B&B 2009 Limited Edition (LE) in Butterscotch

I picked up my 2009 LE butterscotch.

I am comparing it to a boar, the 2006 LE and a HD Semogue (730 I believe)?

I generally like creams (although I will uberlater with a soap/cream) so this brush is right up my alley.

Not the giant beast like the 06LE, but what I really like about it is the handle.

There are so many different ways to hold that little sucker that it is fun! If you can get your hands on one and you are looking for a nice cream brush feel free to get this one!

Well it appears that this is the first 2009 LE Review. Sure I jumped the gun by not posting pictures but I'll get them in soon.

For the over two weeks I've been using the 2009 LE and throwing the 2008 LE in for comparison.

This is a great brush and I thank the folks that took time time to offer this to the membership - in two colors! I really respect the decision to go with such a bold shape and color. B&B probably could have sold more brushes if the design was more conventional, making a less stressful period of uncertainty that we would get the minimum order quantity required by the vendor - but what kind of fun is that?

On to more specifics about this brush:

Price: I think the price was very reasonable for this brush given that it was custom made by a reputable vendor to our exact specs with our logo and the quality of the materials & knot.

Quality: The handle has a nice polish. The brush hasn't lost a hair yet and the quality of the badger hair is top notch. Kent's packaging is unsurpassed as well - who else ships with anything else close to that red, velvet lined box? Pure class. So in all aspects this is a high quality brush. I have a custom Shavemac from another forum group buy and the finish on the handle of the Kent made LE's is superior.

Stiffness of Tips: I am a die-hard Simpsons 2-band user. That is the kind of stiffness and bounce that I prefer. The 09 LE doesn't come close to that kind of feel. The brush has good spring and I find it lathers soaps very easily but it is definitely not a stiff, dense, springy brush.

Softness of Tips: This brush is less broken in than my 08 LE. There is a tiny bit of scritch at the tips that I'm sure will mellow with continued use. The overall feeling is that this is a soft, luxurious brush.

Ergonomic: I went a bit less here given that it is a pretty bold, challenging shape. I've used a lot of brushes and don't really find any of them ergonomically challenging but this handle does take a bit of getting used to.

Latherability: I use soaps exclusively. I've used this brush with all kinds of triple-milled soaps (Trumper, Roger and Gallet, D.R. Harris) and artisanal/glycerin (QED, Saint Charles Shave, The Gentleman's Quarter). I've also face lathered with a number of shave sticks (QED, Palmolive). This brush has done fine with everything I've thrown at it. I'm sure it would do fine with creams as well. It is definitly a good "all rounder".

Knot Size: This knot is one of the smaller knots I am regularly using. The only smaller is my 08 LE. It holds plenty of lather for three passes.

Color: Again, I salute the designers of this brush to offer this in butterscotch. This color might not appeal to the vintage butterscotch purist and I've heard folks call it "the pumpkin brush" but again I like the bold move and I like having a unique color like this in my collection. Once you get outside the traditional ivory or ebony colors, preferences are going to get pretty strong (love it or hate it). Also, color gets tricky to represent when taking a picture with a digital camera and viewing it on a computer monitor. Take a look at the "Show you LE" thread and you'll see how differently this handle color shows up in all the photos, having been interpreted differently by various camera devices under various lighting conditions. Monitors behave differently as well so what color I see on my screen will be different from yours unless some calibration has been done. Anyway I can see how some might not like this color but don't base or state your opinion on anything but holding the actual brush in hand! I like this color and I'm glad we took the bold move to offer it.

Compared to the 08 LE: The knot diameter appears to be identical between the 08 and 09 LE. If there is a difference it is pretty small. The loft appears to be two to three millimeters higher. The 09 blooms larger than the 08. It feels noticeably less dense and springy. I still wouldn't put this brush in the floppy category but I prefer the denseness and spring of the 08 LE more. Lathering with both brushes is a luxurious experience. Both feel like pillows on your face. The 08 is just a denser pillow compared to 09 and is very unique in feel compared to all my other brushes. The 09 feels less special and unique. I still like it but this is where I stand with the 09. If this wasn't a B&B-branded, limited edition I would likely pass on this brush given my rather specific preferences for how I like my knots.

Overall size and weight of these brushes is similar. I like them but I have big hands and I would love the next B&B offering to be a bit larger and beefier in the hand, something more similar to the 06 LE's.

Lastly, while I comment that I prefer the knot of the 08 I still think the 09 is a mighty fine brush. I like the unique shape and color and the fact that it is a B&B-branded, limited edition. It is a great performer and I'll never part with it.

Discussion Thread