So over the past two weeks, I've been on a quest to find the perfect brush. I'm relatively new, so it's been great to experience how different brush dimensions and shapes translate to actual performance.
Can you guess which brush is which?
From Left to Right - Simpson CH1 2-Band, Thater 4125/2, Rooney Heritage Emillion 2, Savile Row 3824, and a Simpson Commodore X3
Now the 3824 and the X3 are pretty much brand new, and I've only had most of these brushes since Thursday, but here are my initial impressions:
Simpson Chubby 1 Super 2-Band
I am in love with this brush. It's the densest of the group by far, and the tips are extremely soft. The brush has fantastic backbone and feels great while face lathering. For those who are concerned about the small handle - don't be. I have "XL" hands, and while I wouldn't necessarily hold the brush with my fingertips, if I wrap my thumb, index finger, and middle finger in a spiral around the brush, it is very comfortable. The "point" of the bulb actually massages your face as you work the lather in. This is a fantastic brush.
Thater 4125/2
The Thater is quite a sight to behold as it is very large and dense. The bulb is so huge it actually holds itself up when I place it in my Muhle travel brush holder. As others have said, the bulb shape is like a big pillow that just melts into your face and provides just enough friction to lather. The 2-band provides great backbone, and I don't have any issue loading up enough Dr. Harris after a few swirls for 3 or 4 passes.
Rooney Heritage Emillion 2
This brush is a work of art. The handle is the most comfortable of the lot and the brush is also the densest of the group (not including the Chubby) and has great backbone. The tips are just as soft as the Thater's, and the brush feels very similar. At this point, it's just fan shape vs bulb shape. This brush makes me very curious to try the 2XL.
Savile Row 3824
I just received this brush yesterday and haven't actually shaved with it yet, just lathered up a few tests. It feels like a softer, less-dense version of the Thater. As you can see, it is the least dense brush of the group. Despite the relatively low density of the brush compared to the others, it lathers up my AOS and Harris Soaps without any hesitation.
Simpson Commodore X3
This brush was the biggest surprise of the lot. I ordered it on Friday before my Shaving Mall binge over the weekend. However, in use, the tips are just soft as any of the other brushes shown, and as you can see it is quite dense. Mine is a bit shorter than spec at 48mm, which I like to think lends to the structure and backbone of the brush. This brush actually feels very much like a smaller, slightly less dense version of the Savile Row. For $80 new this brush was fantastic.
Cheers all!
Can you guess which brush is which?
From Left to Right - Simpson CH1 2-Band, Thater 4125/2, Rooney Heritage Emillion 2, Savile Row 3824, and a Simpson Commodore X3
Now the 3824 and the X3 are pretty much brand new, and I've only had most of these brushes since Thursday, but here are my initial impressions:
Simpson Chubby 1 Super 2-Band
I am in love with this brush. It's the densest of the group by far, and the tips are extremely soft. The brush has fantastic backbone and feels great while face lathering. For those who are concerned about the small handle - don't be. I have "XL" hands, and while I wouldn't necessarily hold the brush with my fingertips, if I wrap my thumb, index finger, and middle finger in a spiral around the brush, it is very comfortable. The "point" of the bulb actually massages your face as you work the lather in. This is a fantastic brush.
Thater 4125/2
The Thater is quite a sight to behold as it is very large and dense. The bulb is so huge it actually holds itself up when I place it in my Muhle travel brush holder. As others have said, the bulb shape is like a big pillow that just melts into your face and provides just enough friction to lather. The 2-band provides great backbone, and I don't have any issue loading up enough Dr. Harris after a few swirls for 3 or 4 passes.
Rooney Heritage Emillion 2
This brush is a work of art. The handle is the most comfortable of the lot and the brush is also the densest of the group (not including the Chubby) and has great backbone. The tips are just as soft as the Thater's, and the brush feels very similar. At this point, it's just fan shape vs bulb shape. This brush makes me very curious to try the 2XL.
Savile Row 3824
I just received this brush yesterday and haven't actually shaved with it yet, just lathered up a few tests. It feels like a softer, less-dense version of the Thater. As you can see, it is the least dense brush of the group. Despite the relatively low density of the brush compared to the others, it lathers up my AOS and Harris Soaps without any hesitation.
Simpson Commodore X3
This brush was the biggest surprise of the lot. I ordered it on Friday before my Shaving Mall binge over the weekend. However, in use, the tips are just soft as any of the other brushes shown, and as you can see it is quite dense. Mine is a bit shorter than spec at 48mm, which I like to think lends to the structure and backbone of the brush. This brush actually feels very much like a smaller, slightly less dense version of the Savile Row. For $80 new this brush was fantastic.
Cheers all!
