Item Description
The handle on the eShave Silvertip Badger brush is probably its most distinguishing feature - long, slender and substantial, it lends a quality feel to the brush. It also makes the proportions seem a little odd, but the knot is a fairly normal size - 21mm knot, with 51mm loft and a fan-shape after blooming. This brush comes in three different grades of bristles, with the Silvertip being the top of the line.
I'd compare the eShave Silvertip to Rooney's Silvertip in terms of both tip softness and backbone/resilience. Density seems about the same as a standard Rooney, not as dense as either a Rooney Heritage or a Simpson's Best Badger. That's not a knock; the brush's density is quite good. It works for soaps, but seems at heart a cream brush. You could use it for face lathering, but with the long handle and fan shape it seems designed for the bowl latherer.
In that capacity (bowl), it whips up an excellent, thick lather very easily. Getting the lather head in the photo took about 30 seconds. I think the speed is a combination of the handle shape (again, perfectly suited for whipping up lather in a bowl), and partly due to the brush's water retention; a few gentle shakes after a good soak seems to leave it with a just about perfect amount of water for lather creation. It's also likely helped by the fact that Trumper's is a great cream.
I believe a lot of thought and experimentation went into the handle. Its length enhances grip and helps brush control, and slender as it is it doesn't give the clunky slathering-my-face-with-a-brick feel of, say, a Rooney 3/3 or big Simpsons Polo. The brush gives up lather easily with either round/scrub or painting methods. Very good face feel, perhaps a very faint hint of scritchiness, but not at all unpleasant.
The overall quality seems very good. The printing on mine is showing some wear, but no worse than Rooney or Vulfix printing. (That *is* a knock; an expensive brush should have lettering engraved or embedded.) I've read other reviewers excoriate the later eShave brushes as horrible shedders. This one is not so at all. It gives up the occasional hair, but no worse than any Simpson or Rooney I've had (one or two hairs every couple of shaves). It may be that their top brush grade is better constructed; the "shedder" complaints seem to involve the lower "Fine" and "Finest" grades.
The price through eShave's website is $150 with free shipping. Not horrible for a brush of this quality, and the long handle but standard knot size and its ability to whip up good lather unusually fast makes it something of a novelty. Made in the USA was also an attraction for me. But I do think there are better brushes to be had for $150. Conversely, IMO the Rooney silvertip in size 1 (style 2 or 3) gives similar lathering and face feel at a lower price, though it doesn't have that long thin handle and takes a little longer than the eShave to whip up that luxurious lather.
I'd compare the eShave Silvertip to Rooney's Silvertip in terms of both tip softness and backbone/resilience. Density seems about the same as a standard Rooney, not as dense as either a Rooney Heritage or a Simpson's Best Badger. That's not a knock; the brush's density is quite good. It works for soaps, but seems at heart a cream brush. You could use it for face lathering, but with the long handle and fan shape it seems designed for the bowl latherer.
In that capacity (bowl), it whips up an excellent, thick lather very easily. Getting the lather head in the photo took about 30 seconds. I think the speed is a combination of the handle shape (again, perfectly suited for whipping up lather in a bowl), and partly due to the brush's water retention; a few gentle shakes after a good soak seems to leave it with a just about perfect amount of water for lather creation. It's also likely helped by the fact that Trumper's is a great cream.
I believe a lot of thought and experimentation went into the handle. Its length enhances grip and helps brush control, and slender as it is it doesn't give the clunky slathering-my-face-with-a-brick feel of, say, a Rooney 3/3 or big Simpsons Polo. The brush gives up lather easily with either round/scrub or painting methods. Very good face feel, perhaps a very faint hint of scritchiness, but not at all unpleasant.
The overall quality seems very good. The printing on mine is showing some wear, but no worse than Rooney or Vulfix printing. (That *is* a knock; an expensive brush should have lettering engraved or embedded.) I've read other reviewers excoriate the later eShave brushes as horrible shedders. This one is not so at all. It gives up the occasional hair, but no worse than any Simpson or Rooney I've had (one or two hairs every couple of shaves). It may be that their top brush grade is better constructed; the "shedder" complaints seem to involve the lower "Fine" and "Finest" grades.
The price through eShave's website is $150 with free shipping. Not horrible for a brush of this quality, and the long handle but standard knot size and its ability to whip up good lather unusually fast makes it something of a novelty. Made in the USA was also an attraction for me. But I do think there are better brushes to be had for $150. Conversely, IMO the Rooney silvertip in size 1 (style 2 or 3) gives similar lathering and face feel at a lower price, though it doesn't have that long thin handle and takes a little longer than the eShave to whip up that luxurious lather.
