I have earlier done some brush comparisons mainly for seasoned users here on B&B. This write up however is more geared towards the not so experienced shaver. It’s mainly a comparison between two very good brushes I have in my rotation. The brushes are the new Paladin by Dark Holler and the Rudy Vey LE 2014 Holiday brush. I briefly also mention my other 2 banders.
Both brushes have at least a dozen shaves on them to loosen up the knot. In my experience badger knots need this to settle and loosen up to show their real potential. I have not had the possibility to use the Holiday brush for all shaves since it was a Christmas gift, so it has been on loan for daily shaves since Christmas. I have done five shaves with it, of which two are from this week.
For further full disclosure: I have paid for these brushes the full prize and I have no business interest with either maker of these brushes.
I will try to explain the limitations of these comparisons when a user is trying to determine which brush to buy.
Limitations of brush reviews
As I see it there are two major drawbacks with brush reviews: is the brush you are reading about actually available and is it possible to draw conclusions from other people’s experiences with a brush?
The availability problem, especially with brushes made in small quantities, has to do with the badger hair itself. A manufacturer of brushes either buys the knot pre-built or builds it himself. If he builds it himself he has better control over the consistency of the quality of the knot. If he buys it from a manufacturer there is no way to make certain that the quality remains the same in between batches. Even if he builds the knot himself he has to rely on the quality of the hair from his supplier. Examples of this problem is the Simpsons knot in best badger. It is notorious for its inconsistency over the years, especially compared to Shavemacs extremely consistent knot quality. Both of these manufacturers make their own knots from badger hair that they buy from China. With this in mind it is almost impossible to determine if the brush bought today has the same knot as the one bought last year.
The problem with trying to extrapolate from others experiences regarding brushes lies in the fact that it doesn’t work. It does fuel some fierce debates here on B&B but there is really no way that you can translate others experiences to your shaving. Your shaving is unique to you. Furthermore brush reviews seldom contain any info at all about of the shave method used or how experienced the reviewer is. Even if learning from others experiences did work what would be the fun in not finding out for yourself? Would you really be happy with a brush because somebody recommended it?
As you might have noticed I do not evaluate the prize as a feature of these brushes. Suffice to say that these are very expensive. No shaver will need any of these brushes. There is no way you can defend the cost of any of these if you compare to the basic needs of you and your family. These are pure luxury items and should be treated as unnecessary for any practical needs.
The brushes
Paladin PK-47, M&F Chief, LE Holiday brush and the B&B LE 2014 D01 2 bander
Simpsons butterscotch, Geoff Anderson and Simpsons M6
The main contenders in this comparison are the Paladin by Dark Holler in cooperation with Lee Sabini of Morris & Forndran and the Holiday brush BY Rudy Vey featuring a Shavemac knot.
The reason for this is that there is hardly any idea to compare to brushes that are not available or that I cannot recommend. The only brush that is partly available – the D01 knot of the 2014 B&B LE - I cannot recommend to an unexperienced shaver because it is so very extreme. It is the Lagavulin of shaving brushes in the sense that it definitely is an acquired taste. Ouch described the backbone of it as strong enough to be used as a jack for your car. I don’t know what car Ouch drives but my Volvo would be easily handled by this knot! If you set the loft lower than the present 1:2 ratio you will end up with a lethal weapon!!
The rest of the bunch are unobtainable with the possible exceptions of the knot in the Simpsons butterscotch and Geoff Anderson handles. The Simpsons knot is a TGN Finest 2 bander and while it nominally is in the catalog at TGN I very much have reason to believe it’s not the same knot any more. The Anderson knot is an older version of the Wet Shaving Products 2 bander finest. The owner of WSP informed me that the knot has the same source as Kent uses. Lately he has been claiming that some of his knots are from the same source as Plisson uses.
For reference here are the characteristics of the unobtainable brushes:
M&F Chief – original version from the Group buy of 2013. This is my only M&F brush and the knot is a lot sparser then that of the Paladin. Ken wanted it that way and the brush functions perfectly. This brush is my present favorite of all by brushes.
B&B LE 2014 D01 2 bander. This is my most extreme brush and a very nice ”acquired taste” type of experience. The backbone of this one could easily kill an elderly lady, but the tips are wonderfully soft.
Simpsons butterscotch with TGN finest 2 band knot. Very well focused knot on a gorgeous handle made for the BAC department store in NY in the late ‘40s to early ‘50s. The knot is of the older non-shedding TGN finest. Surprisingly comfortable for face lathering despite the larger than the present Colonel handle.
Geoff Anderson custom with Wet Shaving Products 2 band finest knot. The handle is made by Shavemac. Surprisingly soft, almost floppy for being a 2 band knot. Extremely nice on the face also with sticks.
Simpsons M6 in Manchurian. The LE from Shavenook from last year. Very springy knot and probably the last chance to get hold of a widely sold Manchurian knot from Simpsons. Very nice small brush with sticks. This brush also has the largest glue bump I have ever noticed on a shaving brush.
Method and background
I have been DE shaving for 8+ years (and part time since 1980) and have evaluated quite a few brushes along the way, mostly ad hoc. I have finally arrived at this check list on brush properties. This is my strategy for brush comparisons and it is highly subjective. Your preferences and methods will vary.
My way of shaving consists of a shower, face wash to exfoliate, brush soaking in cold water during shower, cold water shaving with 2 passes (XTG + ATG), cold water rinse and an AS. I pick up the soap from a puck or a stick directly to my face. I apply extra moisturizer once a week or daily during cold/dry season. I shave every day and all my shaves for the last five years have been BBS in the strictest definition.
For a brush to qualify into my den I have to consider it my desert island brush and furthermore it has to add something unique to the existing mix.
It is up to the reader to decide which features of a brush are the most important. Here are mine:
Face feeling
of the brush on my face is the most important property to me. I don’t want any scritch, prickliness or unpleasantness at all! The face feeling of the brush is a determined by its knot, loft (hi – low), profile (fan – bulb), bristles (synth/horse/boar/badger – 2/3 banding), backbone and density. The density is the most elusive characteristic of the knot and commonly not specified in any consistent way from manufacturers and vendors.
This is the single area where these brushes are a mile apart, in fact they are on totally opposite sides of all my 2 band brushes. This is also the key factor for me in brushes. I favor diversity and never have two brushes been wider apart than these two when considering the feel on the face.
The Paladin is firm and holds it shape very well in contact with the skin. The bulb is very well focused and easy to control while making lather. This is extremely important for me since I am very particular about my lather being perfect every time. My favorite soaps are quite different and particular about the loading time and the wetness. I have no problem whatsoever with this brush to control the lather building process. The tips are soft and absolutely free of scritch.
The Holiday brush has the new 2 band silvertip knot from the Shavemac line. This is the fifth different type of knot I have from Shavemac and I can clearly state that this knot very well defends its place in the line I consider the best in the world. I have not tried the pure version but this is my 11[SUP]th[/SUP] knot from Shavemac so I am not without reference on this. The loft is (to me) surprisingly low at 25/47 mm as measured by me. It is however absolutely perfectly set by Rudy Vey. I am not surprised in the least by this – on the contrary I have to admit that it would have taken me at least two brushes to come to this. Rudy knows what he is doing, that is evident in this brush.
The face feeling is very big but strangely controlled. The fan shape makes the knot seem bigger than it is but the springy hairs hold it together quite well. Adaptation of the lather building is in place so to not splay the brush and to exercise good control of the lather building process with different soaps. The tips are quite soft and absolutely scritch free.
Lathering
For me the lather building and release are the second most important characteristics of a brush. The size, loft, material and density of the knot are important properties in this respect.
The Paladin builds lather easily while swirling it on the soap. I have no problem steering the lather wetness in the desired direction. The knot is very predictable in this respect, partly due to the bulb shape but I suspect that the hair type is mostly in play here.
The release of the lather is very controlled and predictable. As with all 2 banders the hogging is minimal.
The Holiday brush does pick up the soap and makes lather somewhat more vigorously in spite of the sparser knot. I think this is because the hairs are springier than those of the Paladin. The lather has a tendency to become airier than I really like it to be, but this can be controlled easily when you are aware of this tendency.
Since the knot is sparser on the Holiday brush it naturally releases the lather easier. No hogging whatsoever.
Backbone
is dependent on what material the knot is made of and how the loft is set, in height and density. The backbone of a brush is important in assisting to pick up the soap from the puck and spreading it on the face. A weak backbone will result in unintended splaying and potential harming of the brush while building lather.
The backbone is noticeably stronger on the Paladin than on the Holiday brush. This is mostly due to the density of the knot but also because of the bulbous form. I think the form of the Paladin is more bulbous than that of the Chief. Anyhow, the form and the function of the backbone on the Paladin knot is exemplary and a real pleasure to use.
The Holiday brush is not lacking backbone. In spite of the sparseness of the knot and because of the springy hairs I am surprised by the amount of backbone. Considering that this is a very marked fan I must say that this is surprising.
Knot
is responsible for the bloom, and for the amount of water and soap a brush holds.
The knots of these brushes are what surprised me the most. Both knots are perfectly judged concerning the loft height, density and form by the makers.
This is where I have struggled in the past, with the customization possible on the Shavemac site you can occupy yourself for quite a while! In hindsight it seems almost ridiculous to not take advantage of the know-how the producers of these brushes possess.
I am not sure who judged the loft on the Paladin, but let me tell you it is perfect. Before delivery I knew nothing more than that the hole was drilled at 26 mm, 1 mm wider than the original Chief nominally. The loft is by my measurements 47 mm.
The knot on the Holiday brush is 25 mm and the loft is also 47 mm. This is very consistent with the Shavemac knot announced to being 24 mm measured (as Bernd of Shavemac does) down at the glue plug.
Handle
aesthetics and comfort is a very personal choice. I use all my brushes for face lathering and this usage calls for a rather compact handle. The total height of the brush should not be too tall or it will be uncomfortable to hold to the face.
The handle of the Paladin is IMHO a miracle, even not considering the stunning looks of it. This is the only brush that I have used that fit my hand from the start. It is without doubt my most comfortable handle. The looks are of course a subjective property in the eye of the beholder, but let me just conclude that most people won’t find it offending. And it has got the dimple in the bottom that will be missing on the later versions…
The Holiday brush has the Beehive handle from Rudy. The handle is very ergonomic and extremely comfortable. It very strongly reminds me of one of the Shavemac handles I have on my finest bulb. This and the octagonal handle are my favorites from both Rudy and Shavemac.
Conclusion
Both brushes have been a joy to use and both will be adopted into my rotation.
Both of these have also taught me a lot about my method of evaluating brushes. In the past I have put great effort in analyzing and customizing my brushes. These are bought as is from two artisans.
Considering how these brushes perform and feel for me I have come to re-evaluate my method of choosing brushes. Why bother with ordering several customized brushes to find one to fit when I can have this level of brush from an artisan who has such good control of the performance of his brushes. This conclusion is hardly surprising considering that these guys have an ocean more experience of their brushes than I will ever have.
Both brushes are highly recommended. I like the Holiday brush very much but I must confess that the Paladin just might become the single favorite of all my brushes.
Both brushes have at least a dozen shaves on them to loosen up the knot. In my experience badger knots need this to settle and loosen up to show their real potential. I have not had the possibility to use the Holiday brush for all shaves since it was a Christmas gift, so it has been on loan for daily shaves since Christmas. I have done five shaves with it, of which two are from this week.
For further full disclosure: I have paid for these brushes the full prize and I have no business interest with either maker of these brushes.
I will try to explain the limitations of these comparisons when a user is trying to determine which brush to buy.
Limitations of brush reviews
As I see it there are two major drawbacks with brush reviews: is the brush you are reading about actually available and is it possible to draw conclusions from other people’s experiences with a brush?
The availability problem, especially with brushes made in small quantities, has to do with the badger hair itself. A manufacturer of brushes either buys the knot pre-built or builds it himself. If he builds it himself he has better control over the consistency of the quality of the knot. If he buys it from a manufacturer there is no way to make certain that the quality remains the same in between batches. Even if he builds the knot himself he has to rely on the quality of the hair from his supplier. Examples of this problem is the Simpsons knot in best badger. It is notorious for its inconsistency over the years, especially compared to Shavemacs extremely consistent knot quality. Both of these manufacturers make their own knots from badger hair that they buy from China. With this in mind it is almost impossible to determine if the brush bought today has the same knot as the one bought last year.
The problem with trying to extrapolate from others experiences regarding brushes lies in the fact that it doesn’t work. It does fuel some fierce debates here on B&B but there is really no way that you can translate others experiences to your shaving. Your shaving is unique to you. Furthermore brush reviews seldom contain any info at all about of the shave method used or how experienced the reviewer is. Even if learning from others experiences did work what would be the fun in not finding out for yourself? Would you really be happy with a brush because somebody recommended it?
As you might have noticed I do not evaluate the prize as a feature of these brushes. Suffice to say that these are very expensive. No shaver will need any of these brushes. There is no way you can defend the cost of any of these if you compare to the basic needs of you and your family. These are pure luxury items and should be treated as unnecessary for any practical needs.
The brushes
Paladin PK-47, M&F Chief, LE Holiday brush and the B&B LE 2014 D01 2 bander
Simpsons butterscotch, Geoff Anderson and Simpsons M6
The main contenders in this comparison are the Paladin by Dark Holler in cooperation with Lee Sabini of Morris & Forndran and the Holiday brush BY Rudy Vey featuring a Shavemac knot.
The reason for this is that there is hardly any idea to compare to brushes that are not available or that I cannot recommend. The only brush that is partly available – the D01 knot of the 2014 B&B LE - I cannot recommend to an unexperienced shaver because it is so very extreme. It is the Lagavulin of shaving brushes in the sense that it definitely is an acquired taste. Ouch described the backbone of it as strong enough to be used as a jack for your car. I don’t know what car Ouch drives but my Volvo would be easily handled by this knot! If you set the loft lower than the present 1:2 ratio you will end up with a lethal weapon!!
The rest of the bunch are unobtainable with the possible exceptions of the knot in the Simpsons butterscotch and Geoff Anderson handles. The Simpsons knot is a TGN Finest 2 bander and while it nominally is in the catalog at TGN I very much have reason to believe it’s not the same knot any more. The Anderson knot is an older version of the Wet Shaving Products 2 bander finest. The owner of WSP informed me that the knot has the same source as Kent uses. Lately he has been claiming that some of his knots are from the same source as Plisson uses.
For reference here are the characteristics of the unobtainable brushes:
M&F Chief – original version from the Group buy of 2013. This is my only M&F brush and the knot is a lot sparser then that of the Paladin. Ken wanted it that way and the brush functions perfectly. This brush is my present favorite of all by brushes.
B&B LE 2014 D01 2 bander. This is my most extreme brush and a very nice ”acquired taste” type of experience. The backbone of this one could easily kill an elderly lady, but the tips are wonderfully soft.
Simpsons butterscotch with TGN finest 2 band knot. Very well focused knot on a gorgeous handle made for the BAC department store in NY in the late ‘40s to early ‘50s. The knot is of the older non-shedding TGN finest. Surprisingly comfortable for face lathering despite the larger than the present Colonel handle.
Geoff Anderson custom with Wet Shaving Products 2 band finest knot. The handle is made by Shavemac. Surprisingly soft, almost floppy for being a 2 band knot. Extremely nice on the face also with sticks.
Simpsons M6 in Manchurian. The LE from Shavenook from last year. Very springy knot and probably the last chance to get hold of a widely sold Manchurian knot from Simpsons. Very nice small brush with sticks. This brush also has the largest glue bump I have ever noticed on a shaving brush.
Method and background
I have been DE shaving for 8+ years (and part time since 1980) and have evaluated quite a few brushes along the way, mostly ad hoc. I have finally arrived at this check list on brush properties. This is my strategy for brush comparisons and it is highly subjective. Your preferences and methods will vary.
My way of shaving consists of a shower, face wash to exfoliate, brush soaking in cold water during shower, cold water shaving with 2 passes (XTG + ATG), cold water rinse and an AS. I pick up the soap from a puck or a stick directly to my face. I apply extra moisturizer once a week or daily during cold/dry season. I shave every day and all my shaves for the last five years have been BBS in the strictest definition.
For a brush to qualify into my den I have to consider it my desert island brush and furthermore it has to add something unique to the existing mix.
It is up to the reader to decide which features of a brush are the most important. Here are mine:
Face feeling
of the brush on my face is the most important property to me. I don’t want any scritch, prickliness or unpleasantness at all! The face feeling of the brush is a determined by its knot, loft (hi – low), profile (fan – bulb), bristles (synth/horse/boar/badger – 2/3 banding), backbone and density. The density is the most elusive characteristic of the knot and commonly not specified in any consistent way from manufacturers and vendors.
This is the single area where these brushes are a mile apart, in fact they are on totally opposite sides of all my 2 band brushes. This is also the key factor for me in brushes. I favor diversity and never have two brushes been wider apart than these two when considering the feel on the face.
The Paladin is firm and holds it shape very well in contact with the skin. The bulb is very well focused and easy to control while making lather. This is extremely important for me since I am very particular about my lather being perfect every time. My favorite soaps are quite different and particular about the loading time and the wetness. I have no problem whatsoever with this brush to control the lather building process. The tips are soft and absolutely free of scritch.
The Holiday brush has the new 2 band silvertip knot from the Shavemac line. This is the fifth different type of knot I have from Shavemac and I can clearly state that this knot very well defends its place in the line I consider the best in the world. I have not tried the pure version but this is my 11[SUP]th[/SUP] knot from Shavemac so I am not without reference on this. The loft is (to me) surprisingly low at 25/47 mm as measured by me. It is however absolutely perfectly set by Rudy Vey. I am not surprised in the least by this – on the contrary I have to admit that it would have taken me at least two brushes to come to this. Rudy knows what he is doing, that is evident in this brush.
The face feeling is very big but strangely controlled. The fan shape makes the knot seem bigger than it is but the springy hairs hold it together quite well. Adaptation of the lather building is in place so to not splay the brush and to exercise good control of the lather building process with different soaps. The tips are quite soft and absolutely scritch free.
Lathering
For me the lather building and release are the second most important characteristics of a brush. The size, loft, material and density of the knot are important properties in this respect.
The Paladin builds lather easily while swirling it on the soap. I have no problem steering the lather wetness in the desired direction. The knot is very predictable in this respect, partly due to the bulb shape but I suspect that the hair type is mostly in play here.
The release of the lather is very controlled and predictable. As with all 2 banders the hogging is minimal.
The Holiday brush does pick up the soap and makes lather somewhat more vigorously in spite of the sparser knot. I think this is because the hairs are springier than those of the Paladin. The lather has a tendency to become airier than I really like it to be, but this can be controlled easily when you are aware of this tendency.
Since the knot is sparser on the Holiday brush it naturally releases the lather easier. No hogging whatsoever.
Backbone
is dependent on what material the knot is made of and how the loft is set, in height and density. The backbone of a brush is important in assisting to pick up the soap from the puck and spreading it on the face. A weak backbone will result in unintended splaying and potential harming of the brush while building lather.
The backbone is noticeably stronger on the Paladin than on the Holiday brush. This is mostly due to the density of the knot but also because of the bulbous form. I think the form of the Paladin is more bulbous than that of the Chief. Anyhow, the form and the function of the backbone on the Paladin knot is exemplary and a real pleasure to use.
The Holiday brush is not lacking backbone. In spite of the sparseness of the knot and because of the springy hairs I am surprised by the amount of backbone. Considering that this is a very marked fan I must say that this is surprising.
Knot
is responsible for the bloom, and for the amount of water and soap a brush holds.
The knots of these brushes are what surprised me the most. Both knots are perfectly judged concerning the loft height, density and form by the makers.
This is where I have struggled in the past, with the customization possible on the Shavemac site you can occupy yourself for quite a while! In hindsight it seems almost ridiculous to not take advantage of the know-how the producers of these brushes possess.
I am not sure who judged the loft on the Paladin, but let me tell you it is perfect. Before delivery I knew nothing more than that the hole was drilled at 26 mm, 1 mm wider than the original Chief nominally. The loft is by my measurements 47 mm.
The knot on the Holiday brush is 25 mm and the loft is also 47 mm. This is very consistent with the Shavemac knot announced to being 24 mm measured (as Bernd of Shavemac does) down at the glue plug.
Handle
aesthetics and comfort is a very personal choice. I use all my brushes for face lathering and this usage calls for a rather compact handle. The total height of the brush should not be too tall or it will be uncomfortable to hold to the face.
The handle of the Paladin is IMHO a miracle, even not considering the stunning looks of it. This is the only brush that I have used that fit my hand from the start. It is without doubt my most comfortable handle. The looks are of course a subjective property in the eye of the beholder, but let me just conclude that most people won’t find it offending. And it has got the dimple in the bottom that will be missing on the later versions…
The Holiday brush has the Beehive handle from Rudy. The handle is very ergonomic and extremely comfortable. It very strongly reminds me of one of the Shavemac handles I have on my finest bulb. This and the octagonal handle are my favorites from both Rudy and Shavemac.
Conclusion
Both brushes have been a joy to use and both will be adopted into my rotation.
Both of these have also taught me a lot about my method of evaluating brushes. In the past I have put great effort in analyzing and customizing my brushes. These are bought as is from two artisans.
Considering how these brushes perform and feel for me I have come to re-evaluate my method of choosing brushes. Why bother with ordering several customized brushes to find one to fit when I can have this level of brush from an artisan who has such good control of the performance of his brushes. This conclusion is hardly surprising considering that these guys have an ocean more experience of their brushes than I will ever have.
Both brushes are highly recommended. I like the Holiday brush very much but I must confess that the Paladin just might become the single favorite of all my brushes.
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