*PICS* T&H Branded Rooney Style 1 LARGE - FINEST

[joel]

Well fellas - got this sucker in today... the hair is simply exquisite, gorgeous color, incredibly stiff roots, yet exceptionally soft tips... I mean REALLY soft tips. Really an interesting hair, as it isn't all that "dense" as I feel my Simpsons/Plissons are denser, however due to the incredible vertical strength of 3/4ths of the hair, it feels quite firm and feels as though it is packed TIGHTER than the aformentioned brands - yet is much softer at the tip then both of them.

While I VERY much prefer the Truefitt & Hilll branding over the VERY simple/cheap/lame looking "ROONEY" I must say, this is without question one of the ugliest brushes I own. I mean - the hair is gorgeous... but overall it is a really hideous looking troll of a brush. Where for example the shavemaster looks like a sex toy - this thing looks frumpy, beat up, and shaggy. The loft (height of the hair) is WAY too big for the handle, and the weird shape of the head of the brush only makes the thing look even stranger. In person, while the hair is a thing of uncommon beauty, the overall brush presents TERRIBLY, and for a $400 brush - I find the "looks" of the brush to be totally unacceptable. Again - no question the badger hair IN the brush is in a league of it's own - finer in my opinion that the Simpson Manchurian, Plisson Euro or HMW, but aside from the hair, NOTHING else is done right. The faux ivory handle whle in theory is kinda neat (due to the cool pattern, VS solid white) I think in person, especially up close, it looks incredibly cheap, far inferior to faux tortoise or horn. In a $100 brush? Ok.... in a $200 brush? MAYBE, but they are pushing it... in a $400 brush? Psshh - it is absurd. Also - while the handle shape looks nice, the second ridge - more towards the base of the brush is very annoying. As you grip the brush, you are not gripping a smooth surface, but a "notched" surface - which I find a bit distracting... it very much makes me appreciate kent/rooney/shavemac/simpsons/savile row/etc.

So far... while I feel this brush has the finest combination of LUXURY, QUALITY, RAREITY, and FUNCTIONALITY of any badger HAIR (the actual hair NOT the brush) I would probably steer most people towards a Manchurian/Plisson VS the Rooney - simply due to the "dumpy look" of this brush. This brush should be around $200.

One thing that does seperate this brush from other "finest/manchurians/whites" is that the tips of this badger are actually luxurious... I do not find Manchurians/Plissons to feel soft, gentle, luxurious - they are simply "best" badger brushes that look nice and hold a hell of a lot more water... this Rooney however - is in a league of its own (AGAIN HAIR WISE) as it has all of the GOOD qualities of HMW/Manchurian, etc - without any of the bad qualities.... now if only Plisson/Simpson could get ahold of Rooneys badger hair source....

I'll update everyone as I use this brush, and I reserve the right to change my opinon as I use the brush and break it in. Please take the above as simply "first impressions"

Brush porn....

 

[joel]

Quick Addition - I will try to get some better pictures of this badger hair in better light conditions this weekend, as after comparing the pictures to the brush in person - they simply do not do this hair justice... the white is almost a fake white it is so white (and in fact it is SO incredibly white - I suspect it is treated in some manner to get it so freakin' white - again this ain't no "silvertip" this is white.)

I will take pictures of this brush next to a Plisson Eurpean White (brush war Plisson) and a Plisson Horn #16 High Moutain White for comparo as well (this weekend.)

 

[drP]

Joel,

The white of Rooneys finest brushes is the most white badger hair of ALL my brushes; in fact, as you said, it looks un realistic white, as if it were treated in some kind; so it's far more whiter than my Simpsons Manchurian and my Plisson HMW.

Anticipate huge blooming of your Rooney large style 1.

This is what happened to mine after only one use:

My Rooney style 3 large however holds it's shape very well:

I agree with you that the Style 1 large isn't very well constructed, a little bit sloppy, especially the loft: it's shaped rather asymmetrical; the loft is uneven, bristles are spreading out all the way.

The bristles though are very deep black at the bottom and extremely white at the tips, and indeed, very soft feeling.....

But the most remarkable phenomenon i observed in my Rooney whites/finest was the fact that they held less water than my other top brushes; even stronger: they seemed to repell water rather than absorbing it!!! I reported this earlier on SMF

I'm curious at your review of your Style 1 after the maiden trip of it!

Peter

 

[joel]

Joel,

The white of Rooneys finest brushes is the most white badger hair of ALL my brushes; in fact, as you said, it looks un realistic white, as if it were treated in some kind; so it's far more whiter than my Simpsons Manchurian and my Plisson HMW.

I agree with you that the Style 1 large isn't very well constructed, a little bit sloppy, especially the loft: it's shaped rather asymmetrical; the loft is uneven, bristles are spreading out all the way.

Peter

Peter,
I might actually pull a few hairs (intentionally) from this thing and give it to a buddy of mine who works at our university lab.... I think this thing is dyed... both black, and white. I have done a TON of research into badger hair, and my findings are a hair of this COLOR does not exist naturally. I'd be mighty annoyed if this hair were colored.

I am glad you also find these brushes to look frumpy in person. Although I am glad I have "one" I most certainly would never buy another... in fact if I saw it in person before I got it - I don't think I would have

 

[Austin]

Joel, nice looking brush. I am enamored more by the brush than the hair.

 

[guenron]

Joel, nice looking brush. I am enamored more by the brush than the hair.

Strange, I think the striations are less than appealing. At the risk of insulting the Psycho Trust Fund Kiddy, they are butt ugly.
Nah, that's unfair. They are just garish.

 

[Austin]

Strange, I think the striations are less than appealing. At the risk of insulting the Psycho Trust Fund Kiddy, they are butt ugly.
Nah, that's unfair. They are just garish.

Ron, I guess I am strange.

 

[guenron]

Ron, I guess I am strange.

Certainly would not say that, perhaps Other Stimulated.

 

[blueasajewel]

Austin - I'm with you - I find the Rooney handles very handsome - but I guess this just proves that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I'm curious as to what Joel's lab buddy comes up with - as the hairs on the finest are almost "too perfect" - Are they similar to the Plisson's? (hair-wise).

 

[rtaylor61]

I like the handles. I don't know that handsome is the word I would use, but what strikes me is that they are different. That's their appeal to me. Peter, love the curves on that Rooney of yours!

Randy

 

[joel]

First use...

ONLY 5 SWIRLS!

25 or so swirls - NO mumbo jumbo, b/s fluffery to make it look like more lather in the brush - NOTHING... this brush was just swirled around about 25 times, and made AMAZING, peaking, merengue like lather that seemed endless...

Down the chute.....

After SIX passes...

POST Bloom pics.....

Impressions after the first use....
Ok - so this brush lathers like a wild banshee... without question the fastest, most prolific brush at generating uncanny gobs of lather I have ever experienced. The brush doesn't "suck up" water like most high grade silvertips - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I found with just a very light shake, you had the perfect amount of water within the brush..... REALLY idiot proof. This thing is INCREDIBLY soft on your face... this most certainly ranks within the softest tipped badger. Much to my dissatisfaction however - the hairs lost a lot of their "firm root" qualities the moment the brush became saturated. Don't get me wrong - it wasn't necessarily "mop" like, and it had more vertical ridgitity than a vulfix super - but not a whole hell of a lot more. The shape/head of the brush is INCREDIBLY sloppy, with the hairs not really being uniform, and all sorts of "hangers" on the sides.... really cheap looking and unattractive. You most certainly would not see a head this sloppy on a Plisson, Simpson, Shavemac, Savile Row, etc. While I am wildly enamored by this brushes uncommon ability to generate exceptionally luxurious lather - I do not like the soft feel - as you cannot get a "scrubbing" action going with the brush - and truth be told.... I like the qualities (feel) of the Edwin Jagger Silvertips I have been using lately - a lot more. The tight packed EJ silvertips (watch out as some models are loosely packed) are just as soft, but do not look "sloppy" the heads of the brush retain their general shape whilst lathering (the Rooney splays out ALL over you face, and although this is only a 26mm knot, the head of this brush is MASSIVE once it touches your face and splays out and as a result it is a bit unweildly). Considering a Edwin Jagger would set you back about $100, it would look better, not be as "floppy", hold its shape better, and would not have a sloppy brush head, I think an EJ is a hands down superior brush... and at 1/4 the cost.

Bottom line - *Thus Far* (at the time I write this I have used it 2X) I would NOT recommend a Rooney Finest - unless you specifically purchased it ONLY for the look/quality of the badger hair. The "finest" is simply too sloppy, to expensive, and does not really provide a functional benefit... in fact I prefer my Rooney "super silvertip" prototype with the "light bulb" style head, and the SUPER tight knot, as it is SOFTER than this "finest" and it has MORE vertical integrity. Don't get caught up in the name, price, exclusivity, rareity, hype, etc - as this shaving brush really isn't all that impressive.

In the $150-200 range... this would be a superb brush, for $400, this thing can't hack it.

 

[roughrider]

The handle looks nice but the price is a big turnoff.

 

[Austin]

Great review Joel! Thanks.