CaYuen Dark Nebula Shave Brush
INTRO:
So it all started with 1 brush, then 2, then 3, then 4, and now 5 brushes. The rabbit hole fuels the acquisition disorder, there's no denying the path the universe has set for you, you might as well just accept it, its easier that way. In this case, I purchased a Cayuen Dark Nebula lather bowl, and I just had to get the matching brush!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
My goodness, this brush is yet another smash hit, from The CaYuen Workshop! It makes you want to stair at it for hours doesn't it? It draws you in with its sheer beauty, and there was most certainly a dollar amount to match. But you know what they say, you get what you pay for, and in this case, it is most certainly true. As much as I love my APSHAVECO brush, I love the CaYuen Dark Nebula much better.
I asked the artist to set my B&W 26mm knot lower then usual, in order to secure solid backbone. According to the invoice sheet, he says that he set the knot at 2mm. I assume he's referring to the inside point in which the glue is set, because obviously the loft is much higher then 2mm.
SYNOPSIS:
According to the website, these handles are impact resistant and water proof, thats another way of saying that they can be dropped without worry. For those of you who have ceramic handled brushes, you may not want to be dropping those anytime soon. These are also hand made, and hand polished, and the material make up of these are, mica powders, and urethane resin. Since these are custom order brushes, you can get them in just about any size knot, or any type of knot you want.
As you can see, the density of the knot is actually pretty good. I prefer dense brushes with solid backbone, as I feel its a good combination of performance, to match the overall luxury, with soft hair fibers. And IMO, this brush knot most certainly delivers.
Now thats what I call a lovely formation of pure deliciousness. Did you notice the artist logo coin on the bottom of the handle?
SWCT Experience Report!
The lather I chose today, was none other then, Stirling's Glacial Lemon Chill shave soap. I scooped up a heaping teaspoon of soap, stuck it down in the middle of the bowl, and smooshed it with my finger. Two teaspoons of water went into the bowl, and then I began working the brush to make a lather. I started off slow at first, and as the soap activated, and started building up a lather, I began making my swirls faster. I did both clockwise, as well as, counter-clockwise motions to work up the lather. I began applying moderate pressure, and the brush was able to get the soap bits buried in the ridges of the bowl.
Once the lather was ready to go, I brought the brush to my face. I always begin first by making swirl motions on my face and neck, I then go back over with painting strokes, then finish up with the proverbial Geo figure 8 xen moment of the shave. I was impressed with how well this brush whipped up a lather. I was also impressed with how well this brush applied the lather to my face. And I was again impressed with how soft the brush fibers were. This brush didn't appear to have the same issue that my APSHAVECO brush with the G5C knot has, where it launches lather across the room due to a springy fiber nature.
The B&W synthetic fibers in my Dark Nebula brush, seem to hold their shape well, especially with that stronger backbone, provided by the deeper knot set. And the brush fibers are not springy at all, and as a result, it doens't launch lather across the room. Now, if your lather consistency is too wet, you can lose lather off the brush just by it falling out while applying, but many brushes will do that. This brush is not a lather hog at all.
That is the brush knot after its first use, and dried quickly with an hair dryer. I love taking pictures like this, because the brush knots look so cool, when looked at close up. Truth be told, these camera's lenses can see better then we can, its pretty amazing if you think about it. Due to the deeper knot setting, I wouldn't expect this brush to splay out much. But one thing I don't want, is a floppy brush. So, the artist did good, setting the knot to my specifications, to secure solid backbone.
Beings that I chose brush profile #18, I knew that it had a shorter handle then some of the others. But holy cow is that brush handle big width wise, it pretty much matches up with my Maseto Avatar brush diameter. But notice how the handle is taller then all my other brushes? In other words, this brush is making itself known in my shave den, and there can be no question to its extreme status.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, I wanted to get a synthetic brush that matches my new lather bowl. But I also wanted to get my first 26mm brush as well, and I figured that the B&W synthetic, would be a good way to go, and I am glad I chose it. Its amazingly gorgeous in every way, it whips up a lather well, and applies it to my face with competents. Love the solid backbone, love the soft fibers, whats not to like? Plus, the brush has a good weight to it as well. So now I have 21mm, 24mm, 26mm, and 30mm brushes, lifes complete. I highly recommend this brush, out of