Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

What kind of shaving brush do you use? Tell us all about it!
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SirCur
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Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by SirCur »

Gents,

It's been a while since I purchased a new brush. I have a great lineup ranging from a drug store, Omega boar to some nice Simpsons (both 2 and 3 band). I use every brush that I own, and like each one for it's own unique properties. The Simpson's Anniversary brush lathers anything with ease, my T3 is soft and luxurious, the Chubby 2 is great for soft creams ...

Despite having 11 brushes, I'm still missing something - and I need it. I need a longer-handled brush to use with 2 pewter mugs. I find that the mugs (with soap of course) are fairly deep (compared with the wooden bowls) and a longer brush would just work better to pick up the soap in the mugs. This is even more true when the soap is mostly used up, and you end up scraping at the bottom of the mug to use the last bits of soap.

I have never had a long-handled brush and would love to hear your recommendations for this style brush that will work well with a pewter mug/soap.

thanks ... Steve
To want what I have
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rexcarolus
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by rexcarolus »

I think the Rooney/M&F "Victorian" should be at the top of your list. It is an absolute classic.
EL Alamein
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by EL Alamein »

I am going to sound like a broken record here as I always make the same recommendation but here goes . . . get a turnback travel brush. when assembled they have the longest handles of most anything I've seen since the turn of the century (from the 19th to the 20th, mind you). To top it off they have a full sized head and they lather like crazy.

Until recently they were very cheap but suddenly their prices have sky-rocketed. That said they are still very reasonable in comparison to full sized brushes.

I use the T&H version which is made by Vulfix BUT I think that, more recently, T&H has demanded a denser knot for their turnbacks than what Vulfix normally puts in their house brand. I can't verify that claim as I don't have enough data points but either way you will be getting an excellent brush.

Hope that helps.

Chris
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SirCur
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by SirCur »

Chris, thanks for the reco - I actually have a really good Rooney turnback travel brush - and although it's long enough, it's not something I want to use frequently. Agreed that the quality is quite good though - it's nice to be able to bring a brush of that quality when you travel!!

... Steve
To want what I have
To take what I'm given with grace
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SirCur
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by SirCur »

rexcarolus wrote:I think the Rooney/M&F "Victorian" should be at the top of your list. It is an absolute classic.
OK - I checked the spec on the Victorian - definitely has a long handle, it appears to be a very large brush - how well does it perform on soaps? Also, as a point of reference, I have the Emillion - is the badger in the Victorian similar?

... Steve
To want what I have
To take what I'm given with grace
For this I pray
EL Alamein
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by EL Alamein »

Steve, glad to offer, I just hope you find something that fits your needs. I have the same issue with handle length versus scuttles and shaving mugs and I find that my T&H turnback (a tad longer than Rooney's old style turnback - see Buzz's recent post about Colonial Drug being reborn - in this forum) fits the bill. Fittingly, it looks like Rooney has adopted the T&H style for their new turnbacks (again see Buzz's post) so if you become tempted you could have two to compare!

The only thing that comes to mind now are those long handled barber brushes from about a century ago. I don't know if they're even offered anymore or even if they're up your alley. I seem to recall that "Barbershop" brand used to put one out as late as the 80's as well as Old Spice had a version I believe. Either way it might be ebay if you wanted to pursue such a brush and then have it reknotted. Hopefully others can recommend something more suitable.

Good Luck!

Chris
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by Thalay Sagar »

I think Chris' suggestion of a turnback is a great one. As or the Victorian, it used to be a long-handles Emillion (size 2 now) but now...who knows. In a more traditional brush you could consider a Polo 12 or 14, especially since you like Simpsons. Or you could go really big and get a Vulfix 38. :wink:
Best,
Chris

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gil3591
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by gil3591 »

try shavemac. sorry for the lousy pic. not used to this new site :-)
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fallingwickets
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by fallingwickets »

the shavemac handle is really long....thanks for posting gil

clive
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gil3591
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by gil3591 »

fallingwickets wrote:the shavemac handle is really long....thanks for posting gil

clive
that model is discontinued but they still make a very similar model. there are other brushes than simpson ;-)
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Ronnie Aloha
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by Ronnie Aloha »

I'd try and get a wood or resin handle custom made. Many folks will turn out customs for about the same price as a factory brush. You can pick the knot you want that way too. The reason for the wood or resin is that I've found when lathering via a mug the handle tends to hit the sides of the mug. If it is a pewter mug I'd worry about scratching up a metal handled brush.
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LeGaulois
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by LeGaulois »

I like my Omega

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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by brothers »

That Omega seems to fill the bill!
Gary

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SirCur
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by SirCur »

gil3591 wrote:try shavemac. sorry for the lousy pic. not used to this new site :-)
Wow, that's one huge brush! I'll have to check the spec on the current Shavemac lineup

... Steve
To want what I have
To take what I'm given with grace
For this I pray
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SirCur
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by SirCur »

Ronnie Aloha wrote:I'd try and get a wood or resin handle custom made. Many folks will turn out customs for about the same price as a factory brush. You can pick the knot you want that way too. The reason for the wood or resin is that I've found when lathering via a mug the handle tends to hit the sides of the mug. If it is a pewter mug I'd worry about scratching up a metal handled brush.
Ronnie, thanks for the suggestion. Yes, it IS a pewter mug (2 of them actually) and one has fairly sharp edges at the top. How do you find the knot in these custom brushes compared to something from Simpsons or Shavemac?? Does the badger compare??

... Steve
To want what I have
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SirCur
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by SirCur »

LeGaulois wrote:I like my Omega

Image
That handle looks pretty good - do they make high-quality badger brushes vs boar?

.. Steve
To want what I have
To take what I'm given with grace
For this I pray
Antique Hoosier
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by Antique Hoosier »

I've coveted the Rooney Victorian for years. A unique brush!
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SirCur
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by SirCur »

Gents,

I've been continuing to research this topic, but haven't got too far - there is:

Rooney Victorian
Handle 75mm
Height 122mm
Knot 24mm

Simpsons Polo 10/12
Handle 68mm/77mm
Height 123mm/135mm
Knot 28mm/30mm

Shavemac (2 models)
Handle 70mm/82mm
Height 131mm/142mm
Knot 26mm/26mm

I think the knot sizes of the Simpsons is too big for my taste. The Victorian sounds just about right, BUT, I have an Emillion and it sounds like the same brush with a longer handle (I suppose I could sell the Emillion ...). Since I only have 1 Shavemac (the SMF forum brush), I'm not that familiar with their lineup - particularly how their badger performs with soaps and with a larger knot size. The spec of the Shavemac is tempting for sure. Any comments on the Shavemac badger vs Rooney??

... Steve
To want what I have
To take what I'm given with grace
For this I pray
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gil3591
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Re: Long Handled Brush - Reco Needed!

Post by gil3591 »

steve, i usually prefer a 26-28mm. knot. my long handle shavemac is a 22x60 and am suprised that seems as larg as the other brushes. you are familiar with a shavemc knot so i assume you can expect the same king of density and face feel. the other brush you mentioned, especially the rooney, will be a lot denser and hog the lather more than the shavemac.
Gil
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