say "Open Sesame!" as Alibaba himself would have done, and you get a face full of suds, no problemo. I'm not a face latherer, but with this little gem, as you apply the lather, the more you twirl and swirl the brush (did I mention the bristles are densely packed?) around your face, the thicker the lather becomes.

Quite nice.

Bart · 08-27-2008, 08:38 PM

This is starting to sound nearly irresistible...
Damn' You Seraphim.

Seraphim · 08-27-2008, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bart

This is starting to sound nearly irresistible...
Damn' You Seraphim.

You're cursing me now, but after your first lather-up with those densely packed, soft bristles, all will be forgiven!

ByronTodd · 08-28-2008, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seraphim

I didn't see a brush review section, so I posted it here

. I feel that brushes deserve a catagory of their own, not to be lumped under "misc".

<snip>

Oh, but have you noticed that newly *renamed* reviews forum - "Brushes, Soaps and Creams Reviews"?

Hmmm... I wonder how that happened?

Seraphim · 08-28-2008, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ByronTodd

Oh, but have you noticed that newly *renamed* reviews forum - "Brushes, Soaps and Creams Reviews"?

Hmmm... I wonder how that happened?

Oh Mighty and all powerful Mods, how about putting a copy of this thread in the new review section?

dward · 08-28-2008, 04:36 PM

The Alibaba is truly beautful, but well beyond my budget

FatboySlim · 08-30-2008, 02:01 AM

Freaking GREAT brush, thanks for the detailed experience review.

I love my Simpson PJ2 (similar), but have a big soft spot for Rooney brushes, I have a Rooney 2/2. Rooneys are just pure quality in the hand, no issues, probably the best overall brush made at their price point and well above. I've wanted a Heritage Alibaba for a while.