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I don't see what all the hype is about.

I purchased a Rooney Style 1 (medium) in super a few months ago, and I just don't see the how it's such a great brush. I feel that the lather that I am able to develope is nowhere near the quality of lather I develope with my Muhle finest or even Lee's vulfix 660 in super. The rooney is an excellent made brush, but maybe to stiff for me. Maybe I am doing something wrong, and from all the other posts maybe it is me. I will be looking to sell the brush in the near future. Any input from you guys?
 
You'll need to adjust your lathering technique. The Rooney is more dense than your other two brushes and therefore makes lather differently.
 
Keep in mind the YMMV factor.

Use what works best for you and don't worry too much if what you like doesn't always match-up with what others like.
 
A Rooney 3/2 in super silvertip, was my first brush. I loved it from the get-go and it tends to be what I judge other brushes against.

I added a custom Shavemac, which I thought was too soft at first, but have grown to love, even for hard soaps.

I then added a Kent, BK8 and all three are in my rotation. Each is different, but each is nice.

The bottom line is YMMV
 
Agree with the posters who recommend modifying your lathering technique. The density and backbone are what make Rooneys wonderful brushes, both those attributes demand a little modification to how you make your lather.
 
The thing I like about my Rooneys is their density. Different people like different things. A Rooney is a great brush, but that doesn't mean it's the best brush for everyone.

As for the lather, I found it does lather a bit differently from other brushes. Play with your technique and find what works for you.
 
I totally agree with the post.

The Rooney super is hand picked so that it looks nicer. Its no different to any other "silver tip" except the black hairs without the banding have been removed. The silver tip is whiter as a result and in theory less scratchy. Rooney however if you look carefully doesn't quite get all of the black bits out but they do a pretty good job. You are paying a little extra for the hand picking and removal of the black stray hairs.

In all other respects the brush acts the same as any other similarly packed silver tip brush. They just look a bit classy.
 
This is just a thought. Have you ever tried using a shaving soap stick? Apply soap to your face. Fill your Rooney with water and give it a very gentle shake to remove only a small amount of water from the brush. Then, face lather with the brush. For me, this is what the brush was made for. I love my 1/1, but it did take some time to figure the brush out, as well as some use to break in the brush.

-Andy
 
I have decided to keep the brush. It does make great lather, but once I begin to apply it to my face it's almost like I am pushing the lather from one place to the next. I do love my new Savile Row though! The Rooney is going to have to wait a while.
 
I have decided to keep the brush.

Good decision. You will come back to it some day and might find it is nicer than you remembered. A Rooney does benefit from just a little break-in period.

The density (and thereby firmness) is one of the things I really like about the Rooney. The size 1 is fairly new to me. I have had a size 2 for months but just this past week sold my size 2 and received my new size 1. It does behave a bit differently from the size 2. Although the size 1 doesn't hold as much lather, oddly enough it seems to be less of a "lather hog" than the size 2. I can easily get enough soap on it (MWF) to lather up three passes plus touch-up.

("Lather hog" may be too negative a term for the size 2 -- give it enough soap and it gives up all the lather you need. I prefer the size 1 because it feels more like a precision instrument, including fitting into the soap tub easier and more precisely applying the lather, especially under the nose.)
 
reminds me of the guy who drove a chevy all his life and when he saved some money went out and bought a Mercedes Benz. He sold it in less than a year and bought a new Chevy. he didn't like the MB the car didn't accelerate like his v-8 Chevy and it had a rougher ride and wasn't as quiet and had less room.
 
I felt the same way soon after aquiring a Rooney 3/1. It was too dense and sucked up the lather. I stuck with it though because the dense stiff loft was what I had been searching for. I will say that after two years of using the brush I really enjoy it, besides being a bit picky about technique. Using the brush is no longer an issue and is second nature.
 
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