You are right that the D01 two-band hair is much thicker than the Simpson three band Super. This makes the brush also feel much denser as more hairs are pressed into the knot. I think there absolutely no way of comparing these two knots, they are two complete different "animals". You may want to compare the Manchurian grade from Simpson to the D01-2.Hello gents,
I have received the D01 2-Band Shavemac, very kindly sent by @izlat so I could compare it with the Chubby 1 in Super I own.
I was very happy to discover that the Shavemac is in the same size range as the Chubby 1 (with a slight difference in shape) so the comparison of the two knots is pertinent enough to focus on the hair differences and their individual performance.
I have used the Shavemac twice, with 2 different soaps (soft and hard). I lathered in a bowl, but finished the final consistency of the lather on the face. 48h stubble for the first shave and 24h for the second.
For my 3rd and last shave, I'm planning to use both, one brush on each side.
Where do I start? Firstly, while being both amazing performers, the differences are huge.
Both knots are extremely dense, with a little plus for Chubby 1. I don't know if it's my imagination, but the hair looks thicker on the Shavemac. In terms of backbone, there's absolutely no resemblance. The D01 2-Band is BY FAR, the stiffest brush I came across. It has more backbone than anything I have ever used. If you like mashing the brush on your face, you may want to consider a different hair type.
For the 48h stubble shave the D01 2-Band was an absolute delight to use. Exfoliating, extremely precise, perfect flow for 3 passes. A bit stubborn on the face, but no real issues. Having less backbone, Chubby 1 feels more like a massage, easier to splay, while the flow is similar. Also, due to its shape maybe, it doesn't feel as precise as the Shavemac. The softness of the tips is luxurious for both brushes; if you're using paint strokes the face feel is amazing. For this shave I used B&M Reserve Spice.
The 24h shave was a bit different. I shave every couple of days because my skin tends to become a bit temperamental after only 1 day between shaves.
I didn't appreciate the stiffness as much, it felt a bit rough to face lather; I might've felt a bit of scritch as well. After about 30 seconds I went back to the bowl to finish my lather. I did enjoy though very much the rest of the shave but I only used paint strokes. The tips feel fantastic! I've used B&M Seville for this shave - loading this brush is extremely easy, fast and effective!
The roughness hasn't been the case with Chubby 1, I have fully face lathered many times with a 24h stubble and I didn't find it aggressive at all.
Now, my main problem with Chubby 1 is the handle. I find it awkward, uncomfortable and excruciating to use. Even though I have small hands, every shave is like running a marathon. Not in the good way.
@izlat's Shavemac has the most comfortable and beautiful handle I have ever used. It literally glued in my hand; it has the perfect diameter, length and a very nice heft that makes it sooo easy to maneuver. And it's an absolute stunner!! Unfortunately, from my exchanges with Izlat I understood that this is a very rare handle, no longer in production.
I'm very bad with reviews (with writing in general). If you have any particular question do not hesitate to drop me a note. I hope all the above make sense and will maybe help someone take the right decision.
And a million thanks to Izlat for sending this beauty over! Very kind, generous and always available to answer to my questions!
I will write a final post as soon as I finish comparing both during one shave.
Cheers!
Bo
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