Shavemac D01 Silvertip

I really really like this brush. I'm a much bigger fan of this than I was of my Rooney 3/1...and that is saying quite a bit if you ask me. Between this and the 08 B&B LE it's a toss up as far as quality goes, but the B&B has a better handle. Hair wise I think they are about the same. I'm not convinced this was worth $132.68, but as a strictly soap brush I don't think it can be easily beat.

I managed to get one of these brushes in early April, after the expiry of the unofficial group buy. I contacted Bernd directly and it turned out that he had a few D01 brushes left.

This is an INSANE shaving brush - far, far denser than any other brush I've tried, WAY denser than my Shavemac Finest Badger (which is also an awesome brush, in my opinion). Is it worth the premium price? Maybe, maybe not. Shavemac's Finest Badger brushes are substantially less expensive, larger, and at least as soft - I think they're one of the best values in shaving and are at least as good as the silvertips offered by other manufacturers. Note that this is a rather small brush, although it doesn't feel undersized on the face and has a well thought out handle that is plenty big enough.

If you can only own one shaving brush the D01 may not be your best choice. But if you have room in your cabinet for a quirky masterpiece of German brushmaking, then the D01 is an excellent option.

Price: Expensive, no doubt about it. Worth it, but not a great buy (like Shavemac's Finest brushes that I keep referring to).

Quality: Nearly flawless. Lost two hairs. The handle in faux horn is very pretty and has an amazing, luxurious feel.

Density: Insane. On the face it feels almost like a very heavy sponge. Almost no sensation of individual hairs. Not for those who like a prickly sensation. It seems to hold a whole lot of water as well.

Stiffness of tips: Again, almost no give in the tips, more like a sponge than a brush. It's a small brush and I noticed no splaying whatsoever (and I have the bulb model - the fan version may be even stiffer).

Softness of tips: Not quite as soft as my softest brush (another Shavemac), which is a little surprising. I expect that this will improve with break-in.

Ergonomic: Superb. The handle is great and the brush is nice and maneuverable.

Latherability: Seems excellent, it made a nice, dense lather of some Proraso cream this morning. I have yet to try it on soap but I bet that its stiffness will make it a monster for that.

I just wanted to give my initial impression of my new brush. This is my intiall review after only 2 uses. I will update my review after I use the brush longer. I purchased a 20mm fan D01 knot from Shavemac.

Price: Since I purchased it with the discounted price Bernd was nice enough to offer use I gave it and 8 because it is still expensive for a brush. I would have given it a 6 without the discount. Thanks again Bernd!

Quality: I think the quality is excellent. I rank it up at the top of all the brushes manufacturers I ever felt (Edwin Jagger, Caswell Massey, Men-U, Body Shop, Omega, Plisson at AOS, and Vulfix at AOS). I would like to hope that there is something higher quality which I reserved for the 9 and 10 spot maybe for a future purchase

Density: Densest brush I ever felt.

Stiffness of tips: Hasn't broken in yet but this brush has a great backbone. I am used to my C&E BBB splaying. I have to get used to this brush if I wanted to splay the hair a bit because I have to apply alot more pressure.

Softness of Tips: Softest brush I ever felt. When you feel it with your hands it feels softer than the C&E BBB. But when you use it on your face if feels like silk

Ergonomic: Perfectly fits in my hand. Knot size is perfect for face lathering. My 20 mm fan knot bloomed bigger than my 21mm C&E BBB. This is great because since the Shavemac is stiffer and doesn't splay as much it is much easier to face lather with.

Latherability: Produces a great lather but took may longer to do so than my C&E BBB. I am hoping that it will surpass the C&E BBB once I get past the learning curve.

All in all a great brush. I think that the 19mm,20mm, and 21mm are so close in size that you can't go wrong with any of them. I also have a 21mm bulb D01 that I will give to my father for a Bday present. It doesn't really look bigger. Maybe the fan shape gives the 20mm a larger look versus a bulb. I am proud to be an owner and don't have any regrets!