My first good one - Kent or Shavemac?

[andreios]

Dear friends,
I wanted to avoid creating another help-me-choose thread by reading the reviews etc, but despite this got lost and here I am, awaiting your advices.

I started wet shaving (after some years not-shaving) less than a year ago, with a quite cheap and simple kit, I am currently using one of those cheap ebay chinese brushes. It is not bad at all, but I presume that a nicer one micht be, well, nicer. I face lather almost all the time using soaps, mostly english ones (TH, TOBS). I might say, it is quite difficult to make really good lather with this combination, and this is why I am looking for a new brush.
I'd like to stay under or around 100US dollars, or equivalent in EUR or GBP.
From what I've read my attention was caught by Kent brushes, particularly the BK4 and then by Shavemac brushes. But I did not fathom which might be a good one for face lathering with soaps.

I hope I have covered almost all the points of the guide for posts like this, but I am afraid I can't say this will be my last one

Many thanks in advance..
andreios

 

[cegadede]

Dear friends,
I wanted to avoid creating another help-me-choose thread by reading the reviews etc, but despite this got lost and here I am, awaiting your advices.

I started wet shaving (after some years not-shaving) less than a year ago, with a quite cheap and simple kit, I am currently using one of those cheap ebay chinese brushes. It is not bad at all, but I presume that a nicer one micht be, well, nicer. I face lather almost all the time using soaps, mostly english ones (TH, TOBS). I might say, it is quite difficult to make really good lather with this combination, and this is why I am looking for a new brush.
I'd like to stay under or around 100US dollars, or equivalent in EUR or GBP.
From what I've read my attention was caught by Kent brushes, particularly the BK4 and then by Shavemac brushes. But I did not fathom which might be a good one for face lathering with soaps.

I hope I have covered almost all the points of the guide for posts like this, but I am afraid I can't say this will be my last one

Many thanks in advance..
andreios

In my opinion, on a dollar by dollar basis, shavemac can't be beaten by any other manufacturer around.

It just ROCKS!

I have a 30mm #177 silvertip brush for about 3 months now, not only it's the most gentle brush I've ever used it also didn't ever shed a single hair!

 

[solar]

I have both Kent and Shavemac. You really can't go wrong with either, and both bring different qualities to the table. Personally, I find both my Kent and Shavemacs make excellent lather with either soap or cream, either in the bowl or on the face.

Kent is a large company that has been around a long time. They offer not just shaving brushes, but all manner of hair brushes, combs etc. The Kent brushes I have been attracted to are the larger ones, such as the BK 12, which is a monster amount of silvertip badger. A beautiful, monstrous brush, not for everyone, but Kent had what I wanted in that respect. I pull this big boy out when I have more time in the morning for a slow, leisurly shave.

The Shavemacs are made by a much smaller company, and as such, you can really get some wonderful custom ordered stuff. I have two Shavemacs, and one pays hommage to my bourgening ego, as it has my initials monogrammed beautifully in black on faux ivory. The shape of the handle was my choice, and I love the look, feel and weight of this brush.

With a custom brush by Shavemac, you can choose the grade of badger, knot size, handle shape, etc from Shavemac, and the service is in my experience personal and professional.

I think you would end up with a really good brush from either company. Perhaps you should consider going to a shop and getting a feel for brushes in your hand to understand what size of brush you may want. You can see a brush on an online advert and think its a beaut, and order it to find its a lot smaller or bigger than you had expected. If you know that you like to work wit a brush that's about 90-100cm, you can look for that in the brush description when ordering.

Best,

Chris

 

[andreios]

Thanks, Chris, for your response. Sadly, there are none shops with shaving products in my country, the nerest is perhaps (this is only my guess) in berlin or munich, which is some 4-5 hours driving on the motorway.
I haven't thought about ordering a custom shavemac, but it mught be nice. But then there arises another question - what is the most suitable knot size and loft for face-lathering with soaps?

PS: I've ust measured my current brush - it has 22-23mm diameter (which is OK, or perhaps I might care for something a tiny bit bigger) and a 54mm loft which I consider quite a lot.

 

[mretzloff]

what is the most suitable knot size and loft for face-lathering with soaps?

You will want a smaller knot and loft size. A 21 mm knot and a 50 mm loft sounds nice. I might even get a shorter loft.

 

[andrew98]

You will want a smaller knot and loft size. A 21 mm knot and a 50 mm loft sounds nice. I might even get a shorter loft.

+1. See here fore some Shavemac ideas. If you do order a custom brush, do it via email so you can tell Bernd, the owner, the loft you'd like. I only face lather hard soaps, and I recommend a 21mm diameter, 45mm loft Finest brush with the handle of your choice. Finest is a grade of Silvertip, and it's an excellent value.

-Andy

 

[mretzloff]

I am actually going to go against the grain (no pun intended) and suggest getting neither. I would just get a Rooney. While I do not owe one, I do have a Shavemac (custom D01 with 21 mm knot and 50 mm loft) and cannot help but think that a Rooney is a much better value. A Shavemac in finest will set you back $71-ish, only $4 less than a Rooney 1/1 is super silvertip (the super silvertip is a higher grade of badger). Plus, the shipping will be much more for that Shavemac. I love my Shavemac, but if I could do it over again, I would have gotten a Rooney.

 

[andreios]

Thanks for pointing out the rooney.. I've found one for the price in the US, however, with shipping it might be rather more than the Shavemac shipped from neighbouring Germany.. But I will surely consider it.

 

[andrew98]

Just because Shavemac calls it "Finest" doesn't make it any less Silvertip or a lower grade than Rooney's Super Silvertip. I don't think it's useful to compare grades based on their name alone. Shavemac Finest is different from Rooney Super Silvertip, but in no way is it inferior. I have a Shavemac D01 and Finest, as well as a Rooney 1/1 Super Silvertip. Shavemac Finest has the whitest tips of the three, and its tips are softer than my Rooney's.

That said, I couldn't pick a favorite among those three brushes. They're all so different from one another.

-Andy

 

[mretzloff]

Just because Shavemac calls it "Finest" doesn't make it any less Silvertip or a lower grade than Rooney's Super Silvertip. I don't think it's useful to compare grades based on their name alone. Shavemac Finest is different from Rooney Super Silvertip, but in no way is it inferior. I have a Shavemac D01 and Finest, as well as a Rooney 1/1 Super Silvertip. Shavemac Finest has the whitest tips of the three, and its tips are softer than my Rooney's.

That said, I couldn't pick a favorite among those three brushes. They're all so different from one another.

-Andy

The Shavemac finest is silvertip mixed with pure, while the Rooney super silvertip is pure silvertip, making the Rooney a higher grade of hair (or less "diluted" if you will).

EDIT: I was not trying to say one brush is inferior to the other. I was just trying to state that one had a finer grade of hair.

 

[andrew98]

The Shavemac finest is silvertip mixed with pure, while the Rooney super silvertip is pure silvertip, making the Rooney a higher grade of hair (or less "diluted" if you will).

EDIT: I was not trying to say one brush is inferior to the other. I was just trying to state that one had a finer grade of hair.

I just slowly ran my thumb across my Shavemac Finest. Every single tip in that brush is white. All the hairs are the same grade. I don't believe it's a blend of two hair grades. My first off the shelf Shavemac was a 501 Finest with a 60mm loft. It looked like the same hair as the hair in my custom Finest.

-Andy

 

[Perished]

I have both Kent and Shavemac. You really can't go wrong with either, and both bring different qualities to the table. Personally, I find both my Kent and Shavemacs make excellent lather with either soap or cream, either in the bowl or on the face.

Kent is a large company that has been around a long time. They offer not just shaving brushes, but all manner of hair brushes, combs etc. The Kent brushes I have been attracted to are the larger ones, such as the BK 12, which is a monster amount of silvertip badger. A beautiful, monstrous brush, not for everyone, but Kent had what I wanted in that respect. I pull this big boy out when I have more time in the morning for a slow, leisurly shave.

The Shavemacs are made by a much smaller company, and as such, you can really get some wonderful custom ordered stuff. I have two Shavemacs, and one pays hommage to my bourgening ego, as it has my initials monogrammed beautifully in black on faux ivory. The shape of the handle was my choice, and I love the look, feel and weight of this brush.

With a custom brush by Shavemac, you can choose the grade of badger, knot size, handle shape, etc from Shavemac, and the service is in my experience personal and professional.

I think you would end up with a really good brush from either company. Perhaps you should consider going to a shop and getting a feel for brushes in your hand to understand what size of brush you may want. You can see a brush on an online advert and think its a beaut, and order it to find its a lot smaller or bigger than you had expected. If you know that you like to work wit a brush that's about 90-100cm, you can look for that in the brush description when ordering.

Best,

Chris

I have a Kent and Shavemac.
My advice would be neither! Well, not yet. They can wait.

Buy yourself a Simpson's Tulip 1, in Super. Badger & Hone have a deal on, register and email them that you're a B&B member, and they'll give you a big discount on any Simpson brush.

I'm taking pics of my Tulip this weekend to put up next week. All I can say is WOW, what an amazing brush. Best brush I've ever tried. Bar none.
And cheaper, with or without the discount, than either of the brands you're considering.

Oh and perfect for face lathering.

 

[mretzloff]

I just slowly ran my thumb across my Shavemac Finest. Every single tip in that brush is white. All the hairs are the same grade. I don't believe it's a blend of two hair grades. My first off the shelf Shavemac was a 501 Finest with a 60mm loft. It looked like the same hair as the hair in my custom Finest.

-Andy

According to Shavemac's website, Bernd mixes the two grades of hair together.

 

[andrew98]

According to Shavemac's website, Bernd mixes the two grades of hair together.

I looked at some of the large photos, and you can definitely see some pure hair. It must be a really low percentage of pure. Maybe I lucked out and just got silvertip (?).

Edit: Just found a few in mine. They're really hard to see, but I know what I'm looking for after seeing those photos. My apologies. There is indeed some pure in there. You'd never know it to feel the brush when you use it.

-Andy

 

[mretzloff]

My apologies.

No worries

 

[john parker]

I have a Kent and Shavemac.
My advice would be neither! Well, not yet. They can wait.

Buy yourself a Simpson's Tulip 1, in Super. Badger & Hone have a deal on, register and email them that you're a B&B member, and they'll give you a big discount on any Simpson brush.

I'm taking pics of my Tulip this weekend to put up next week. All I can say is WOW, what an amazing brush. Best brush I've ever tried. Bar none.
And cheaper, with or without the discount, than either of the brands you're considering.

Oh and perfect for face lathering.

Who is "Badger & Hone?" Got no where! Better address? Thanks, John

 

[solar]

I have a Kent and Shavemac.
My advice would be neither! Well, not yet. They can wait.

Buy yourself a Simpson's Tulip 1, in Super. Badger & Hone have a deal on, register and email them that you're a B&B member, and they'll give you a big discount on any Simpson brush.

I'm taking pics of my Tulip this weekend to put up next week. All I can say is WOW, what an amazing brush. Best brush I've ever tried. Bar none.
And cheaper, with or without the discount, than either of the brands you're considering.

Oh and perfect for face lathering.

You would never go wrong with a Simpson's tulip, size 2 or 3 for me. But, if I had to choose among all of my brushes, I'd probably take the Simpson's Polo 8 to the desert island with me.....

 

[Stein116]

My vote goes to the Shavemac. I have one with a 25mm knot and it is very dense and very soft. I'm sure the Kent's are good as well as they have a very good reputation. I don't really think there is a wrong choice here, but I say go with the Shavemac because it is the only one of the two you have narrowed down that I have personal experience with. Good luck!

 

[andrew98]

Who is "Badger & Hone?" Got no where! Better address? Thanks, John

See here, John.

-Andy

 

[Chuck Norris]

+1. See here fore some Shavemac ideas. If you do order a custom brush, do it via email so you can tell Bernd, the owner, the loft you'd like. I only face lather hard soaps, and I recommend a 21mm diameter, 45mm loft Finest brush with the handle of your choice. Finest is a grade of Silvertip, and it's an excellent value.

-Andy

Andy's thread comparing the Shavemac D01 and Finest has been one of the most helpful posts i've come accross on B&B. The Shavemac Finest is one of the best $/performance bargains in all of shavedom. Now I just laugh every time i see a Plisson going for $300 plus!