Shavemac 177 Ebony, 25 mm

This brush is AWESOME!! It's my "go to" brush and has fantastic performance! You can't go wrong purchasing this brush!

This is a nice brush ... but ... all 10s?

Price 9/10 ... not too bad to get a silvertip at not too much over $100.

Quality 8/10 ... as I say, this is a nice brush. But hey, it's not a (good) original Simpson. Heck, it's not a Heritage Rooney either. A good brush, not a great one. Still, good.

Density 7/10 ... not the densest, though. This brush is passable as a 'soap' brush, but better as a 'cream' brush. If you want a dense brush, skip this puppy, but if you like a bit of ... well, it's not Vulfix flop, kind of middle of the road ... you get the idea.

Stiffness of tips 4/10 ... A nice, soft, kiss-your-face-with-a-cloud sort of brush. Backbone? Not really. (Again, better for creams than soaps.)

Softness of tips 8/10 ... A nice, soft ... ditto the above.

Ergonomic 7/10 ... I like the brush to fit well in the hand, and to have enough of a waist that I can shake it out in the shower later without fear of it flying out of my hand. This brush does decently enough, but it's nowhere near the Rooney Beehive or ... even better ... the B&B Essential.

Latherability 8/10 ... this brush lathers well. I'd rate it a bit higher with creams, and a bit lower with soaps; on average, it's an 8.

(Soaps vs. Creams: the difference is not at the end, but at the beginning of the lathering process. The soaps start out rock-hard, and 'loading' the brush so you can work on that lather needs more backbone with soaps than with creams, IMHO.)

Overall, a good value for a good (not great) brush that will work well with creams and should be approached by soap-users only if they are looking to avoid the usual suspects of old-school Simpsons and (Heritage or otherwise) Rooneys.

This is my first decent brush and all I can say is that it is perfect. The price is superb for the quality and density of badger hair. It looks beautiful. It feels like silk with a good cream and it is incredibly well made. I would highly recommend this brush to anyone especially those that use creams. You will get some serious lather going with little effort and it holds up well to the 6 to 7 passes per shave that I require for my face and head.