Besides Plisson
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Besides Plisson
Besides a top-end Plisson, what is the holy grail of today's shaving brush?
(Off the shelf... excluding vintage.)
(Off the shelf... excluding vintage.)
- SharpSpine
- Posts: 641
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This is a loaded question. Are you just looking for us to share what's best for us, or are you curious as to what people feel warrants high prices? Only the long standing brands like Simpsons & Rooney can offer heritage. However, I'd say that the Wet Shaving Products HMW Stubby & soon to be released SuperFine Stubby will give the big names a run for their money; & at a much lower cost.
> Brian < Shave On & God Bless!!
Mongoose B1 + Hempel Spiral; Feather Pro
Mongoose B1 + Hempel Spiral; Feather Pro
Re: Besides Plisson
Hmmm -- does a single one exist?????RazorRamone wrote:Besides a top-end Plisson, what is the holy grail of today's shaving brush?
(Off the shelf... excluding vintage.)
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Wendell - Of course one exists... in your mind.
I am interested to know which brush - money aside - you feel sets the highest benchmark.
FYI - The reason why I ask this question is that every year I place a small luxury item as a personal motivator to achieve a certain business goal. As a business owner, meeting my own standards can be more difficult than ensuring employees meet my performance standards.
Again, off the shelf... I am no longer interested in paying high premiums for "vintage" shaving products. Been there... done that.
I am interested to know which brush - money aside - you feel sets the highest benchmark.
FYI - The reason why I ask this question is that every year I place a small luxury item as a personal motivator to achieve a certain business goal. As a business owner, meeting my own standards can be more difficult than ensuring employees meet my performance standards.
Again, off the shelf... I am no longer interested in paying high premiums for "vintage" shaving products. Been there... done that.
Craig,
I have an embarrassment of brushes, and cannot find any amongst them to compare with the Somerset Simpsons in use. Lathering and face-feel are superlative. But those brushes are gone as the mature badgers have gone. The IOM two-bands and Manchurians don't even come close. For looks the old Rooney Finest (aka "Apothecary Shoppe" - scare quotes intended) was spectacular, but probably because the tips were bleached. Even the old-style Shavemac supers were really good at glomming onto your face 'like an overly-friendly young lamprey' as someone once put it, but the newer ones have thinner hairs and simply feel as soft as a Muehle-Pinsel. The trouble is that once one has experienced these, nothing else will do it and the only option will be to grow a beard.
Chris
I'm not selling any more. At all. My widow might.
I have an embarrassment of brushes, and cannot find any amongst them to compare with the Somerset Simpsons in use. Lathering and face-feel are superlative. But those brushes are gone as the mature badgers have gone. The IOM two-bands and Manchurians don't even come close. For looks the old Rooney Finest (aka "Apothecary Shoppe" - scare quotes intended) was spectacular, but probably because the tips were bleached. Even the old-style Shavemac supers were really good at glomming onto your face 'like an overly-friendly young lamprey' as someone once put it, but the newer ones have thinner hairs and simply feel as soft as a Muehle-Pinsel. The trouble is that once one has experienced these, nothing else will do it and the only option will be to grow a beard.
Chris
I'm not selling any more. At all. My widow might.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
- M6Classic
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- Location: Not as near Colonial Drug as when they were at Harvard Square, but near enough.
There are many expensive brushes...I'm thinking of that silly brush with a swarovski handle...and there are relatively rare brushes made today from scarce resources, such as the Simpson Manchurians. However, it seems that the point of a Holy Grail...and our Christian brethren can correct me here...is the search and the ordeal involved in finding one's grail. If you could buy the Holy Grail "off-the-shelf," well, then it wouldn't be the Holy Grail, would it? That's why vintage Plisson HMWs and Simpson ivory handles really are Holy Grails to shavers bathed in the blood of the lamb.
Buzz
Buzz
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- Duke of Silvertip!
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Craig, Well, I really don't have a ready response to your question anymore. The ones that immediately popped into mind were the same ones that Chris mentioned above; the Somerset Simpson Bests and the original Rooney Finests. I've owned both and they were superlative. But the operant word is "were"....they are no longer made so I guess they now fall into the 'vintage' catagory, which you have already ruled out. I've been interested in the more current Simpson two-band Supers and Manchurians but no longer have the funds to just buy brushes because I'm interested. Chris doesn't seem to think that they measure up to the older numbers mentioned above, but I have no personal experiance with them. Other than those, and the top end Plissons, nothing else stands out to me as the obvious top of the tree. I mean, as far as I know the Kent BK brushes are still excellent, and no doubt there are others ( Thaters perhaps, for example ) but as far as 'top of the line' today?....I'm not sure. FWIW, the Simpson X2L Colonel ( which is 'Best Badger' ) that I have is superb and it is a Vulfix made speciman, but it's several years old now so I can not promise that the current ones are quite as good....but they might be.
Regards,
Gordon
Regards,
Gordon
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I have a few M&F brushes and the blonde badger is very near to a perfect brush in my opinion. I'm sure Lee Sabini could make you one to your specifications and you'd be hard pressed to find a better brush. Mind you, the last one I got from him was a couple years back, so I don't know what he has in store at the moment.
As others have said, the Somerset Simpsons were outstanding as were the Rooney Finest brushes.
As others have said, the Somerset Simpsons were outstanding as were the Rooney Finest brushes.
Bruno
"Shhhhhaving cream, be nice and clean
shave every day and you'll always look keen."
"Shhhhhaving cream, be nice and clean
shave every day and you'll always look keen."
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- Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:11 pm
- Location: Alberta, Canada
Yes, if you like to face lather the 2XL in either Rooney or Morris & Forndran is (IMO) the perfect brush. 28x47 or 48 loft. I was initially bemused with the short loft but it works beautifully. The Lee Sabini "cult" following is well deserved. I have a 2XL Tortoise Shell on it's way and it has been called stunning by those who have received them.
Max
Max
If you go the M&F route, I think you'll find Mr. Sabini to be honest and dependable. Give him time to communicate, and enjoy your brush!
Gary
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
- fallingwickets
- Clive the Thumb
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Clive, Lee will make you a brush with whatever specifications you give him. Knot size, handle type and material, hair type, colour, etc.fallingwickets wrote:are these m&f brushes anywhere near in form/function to a chubby3?
thanks
clive
Bruno
"Shhhhhaving cream, be nice and clean
shave every day and you'll always look keen."
"Shhhhhaving cream, be nice and clean
shave every day and you'll always look keen."
- fallingwickets
- Clive the Thumb
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- Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:59 am