Brush Advice Needed

[alchemist]

Gentleman,

I posted a similar piece to this on another board a few days ago, and would very much appreciate any advice you fellas (with many resident experts) can offer me.

I need some advice on which brush to buy next, and i'm quite confused. I currently have 2 brushes:

1- SR211, Super Badger, 22mm knot i believe
2- SMF brush: Shavemac custom at 26mm knot

The SR was my first and has served its purpose well. I love the soft feeling of the tips, but the hairs themselves are not stiff enough for me and splay out quite a bit when lathering. Its also slightly on the small side.

The SMF is a nice size and i would not want to go bigger, but could go a little smaller in terms of knot size if i had to (ie. 24-26mm would work). The hairs have pretty good strength/stiffness, but a little stiffer would be ideal as long as the tips are atleast as soft.

Therefore, I'm looking for a brush that's atleast 24mm in knot size, has good hair stiffness and strength, is quite densely packed and has soft tips. I would prefer it to be under $110. I know, i'm asking for a lot.

I have 4 brushes that i am presently considering:

1- A SR Silvertip, 24 mm knot size (approx $115)
2- A Shavemac L, Silvertip 25mm knot ( " $110)
3- A Simpsons Chubby 1 Best 24.5mm ( " $140)
4- A Rooney Silvertip 24 mm knot ( " $100)

I'm afraid the Rooney might be a little too soft as its apparently not as stiff as the SMF brush, and that the the Simpsons CH1 handle might be a little too small. Other then that, i am unsure where to turn. and would love your comments and possible other suggestions. Please keep in mind that the SMF brush is a good reference point for me as its pretty much all i am using.

Thanks in advance,
Mahesh

 

[roughrider]

Well if you like the SMF brush, then you can't go wrong with the Shavemac. The SR would be second in line to the Shavemac, if I was buying the brush.

 

[Scotto]

Mahesh,

I don't think you can go wrong with the Shavemac or the SR (probably Shavemac anyway). Ron is in love with his new SR silvertip, so he will probably chime in.

I just got a new Shavemac custom brush in finest. It is considerably cheaper than the silvertip grade, and just as soft. It is perhaps a bit stiffer as well - you might want to look into those options also.

 

[alchemist]

RR and Scotto: Thanks for your comments.

Scotto: Interesting comment that the cheaper grade of Shavemac hair, the finest , is as soft as the Silvertip's tips and possibly even a touch stiffer for the overall hair. To reiterate, are you saying that the finest is almost as soft or actually as soft at the tips compared to the Silvertip? Also, are you saying that the only difference may be that the finest has more tensile strength than the Silvertip?

I believe that Shavemacs Silvertip grade has become softer than it was previously; i'm wondering how you, or anyone else would compare the following 4 brush badger hairs in terms of:
1- Hair stiffness or tensile strength (ability not to splay out)
2- Softness of tips
3- Packed density of brush hair

The 4 brushes:
A- SR Silvertip
B- Current Shavemac Silvertip L
C- Shavemac Finest
D- SMF Brush

Simply put, what i'm looking for is a brush with the equal softness of tips of the SMF brush but with a little more stiffness or strength of overall bristle, and packed atleast as densely.

Sorry if my questions are repetitive or redundant; its just that the nuances matter as i'd like my current SMF brush and my new brush to be an effective and complete tandem for me for some time to come.

Thanks again,
Mahesh

 

[Scotto]

Hi Mahesh,

In my opinion, The Shavemac "finest" grade feels identical in terms of softness compared to the silvertip. The difference is that the finest has a more beige color than the silvertip, obviously. In terms of stiffness of bristle, it is a bit hard to judge due to different loft and knot sizes, but I would say it is the same or perhaps a bit stiffer than my SMF brush. It is not a huge difference, if that is what you are looking for. In terms of packing density, I would give a slight edge to the SMF, but again, it is not a huge difference.

Ron can chime in with the new SR silvertips, but I have a hunch that might be a good choice for you.