[Seraphim]

OK, so after mistakenly recieving a 23mm brush instead of the 21mm, I finally have the correct brush (Bernd was fantastic in customer response!).

So, I can heartily recommend both the 23mm and the 21mm Shavemacs! Really, they are very nice brushes. Extremely soft on your face, and they whip lather quite nicely.

See my other thread for action pics of the 23mm brush. The 21mm performs exactly the same, but fits my face better, as it is about 15% smaller brush area. The 23mm was great as well, but I like them a touch smaller than that lately.

A couple of pics of the brush in the morning sunlight...The olivewood is subtle and nice, the bristles springy and soft.






And a couple of shots alongside my Rooney Alibaba....nothing is denser than a Rooney Heritage!





That being said--I am extremely happy with the new Shavemac. It was exactly what I was looking for--a brush to compare and contrast the Alibaba.

While the Alibaba is super dense, and awesome in its' own right, that also has it's own characteristics (super dense sucks all of the lather into the brush, and you have to slather it all over to get it onto your face---which I like, mind you!)

The Shavemac is plenty dense in it's own way, and the added loft adds to the softness on your face. It also helps to whip lather, and it more willingly deposits the whipped lather onto your skin.

Perfect combo. Depending on my mood, I can reach for one or the other. One is not better than the other, they are both excellent brushes, that suit different moods.

[English]

Great looking shaving brushes.

The quality of the badger hair used by the two manufacturers (silver tip) looks to be of the same quality and so I would expect them to feel very soft on the skin.

However, the more densely packed Rooney in theory should be better with a hard soap because its packing density should make it a bit stiffer and therefore easier whip up the lather on the surface of the hard soap. In addition the flat rather than domed surface of the Rooney can fit the top of the soaps better.

Did you find this? Or do you have a preference for one make over the other and why?

[Seraphim]

Originally Posted by English

Great looking shaving brushes.

The quality of the badger hair used by the two manufacturers (silver tip) looks to be of the same quality and so I would expect them to feel very soft on the skin.

However, the more densely packed Rooney in theory should be better with a hard soap because its packing density should make it a bit stiffer and therefore easier whip up the lather on the surface of the hard soap. In addition the flat rather than domed surface of the Rooney can fit the top of the soaps better.

Did you find this? Or do you have a preference for one make over the other and why?

The Rooney Alibaba is indeed a fine soap brush. Dense, short loft, easily scrubs up the soap for loading the brush.

However, the drawback to super density is that the brush then wants to "hang on" to the lather alot more.

The Shavemac is pretty much the opposite on both accounts, which makes it a perfect fit for the shave den, as I can choose what I'm looking for that day!

[thebigspendur]

Oh oh now you've done it. Two brushes and now you won't be able to help yourself. Next it will be a Simpson Chubby and then you'll be looking at Plissons. Nice shavmac by the way.

[Seraphim]

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Oh oh now you've done it. Two brushes and now you won't be able to help yourself. Next it will be a Simpson Chubby and then you'll be looking at Plissons. Nice shavmac by the way.

Actually I had two brushes before I got the Rooney Alibaba. I didn't know what all the fuss was about SBAD. A brush is a brush, right?

Or so I thought....

Then I got the Alibaba, and found out what having a true quality brush was like....I ordered the Shavemac about a week later

I have a store locally that sells Plissons. I've been by there a number of times, but I am far from impresssed by Plisson "quality", especially at that price point. I'd say the bristles on the Shavemac are nicer than those on a Plisson.

But what do I know...?