*New *Forest 2211 Silvertip: Homewrecker!

I received this brush more than a week ago and I've had a chance to use it and let it break in. Overall, I'm impressed with the brush and for the price it's a very good value.

The size is listed by the seller as follows:

Handle 50 mm
Loft 48 mm
Knot 22 mm

Price including worldwide shipping was £35

The price converts to about $55 (USD) - so it's a very good price for a silvertip badger brush.

Quality is very good all around. The quality of the plastic in the handle is very good as is the lettering on the handle. There was some discussion about the durability of the lettering on his previous brush. I don't own one so I can't compare. The lettering on the 2211 is holding up very well so far; no fading, etc., is noticeable. The knot itself is very nice - a good balance between softness and stiffness. The tips are not super soft but still feel very nice on the face when lathering. It has a decent backbone to it so it makes a great brush for either soaps or creams. I mostly use creams and it works great. I bowl lather in general, but I used it with my Irisch Moos shavestick and face lathered and the results were very good.

There is a slight ergonomic issue in that the bottom of the brush handle, the part that actually rests on the counter is slightly sharp, i.e. it's not chamfered or beveled. I can feel it when I grasp the handle while lathering. This is a very minor issue, though. I communicated with the seller - Peter/Fido - and he said he was aware of it and had planned to revise the handle in the future to address that issue. The rest of the handle is well-finished and very comfortable.

The only other issue I found is shedding. It shed a bit when I first washed it before use. It probably lost some 15 hairs or so. The first three or four uses saw the shedding continue but lessen with each use. It still loses an occasional hair but it has basically stopped shedding. I communicated this to the seller and he stated that he had requested tightly packed knots from the manufacturer and said other buyers had noticed the same thing. It eventually stops. It didn't lose any more hairs the last time I used it, so I think it has.

The only other silvertip brush I own is a Savile Row brush. The Savile Row is a 3120 and retails for $85 plus shipping. The handle on the Savile Row is slightly better and it has more stiffness in the bristles, while feeling slightly softer at the tips. It has a slightly more attractive knot in that it's whiter at the tips and has more distinct banding.

The 2211, however, compares very favorably - especially at a its price point. It's not a top-notch silvertip brush, but it is a very good value. For less than $60 you get a very, very good brush with good ergonomics and good quality knot.

I was impressed by Fido’s first brush effort, the New Forest 2201, so when he announced his new brush, the New Forest 2211, allegedly stuffed with more and better “silvertip badger” bristles, I immediately bought one.

However, when the NF2211 arrived, I was disappointed. It looked exactly like the 2201. I mean exactly. I kicked myself for laying out the money for it. I really, really wanted to hate it.

Then I used it.

Don’t use this brush. If you do, you will kick yourself over every brush you ever spent more money on. Which, based on Fido’s pricing, will be most of your brushes.

In appearance, the NF2211 knot is a bold bulb shape. It really does look exactly like the NF2201, but only until you use it once. Then it blooms nicely. The density looks the same as the NF2201, but it's not. It's more dense, and it feels softer yet thicker. Comparing it to other brands, the density isn’t quite the equal of a good Simpsons, but it’s close; it’s more like a Rooney, but not as soft. [Then again, I think Rooneys are too soft.] The bristles hit a sweet spot, with excellent backbone but very soft tips. Dry, the bristles feel slightly stiffer and coarser than a Simpsons Best, but the tips are about the same; wet, there's virtually no difference. The size is about ideal, big enough to lather you up quickly and thoroughly, but not so big that lather ends up in your ears or up your nose. I measure it at 23mm diameter, 49mm loft.

Fido apparently copied the Simpsons Persian Jar handle shape for the 2201; I guess he believed it the optimal handle for a shaving brush, and who’s to say he’s wrong. It’s very grippable for bowl or mug lathering, works well for face lathering, and has no crevices for soap to gunk up in. The 2211 is *almost* identical; the base is a bit chunkier, not totally tapered like the earlier version. Whether that is an intentional refinement, or an accident of production, I do not know. It doesn’t affect grip or usability at all.

The brush quickly whips up great lather with both soaps and creams, and does an especially grand job on my favorite, mixing soap and cream. It lays down a smooth, thick, full lather coat that is just a joy on the face. When loaded with lather, it feels as soft as any Simpsons I have used, and nearly as soft as a Rooney. There is no scratchiness.

As I say, I wanted to hate the NF2211. I wanted to say the Fido cult is silly and the Fido brushes are vastly overrated. I wanted to say something snarky like “it’s the best brush you can buy for 35 pounds sterling shipped.” Well, it IS the best brush you can buy for 35 pounds sterling. It’s at least as good as any brush you can buy for 70 pounds sterling. It isn’t clearly outranked by any brush you can buy for 100 pounds sterling. But the Fido cult is still silly. He’s just a man. A man who makes excellent brushes.