SMF

Posts regarding Plisson brushes seem to have pretty much disappeared. Do we have anyone who still uses them on a regular basis? I think that the same thing has happened to brushes that has happened to shaving soaps and creams --- artisan custom limited editions and one-offs have pretty much knocked the big name brands off the front pages, and of course synthetics continue their growing markets due to very cheap prices combined with very good performance and extremely low maintenance requirements.

as far as i know, only buzz used one with regularity and he went dark. I think plisson is off the front pages because their pr dept went dark too...maybe buzz was their pr dept????

clive

Could be Plisson has lost market share to online sites like Italian Barber, Maggard's, etc.

Reminds me of a statement I read nearly 20 years ago that the World Wide Web is
deflationary, as people can find the best price on something in a matter of minutes.

That said, my two most recent online purchases, a part for my car and a Baili BD176
razor have been with Amazon, of all places. Regardless of the distaste I have for
Amazon, I held my nose and pulled the trigger because they had the best deals.

Supply and demand seems to be at play. When there were about 4 big name brands of brushes, supply was tight and certain brands and models were pretty hard to come by, which resulted in higher prices. No doubt Plisson and Simpson were very popular. It seems that nowadays the guys who buy brushes aren't hoping to find what they want from only those brands. The supply has expanded to include dozens of brands that didn't even exist just a few years ago. That, plus the fact that the knots of all kinds and descriptions are at our fingertips on the www.

While he has very little to add that is new, Buzz does check in from time to time! I still use my enormous Plisson HMW set in plexi every day. If you ask me, it is the finest shaving brush ever created. Unfortunately, Plisson has been unable to source that quality badger since the early eighties...yes, more than thirty years ago...and what Plisson has on offer today is fine but not in any way exceptional; certainly not worth the prices charged. If you want to experience what I am telling, stop by Colonial Drug, now in Newton, Massachusetts, where you can compare a vintage Plisson to a contemporary brush. Sorry, Cathie and PJ are not offering the vintage brushes for sale. BEWARE! What Plisson now offers as High Mountain White badger is nothing like the vintage HMW badger; it is maybe the best badger one can buy today, but it is not as long, fine, resilient and brilliant white as it was last century.

Buzz

Buzz! Good to see you out and about.

This thread wouldn't be complete without your input.

- Murray

Probably a similar thing happened to brushes as with razors. The price of used fat boys and the like has declined now that there are endless boutique brands of razor to choose from. I still enjoy my old horn handled Plisson HMW 2 band. The handle has a few cracks (horn is no t a practical material for brush handles) but the size 12 knot is outstanding, just as good a Rooney finest IMO. As far as I know Plisson is still selling brushes, maybe more synthetics than anything else?

blantyre wrote:Probably a similar thing happened to brushes as with razors. The price of used fat boys and the like has declined now that there are endless boutique brands of razor to choose from. I still enjoy my old horn handled Plisson HMW 2 band. The handle has a few cracks (horn is no t a practical material for brush handles) but the size 12 knot is outstanding, just as good a Rooney finest IMO. As far as I know Plisson is still selling brushes, maybe more synthetics than anything else?

Plisson does sell synthetics...who knows how many...but still sells many various badgers...who knows how many. The current Plissons are of very fine badger, just not as good as the vintage 1972-1980 HMW, but nothing ever has been or ever will be that good. As Murray points out, horn handles are crap; they have been on offer as a "natural" alternative to ivory that is both legal and affordable. Don't buy a horn handle. My favorite handle is of course the Plisson plexiglass, followed closely by the imitation ivory resin. Price is quite another matter. I don't think that Plissons are worth their cost, especially when compared to Twentyfirst Century Simpsons and Kents.

Buzz

Buzz to the rescue, and like Murray, its nice to see you out and about----thanks.

clive

Yes, its good to see Buzz again.

I bought my first (and only) Plisson shaving brush a little over six years ago now, a size 14 European white set in an Ebony wood handle. It practically ended SBAD for me and I've been using it around 90% of the time to build lather for my shaves.

It has for me a great balance in the hand, face feel, and the handle-to-knot size/loft proportion is close to ideal for the way I build lather with both shaving creams and soaps.

The brush has also held-up pretty well considering I do a three pass shave every other day, it does shed a hair or two every couple of weeks to a month but other than that it is pretty solid, and I would like to think it'll easily last another six years.

So it's a big thumbs-up from me when it concerns Plisson shaving brushes.

Is my best brush Plisson HMM 12 faux ivory vintage. Is class on its own

Today hype is about artisan brushes I am not interested

For me it's all about the specific hair used. I do prefer Badger hair and I also know the density and the loft and the size I really like the most. I have assembled many, many brushes myself and using any seller's knots of the same name is a crap shoot as the specific quality and characteristics are not so easy to duplicate or even to find. That goes for well know manufacturers too IMHO. I have a few that seem to be especially wonderful for me! A HMW shaving brush from the so called golden year(s) is a good theory I don't buy into. Great knots and great brush handles are available but not so easy to find that suit your own preference. I Hope this makes sense. Sometimes it seems it is simply a matter of luck. One of the reasons synthetics are becoming so popular IMHO is that they are mostly exactly the same knots in any handle and very easy and cheaply available. Imagine trying to think hair from any animal is exactly the same. Think Human hair. Are all blondes and brunettes, etc. carrying exactly the same quality hair? I don't think so!!!

No, there actually was a golden age for Plisson High Mountain White badger hair in the late Seventies to early eighties. Plisson must have sourced a few very special pelts and loaded the hair into their plexiglass handles. The hair is long, resilient and has brilliant white tips. The brushes can hold an enormous amount of water and produce abundant, rich lather. I have owned three of these brushes (they may be identified by the black collar in which the head is set) and each is an absolute marvel, they are quite beautiful and are the best brushes I have ever owned or ever seen. The Plisson HMW set in plexi are probably the greatest shave brushes ever made.

Buzz

Buzz, I agree. A few years ago I got lucky on ebay and scored one of the gentle plexi giants - 24 or even higher if there is such a thing. It's an heirloom brush I rarely if ever remember to use and I don't count it among my other more common everyday brushes. I'm extremely lucky to have it.

brothers wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2020 1:12 pm Buzz, I agree. A few years ago I got lucky on ebay and scored one of the gentle plexi giants - 24 or even higher if there is such a thing. It's an heirloom brush I rarely if ever remember to use and I don't count it among my other more common everyday brushes. I'm extremely lucky to have it.

You are fortunate, indeed! A #24 HMW set in Plexiglass is the largest of the three I have owned (2 x #20) and it is unassailably luxurious. I am not aware of larger such brushes ever sold at retail, but they may be out there. Colonial Drug (now on Water Street in Newton) has an enormous display model HMW in plexiglass and believe me...I have asked many times...it is not for sale.

Buzz

I have a Plisson HMW brush with a Plexiglass handle in my rotation of 27 badger brushes. It’s a damn fine brush, but from Buzz’s description of the Golden Age HMWs, mine isn’t one; it has a white collar and the tips are not brilliant white. Nevertheless, it performs excellently and I like it better than my Rooney Finest 2/1. The Rooney has greatly disappointed me as the knot has started to crater in the centre.

Rufus wrote: ↑Fri Mar 13, 2020 1:26 pm I have a Plisson HMW brush with a Plexiglass handle in my rotation of 27 badger brushes. It’s a damn fine brush, but from Buzz’s description of the Golden Age HMWs, mine isn’t one; it has a white collar and the tips are not brilliant white. Nevertheless, it performs excellently and I like it better than my Rooney Finest 2/1. The Rooney has greatly disappointed me as the knot has started to crater in the centre.

Yours is a "European White" rather than a "High Mountain White." You can ell which you have by the collar holding the hair...white for Euro, black for HMW. My experience is that in practice, the two different badgers perform identically, the main difference being purely cosmetic.

Buzz

M6Classic wrote: ↑Fri Mar 13, 2020 2:23 pm

Rufus wrote: ↑Fri Mar 13, 2020 1:26 pm I have a Plisson HMW brush with a Plexiglass handle in my rotation of 27 badger brushes. It’s a damn fine brush, but from Buzz’s description of the Golden Age HMWs, mine isn’t one; it has a white collar and the tips are not brilliant white. Nevertheless, it performs excellently and I like it better than my Rooney Finest 2/1. The Rooney has greatly disappointed me as the knot has started to crater in the centre.

Yours is a "European White" rather than a "High Mountain White." You can ell which you have by the collar holding the hair...white for Euro, black for HMW. My experience is that in practice, the two different badgers perform identically, the main difference being purely cosmetic.

Buzz

Buzz, thanks. The label on the brush reads, “Pur Blaireau Haute Montagne”; thus I assumed it is HMW. Thanks for clarifying.