IMightBeWrong
Loves a smelly brush
Back when I first got my Thater and shared my impressions here, somebody commented that I should also try a Savile Row and compare them. I have also seen these brushes being noted as similar in other places, sometimes compared to each other, but I haven't really found anything too in-depth so I decided to compare them myself. Before purchasing either of these I was basically split between them and couldn't find a very thorough comparison between them for myself anywhere so here goes!
Both brushes are advertised as 26mm knots. The Thater is advertised as having a loft of 55mm and the Savile Row is advertised as having a loft of 60mm.
Here's a shot of the two before I get started:
Both brushes are dry and I fluffed them up slightly, although it looks as though I could have fluffed the Savile Row up a little more. Both of these Silvertip brushes will dry in clumps like the SR is displaying to some extent here.
So, I will break these down categorically to show their similarities and differences. If I neglect any information, feel free to ask questions.
1. Knot Density and Backbone: I would say the knot density is about equal between these two brushes, however the backbone is quite different. The Savile Row has noticeably more loft compared to the Thater. This results in lesser backbone. I would say the Savile Row borders on being floppy as it tends to splay almost instantly when pressed against the face. It has a sort of mop-like quality in use due to the loft it has. The Thater, on the other hand, displays more backbone with it's shorter loft and the hair seems to have more "spring" to it as well. This gives it a slightly more massaging feel. The shorter loft and pronounced bulb shape also make it great for pinpointing lather where you want it without having to squeeze the knot.
2. Softness: Each brush wins in a different way. The Thater is just slightly softer/more gel-like at the tips but the hair feels less pliable. The Savile Row hair is more pliable but feels a little bit less soft at the tips. Without using the two brushes side by side at the same time, it's very difficult to feel a difference a the tips of the hair. The difference in pliability of the hair itself is much more pronounced, though, and will set the two apart quite a bit. The Thater may be better suited to those looking for more backbone while the Savile Row will satisfy those who like a brush to splay a bit easier.
3. Flow-Through: I used both brushes side-by-side multiple times to do this comparison. The way the brushes feel is quite different but they both release lather with the best of them. I get my best results by starting the lathering process with circle strokes and then painting lather on to finish. Each of these paints on gobs of lather like nobody's business. This one is a tie.
4. Handle Comfort* and Quality: I somewhat debated speaking to the handle comfort because of how subjective it is but I wanted to share, so take it with a grain of salt. I find the handle of the Thater much more comfortable to hold. At first, the ridges around the handle felt a little odd. After a few uses this became my favorite feeling handle, though. As for the handle QUALITY, hands down the Savile Row's handle is of a higher caliber. The material is dense and heavy and feels near-indestructible, it's beautifully polished up, and it's just flat out the best finished handle of any brush I've encountered. It's handle quality even beats my Wiborg and my Chubby and both Wiborg and Simpson are known for their handle quality. The Savile Row's handle is just on another level where quality is concerned. In comparison, the Thater's handle feels much less dense. I feel that Thater could have made the handle a little bit nicer.
5. My Impression*: The Savile Row has the best handle of any brush I've encountered so far, and I've used most of the major names now. I can definitely see why these brushes are so popular. With that said, the Savile Row knot feels far too similar to a mop for my taste. I prefer the backbone and pinpointing capability of the Thater. I also prefer that the Thater has slightly softer tips compared to the Savile Row. Performance-wise, being objective, these brushes are both world-class. It just comes down to what one prefers. I personally prefer a nice balance between backbone and softness and I feel that the Thater gives me a better balance of these properties whereas the Savile Row leans more toward the floppy side of the spectrum in my opinion.
Anyway, I hope this comparison is helpful to anyone that may be split between them like I was a while back. As I mentioned, if there are any other observations that I may have neglected feel free to ask specific questions. Both of these brushes are winners and there is no difference in performance, only in feel, so just pick based on what qualities you like to feel on your face!
*Category is subjective.
Both brushes are advertised as 26mm knots. The Thater is advertised as having a loft of 55mm and the Savile Row is advertised as having a loft of 60mm.
Here's a shot of the two before I get started:
Both brushes are dry and I fluffed them up slightly, although it looks as though I could have fluffed the Savile Row up a little more. Both of these Silvertip brushes will dry in clumps like the SR is displaying to some extent here.
So, I will break these down categorically to show their similarities and differences. If I neglect any information, feel free to ask questions.
1. Knot Density and Backbone: I would say the knot density is about equal between these two brushes, however the backbone is quite different. The Savile Row has noticeably more loft compared to the Thater. This results in lesser backbone. I would say the Savile Row borders on being floppy as it tends to splay almost instantly when pressed against the face. It has a sort of mop-like quality in use due to the loft it has. The Thater, on the other hand, displays more backbone with it's shorter loft and the hair seems to have more "spring" to it as well. This gives it a slightly more massaging feel. The shorter loft and pronounced bulb shape also make it great for pinpointing lather where you want it without having to squeeze the knot.
2. Softness: Each brush wins in a different way. The Thater is just slightly softer/more gel-like at the tips but the hair feels less pliable. The Savile Row hair is more pliable but feels a little bit less soft at the tips. Without using the two brushes side by side at the same time, it's very difficult to feel a difference a the tips of the hair. The difference in pliability of the hair itself is much more pronounced, though, and will set the two apart quite a bit. The Thater may be better suited to those looking for more backbone while the Savile Row will satisfy those who like a brush to splay a bit easier.
3. Flow-Through: I used both brushes side-by-side multiple times to do this comparison. The way the brushes feel is quite different but they both release lather with the best of them. I get my best results by starting the lathering process with circle strokes and then painting lather on to finish. Each of these paints on gobs of lather like nobody's business. This one is a tie.
4. Handle Comfort* and Quality: I somewhat debated speaking to the handle comfort because of how subjective it is but I wanted to share, so take it with a grain of salt. I find the handle of the Thater much more comfortable to hold. At first, the ridges around the handle felt a little odd. After a few uses this became my favorite feeling handle, though. As for the handle QUALITY, hands down the Savile Row's handle is of a higher caliber. The material is dense and heavy and feels near-indestructible, it's beautifully polished up, and it's just flat out the best finished handle of any brush I've encountered. It's handle quality even beats my Wiborg and my Chubby and both Wiborg and Simpson are known for their handle quality. The Savile Row's handle is just on another level where quality is concerned. In comparison, the Thater's handle feels much less dense. I feel that Thater could have made the handle a little bit nicer.
5. My Impression*: The Savile Row has the best handle of any brush I've encountered so far, and I've used most of the major names now. I can definitely see why these brushes are so popular. With that said, the Savile Row knot feels far too similar to a mop for my taste. I prefer the backbone and pinpointing capability of the Thater. I also prefer that the Thater has slightly softer tips compared to the Savile Row. Performance-wise, being objective, these brushes are both world-class. It just comes down to what one prefers. I personally prefer a nice balance between backbone and softness and I feel that the Thater gives me a better balance of these properties whereas the Savile Row leans more toward the floppy side of the spectrum in my opinion.
Anyway, I hope this comparison is helpful to anyone that may be split between them like I was a while back. As I mentioned, if there are any other observations that I may have neglected feel free to ask specific questions. Both of these brushes are winners and there is no difference in performance, only in feel, so just pick based on what qualities you like to feel on your face!
*Category is subjective.
