Item Description
This is the first expensive brush I've bought; I have a Men-U boar bristle brush, the little Vulfix pictured and now this Shavemac.
I'm lucky to have access in Manhattan to a few snobby toiletry vendors, and in the West Greenwich Village area there's quite a few places that can show you some of the lineups from quite a few of the high-end brush makers along the the accompanied creams, soaps, and whatnot (but not Shavemac, as far as I know).
I was attracted to the Shavemac because of the bulb-shaped head, and its reputation for a somewhat more springy knot. I went ahead and splurged for the 30mm knot 167 model - delivered from Vintage Blades LLC it was ~$188, quite a bit of cash for this sort of thing in my eyes but in line with the 28mm+ class of competition.
In practice, the 167 holds a monstrous amount of water, and weighs about as much as can of condensed milk when you've got it loaded it up with liquid and cream. Because of its weight and the diameter of the beautifully-finished handle, it isn't comfortable for my hands (slightly above average size for 6'0" man) to manipulate with my fingertips...I have resorted to grabbing it like a bike handle. The finish of the handle and the ridge fall comfortably to hand but the size and the weight of the loaded brush diminish the ergonomic practicality somewhat.
The 167 makes an incredible amount of messy later in short order, easily besting the other models I've played with. But because it is so large and holds so much water, it is a soap/creme hog. I would be reluctant to use it with my more expensive creams on a daily basis because its rampant luxury soaks up too much money, but with Proraso I'm plenty willing.
I love the soft feel of the bristles and the light exfoliating feel, which is the only thing I've liked about the tips of the boar brush. I use an electric kettle to put 190-degree water up to the tips of the brush while I preshave wash and oil my face, then dump the water and add the cream to the mug (which obviously gets a bunch of the heat from the water). I'll have to look hard to find a better experience.
On the downside, the brush lost about two dozen hairs in the first week of use and then hasn't lost a single hair since. I've emailed them to ask if this is normal - if you know better than I and that I shouldn't accept this, lemme know! Another problem is finding an acceptable stand for its 30mm knot (~35mm outer diameter after break-in) & handle (48mm widest point, 45m @ the underside of the ridge, 46mm top)...I fashioned a coat hanger to do the job for no cost (and no elegance)
but there must be a better alternative to look at which doesn't cost ~$40...I hope.
detailed view of the handle...
I'm lucky to have access in Manhattan to a few snobby toiletry vendors, and in the West Greenwich Village area there's quite a few places that can show you some of the lineups from quite a few of the high-end brush makers along the the accompanied creams, soaps, and whatnot (but not Shavemac, as far as I know).
I was attracted to the Shavemac because of the bulb-shaped head, and its reputation for a somewhat more springy knot. I went ahead and splurged for the 30mm knot 167 model - delivered from Vintage Blades LLC it was ~$188, quite a bit of cash for this sort of thing in my eyes but in line with the 28mm+ class of competition.
In practice, the 167 holds a monstrous amount of water, and weighs about as much as can of condensed milk when you've got it loaded it up with liquid and cream. Because of its weight and the diameter of the beautifully-finished handle, it isn't comfortable for my hands (slightly above average size for 6'0" man) to manipulate with my fingertips...I have resorted to grabbing it like a bike handle. The finish of the handle and the ridge fall comfortably to hand but the size and the weight of the loaded brush diminish the ergonomic practicality somewhat.
The 167 makes an incredible amount of messy later in short order, easily besting the other models I've played with. But because it is so large and holds so much water, it is a soap/creme hog. I would be reluctant to use it with my more expensive creams on a daily basis because its rampant luxury soaks up too much money, but with Proraso I'm plenty willing.
I love the soft feel of the bristles and the light exfoliating feel, which is the only thing I've liked about the tips of the boar brush. I use an electric kettle to put 190-degree water up to the tips of the brush while I preshave wash and oil my face, then dump the water and add the cream to the mug (which obviously gets a bunch of the heat from the water). I'll have to look hard to find a better experience.
On the downside, the brush lost about two dozen hairs in the first week of use and then hasn't lost a single hair since. I've emailed them to ask if this is normal - if you know better than I and that I shouldn't accept this, lemme know! Another problem is finding an acceptable stand for its 30mm knot (~35mm outer diameter after break-in) & handle (48mm widest point, 45m @ the underside of the ridge, 46mm top)...I fashioned a coat hanger to do the job for no cost (and no elegance)
but there must be a better alternative to look at which doesn't cost ~$40...I hope.
detailed view of the handle...
