Item Description
I like my Custom Shavemac D01 (21mm/50mm) just as much as my Custom Shavemac Finest (19mm/45mm) and Rooney 1/1 Super Silvertip (20mm/44mm) but for different reasons. I've said this quite a lot in B&B posts, and it's true. I will now consider adding the *New *Forest 2201 (22mm/52mm) to that statement. Costing approximately $42, this may very well be the best brush available for the money, and some may find it to be the best brush for them, regardless of cost.
It's a well made brush with a comfortable, lathe-turned handle. The bottom of my 2201 isn't perfectly flat, like my other 3 favorites, which suction themselves to the bathroom counter if they're wet. The *New *Forest's knot ("dome" in profile) also isn't as perfectly formed as my other 3 handmade brushes. None of this is a deal breaker for me, but it may bother some people. I've seen Simpson brushes with much, much wonkier (asymmetrical) knots.
The *New *Forest carries the ambitious moniker "Superior Badger" on its chest, further proof that there's no standard hair grading system and manufacturers call hair grades whatever they feel like. It's 2-band silvertip hair, which, for the uninitiated, just means the hair has two distinct bands of color. Black at the bottom with white tips.
I face lather hard soaps about 98% of the time. The *New *Forest is a good face lathering brush, but to me, it seems to be more of an all-around performer. It's fine for soaps, creams, bowl use, and acceptable for face lathering. This brush is designed to appeal to the masses, and I'm sure it will. Today, I did two practice lathers with the 2201 on my hand to clean the brush and cut back the badger funk, which wasn't terribly pronounced. I face lathered some Mitchell's Wool Fat for my first shaving pass, rinsed out the brush, then face lathered a Palmolive stick for my second pass. There was enough lather left in the brush for my touchups and probably enough for two or three more passes, had I needed it. It's lost about 10 hairs through all of that, and hopefully that will stop soon. It's not uncommon for a new brush to lose a few hairs.
I don't think anyone should expect this to have the same qualities of Simpson, Rooney, or Shavemac 2-bands. I don't own any of those three brushes, but everything I've read by folks on B&B leads me to believe those three brushes have more backbone and density than the New Forest. Someone who took the plunge with those brushes will hopefully chime in. I'll limit this review, however, to my favorite brushes.
My D01 and Rooney have similar backbone (firm) and my Shavemac Finest has just a touch less, owing to less density. The *New *Forest isn't nearly as firm as my Shavemac Finest because of it's loft and density. The *New *Forest has the least amount of backbone I would ever want in a brush. The lack of density isn't a bad thing, though, because the *New *Forest releases lather very easily. That's also what I like best about my Shavemac Finest. Bear in mind that my Rooney and Shavemac Finest cost nearly twice as much as a New Forest, and my Shavemac D01 cost nearly 4 times as much as the 2201.
The *New *Forest's finest attribute is its softness. The tips of this brush are as soft as my Shavemac D01, which makes the 2201 a real pleasure to use and a serious bargain. It's a silvertip brush with best badger pricing. The 2201 is like the B&B Essential, regarding density, but the *New *Forest has a little more backbone and much softer tips. This is a brush that would cost a lot more, were it made by a UK or German company. It's nice to see a really nice brush in the $40 price range ($50-ish, if the British pound goes back up to its normal value, relative to the dollar.) This would also be a great choice for those with sensitive skin.
Please read all of this with the understanding that I am part of a niche market (hard soap face latherer) within a niche market (traditional wet shavers), and most brushes don't have the qualities I like. If the *New *Forest had a 45mm loft, particularly important if it was fan shaped, and/or was more densely packed (20% more perhaps), I would like it better. For now, though, it's a keeper that performs admirably, and I'm saying that as someone who's more than willing to jettison a brush that doesn't meet with my approval. It's very good, in its own unique way, and I think I'll enjoy the variety.
Please feel free to discuss this thread here. Comparison photos are also in the discussion thread. They won't post here for some reason.
-Andy
It's a well made brush with a comfortable, lathe-turned handle. The bottom of my 2201 isn't perfectly flat, like my other 3 favorites, which suction themselves to the bathroom counter if they're wet. The *New *Forest's knot ("dome" in profile) also isn't as perfectly formed as my other 3 handmade brushes. None of this is a deal breaker for me, but it may bother some people. I've seen Simpson brushes with much, much wonkier (asymmetrical) knots.
The *New *Forest carries the ambitious moniker "Superior Badger" on its chest, further proof that there's no standard hair grading system and manufacturers call hair grades whatever they feel like. It's 2-band silvertip hair, which, for the uninitiated, just means the hair has two distinct bands of color. Black at the bottom with white tips.
I face lather hard soaps about 98% of the time. The *New *Forest is a good face lathering brush, but to me, it seems to be more of an all-around performer. It's fine for soaps, creams, bowl use, and acceptable for face lathering. This brush is designed to appeal to the masses, and I'm sure it will. Today, I did two practice lathers with the 2201 on my hand to clean the brush and cut back the badger funk, which wasn't terribly pronounced. I face lathered some Mitchell's Wool Fat for my first shaving pass, rinsed out the brush, then face lathered a Palmolive stick for my second pass. There was enough lather left in the brush for my touchups and probably enough for two or three more passes, had I needed it. It's lost about 10 hairs through all of that, and hopefully that will stop soon. It's not uncommon for a new brush to lose a few hairs.
I don't think anyone should expect this to have the same qualities of Simpson, Rooney, or Shavemac 2-bands. I don't own any of those three brushes, but everything I've read by folks on B&B leads me to believe those three brushes have more backbone and density than the New Forest. Someone who took the plunge with those brushes will hopefully chime in. I'll limit this review, however, to my favorite brushes.
My D01 and Rooney have similar backbone (firm) and my Shavemac Finest has just a touch less, owing to less density. The *New *Forest isn't nearly as firm as my Shavemac Finest because of it's loft and density. The *New *Forest has the least amount of backbone I would ever want in a brush. The lack of density isn't a bad thing, though, because the *New *Forest releases lather very easily. That's also what I like best about my Shavemac Finest. Bear in mind that my Rooney and Shavemac Finest cost nearly twice as much as a New Forest, and my Shavemac D01 cost nearly 4 times as much as the 2201.
The *New *Forest's finest attribute is its softness. The tips of this brush are as soft as my Shavemac D01, which makes the 2201 a real pleasure to use and a serious bargain. It's a silvertip brush with best badger pricing. The 2201 is like the B&B Essential, regarding density, but the *New *Forest has a little more backbone and much softer tips. This is a brush that would cost a lot more, were it made by a UK or German company. It's nice to see a really nice brush in the $40 price range ($50-ish, if the British pound goes back up to its normal value, relative to the dollar.) This would also be a great choice for those with sensitive skin.
Please read all of this with the understanding that I am part of a niche market (hard soap face latherer) within a niche market (traditional wet shavers), and most brushes don't have the qualities I like. If the *New *Forest had a 45mm loft, particularly important if it was fan shaped, and/or was more densely packed (20% more perhaps), I would like it better. For now, though, it's a keeper that performs admirably, and I'm saying that as someone who's more than willing to jettison a brush that doesn't meet with my approval. It's very good, in its own unique way, and I think I'll enjoy the variety.
Please feel free to discuss this thread here. Comparison photos are also in the discussion thread. They won't post here for some reason.
-Andy
] The knot bristles are stiff enough to stand up to vigorous lathering, and yet the tips are relatively soft; the density is good, and it releases lather easily (unlike the denser Simpsons, which hold onto lather like velcro). The handle shape and weight are well-adapted for either bowl or face lathering. It has an overall feeling of major-league quality quite out of proportion to its minor-league price.
]
