Rooney 1/1 Observations

[Leche]

Knowing that I was seriously looking at a 1/1, my buddy Keith (Vitaman here) let me borrow his T&H 1/1 with a measured loft of 45mm so I could try it out. I've used it for about a week now exclusively and here our my observations. I use a straight, mostly soaps, and face lather. The soaps I've used for this have been Speick, Tabac, MWF, and PS Green Tea. For creams only Musgo Real. I'm very familiar with these products.

Likes: The brush is very soft and very dense. The size is good for my face and I really like the handle, both looks and function. It has plenty of backbone and picks up soap easily. Also the price is good.

Not Liking: This brush is a lather hog. While I'm sure it's a more than capable brush I was expecting better results. The lather is adequate but I feel I get better lather production and application to the face with my boars and my golden nib restore badger.

If I owned a 1/1 would I be unhappy, no I wouldn't be. IMO this brush has a lot of pros, but one big con. So can you recommend a brush that fits my bill better? The price point needs to be around the 1/1 so 75USD, I might be able to go a little higher say 10-20. Some brushes I have seen that look like they meet the parameters: Simpson Duke 2 Best, Savile Row 3118 or 3120, Shavemac 177, or other recommendations. Thank you.

 

[Tha Baron]

I'd grab a Simpsons Tulip 2 in Super two-band for $120 at Vintage Blades or perhaps try the New Forest for $40. What about the Rooney 3/1? Or even grab the T+H (Rooney) 1/2 for $80?

I know these are all over the place, but those are some brushes that have worked great for me AND I had the same problem with the 1/1...

 

[Leche]

I'd grab a Simpsons Tulip 2 in Super two-band for $120 at Vintage Blades or perhaps try the New Forest for $40. What about the Rooney 3/1? Or even grab the T+H (Rooney) 1/2 for $80?

I know these are all over the place, but those are some brushes that have worked great for me AND I had the same problem with the 1/1...

Well the Tulip is too much but is the 3/1 that much different? I thought the only difference was the handle shape. Is that correct and if you have the 3/1 is it a lather hog? Thanks again.

 

[Greybeard]

The knot is the same, but the loft on the 3/1 is a little higher by 2 - 4 mm. It spreads a little more on your face and feels a little floppier. but still far from floppy.

I have a 3/1 and a 1/1 and I usually face lather. I like my 1/1 a lot.
I found the tips on the Duke 2 to feel a little scritchier than my Rooneys. It definitely gives up the lather better since it's not as dense.
I'm trying to decide between a Saville Row 3120 and 3118 myself as my next brush. I'm leaning towards the 3118 since I've read that it holds enough lather for 3+ passes, gives it up easily, and has good backbone with soft tips. I also feel it will be quite different from my 1/1 and I want to try a small brush.
My only worry is whether the handle will feel too small.
If you like the size of the Rooney, then the 3120 might be more suitable for you.
I chose to look at Saville Rows over Shavemac since I think they're better value and the attributes are comparable.

 

[jkh]

Knowing that I was seriously looking at a 1/1, my buddy Keith (Vitaman here) let me borrow his T&H 1/1 with a measured loft of 45mm so I could try it out. I've used it for about a week now exclusively and here our my observations. I use a straight, mostly soaps, and face lather. The soaps I've used for this have been Speick, Tabac, MWF, and PS Green Tea. For creams only Musgo Real. I'm very familiar with these products.

Likes: The brush is very soft and very dense. The size is good for my face and I really like the handle, both looks and function. It has plenty of backbone and picks up soap easily. Also the price is good.

Not Liking: This brush is a lather hog. While I'm sure it's a more than capable brush I was expecting better results. The lather is adequate but I feel I get better lather production and application to the face with my boars and my golden nib restore badger.

If I owned a 1/1 would I be unhappy, no I wouldn't be. IMO this brush has a lot of pros, but one big con. So can you recommend a brush that fits my bill better? The price point needs to be around the 1/1 so 75USD, I might be able to go a little higher say 10-20. Some brushes I have seen that look like they meet the parameters: Simpson Duke 2 Best, Savile Row 3118 or 3120, Shavemac 177, or other recommendations. Thank you.

Having owned a few Rooneys, my thoughts on them are the same as yours. I think the Duke 2 in best would be a good fit for you. The tips won't be as soft as the Rooney, so if tip softness is of paramount importance then you might look the Shavemac or Savile Row. I like soft brushes and the Simpson best hair is great, but it isn't the "regal soft" that the Shavemacs and Savile Rows have.

 

[Trendkill]

Another vote for the Duke 2 in Best here.

 

[andrew98]

I'd recommend a custom Shavemac in Finest with a 45 to 50mm loft. Mine has a 19mm diameter knot with 45mm loft, and it's perfect. It's not a lather hog in the least, and you can pick whatever handle you like. It's in your price range, too, even with shipping.

-Andy

 

[huntmol]

Yeah, I have found the Rooneys in Super can be dense to the point of frustrating and scrubby to the point of discomfort.

I would highly recommend the Duke 2 in Best.
It's by far my favorite brush in the sub-$100 category, and performs better than most brushes that are twice as much!

 

[Leche]

Thanks gents, I'm liking the recommendations for the Duke 2, just a great looking brush and getting a lot of praise. One question, Simpson's seems to offer pure, best, and super. Would the best be Rooney equivalent of Super while Simpson's super is like there finest? Or do they not compare? Bummer there isn't just one standard of grading. I'm also checking out the shavemac site.

 

[huntmol]

Thanks gents, I'm liking the recommendations for the Duke 2, just a great looking brush and getting a lot of praise. One question, Simpson's seems to offer pure, best, and super. Would the best be Rooney equivalent of Super while Simpson's super is like there finest? Or do they not compare? Bummer there isn't just one standard of grading. I'm also checking out the shavemac site.

You'll love the Duke 2. One of my favorites - it's got a perfect handle size, loft height, and hair feel.

Yeah, the brush hair names vary for every manufacturer so it's tough when trying to compare them.

If I recall correctly...
Both Simpsons Pure and Rooney pure are pretty similar in terms of quality and performance.
Simpsons Best is a step above Rooney Best, but a step below Rooney Super.
(although I personally consider Simpsons Best to be superior to Rooney Super)
Rooney also has their Two-band Heritage hair, which I consider to be very poor, but others seem to like.
Simpsons Super in my opinion is a step above both Rooney Super and Rooney Heritage.
Simpsons also makes a Two-band Super, which is really fantastic, but second only to...
Rooney Finest! The rarest and most incredible of all the brush hairs. It hasn't been available for some time now, and Jim of Vintage Blades isn't sure when or if it will ever be sold again. This variety of hair has backbone like a steel spring, and the softest tips you've ever felt. Truly (in my opinion), the king of brushes.

 

[Leche]

Thanks Hunter, that was very helpful.

 

[Darjeeling Express]

I have to come to the defense of the 1/1 Rooney in Super. Mine is about 3 years old so the quality of the hair/knot may have changed since then. For a face latherer, this remains an extraordinary brush. Immensely satisfying. Very, very dense knot, very soft tips. So you get the scrubby quality which many of us enjoy without any skritch. No question it is a lather hog. But I am used to that with some of my other brushes. A gentle squeeze releases gobs of the most dense lather for one's 2d, 3rd and 4th pass.

 

[andrew98]

I have to come to the defense of the 1/1 Rooney in Super. Mine is about 3 years old so the quality of the hair/knot may have changed since then. For a face latherer, this remains an extraordinary brush. Immensely satisfying. Very, very dense knot, very soft tips. So you get the scrubby quality which many of us enjoy without any skritch. No question it is a lather hog. But I am used to that with some of my other brushes. A gentle squeeze releases gobs of the most dense lather for one's 2d, 3rd and 4th pass.

+1. I also found that my 1/1 definitely had a break-in period. It's quite soft now, but ymmv for sure. Mine is over a year old. I just use more soap to fix any brush's lather hog problem. If you don't like the 1/1, though, you just don't like it.

-Andy

 

[mblakele]

I have to come to the defense of the 1/1 Rooney in Super. Mine is about 3 years old so the quality of the hair/knot may have changed since then. For a face latherer, this remains an extraordinary brush. Immensely satisfying. Very, very dense knot, very soft tips. So you get the scrubby quality which many of us enjoy without any skritch. No question it is a lather hog. But I am used to that with some of my other brushes. A gentle squeeze releases gobs of the most dense lather for one's 2d, 3rd and 4th pass.

Well spoken, and perhaps all of my brushes are lather hogs? I generally face-lather for the first pass, paint for the second, and if I do any more passes or touch-up, I milk the brush. That core lather is the best for XTG and ATG: dense, dense, and some other word that also means dense.

 

[huntmol]

I have to come to the defense of the 1/1 Rooney in Super. Mine is about 3 years old so the quality of the hair/knot may have changed since then. For a face latherer, this remains an extraordinary brush. Immensely satisfying. Very, very dense knot, very soft tips. So you get the scrubby quality which many of us enjoy without any skritch. No question it is a lather hog. But I am used to that with some of my other brushes. A gentle squeeze releases gobs of the most dense lather for one's 2d, 3rd and 4th pass.

Hope it didn't seem like I was ripping on it too badly...

I recognize that the 1/1 and the 3/1 are very well made brushes, and that there are many, many members here who love theirs. I only responded the way I did in my posts because it seemed to me that the OP had a similar experience with his Rooney in Super that I did. I had a 3/1 for a month, and the whole time it was frustrating and even uncomfortable to use. I wanted to like it, and I really did try, but despite all of the positive posts about the brush, mine never grew on me.

Anyway, give that Duke 2 a shot!

 

[Darjeeling Express]

I really did try, but despite all of the positive posts about the brush, mine never grew on me.

Anyway, give that Duke 2 a shot!

All good. P.S. I want that Duke 2 in Best!

 

[andrew98]

I'm not a Simpson fan, but all this Duke 2 talk has me thinking it may be worth a shot (one day).

-Andy

 

[Leche]

Got my Duke 2 yesterday from Badger and Hone and gave it's maiden voyage this morning with PSGT. Great brush so far. The handle is close to the same style as the 1/1, but feels thicker and heavier which I like. The tips aren't as soft and they are not as dense, but dense and soft none the less. Tomorrow I will be using Tabac. So far so good though. I thank all that endorsed it based off my complaints of the 1/1.

 

[ssultan]

I tried the 1/1 in Finest and found it too scrubby for my tastes...I mostly face lather...the 1/1 has found another loving home and I've kept the 3/1 instead...it releases lather a whole lot better than my 1/1 ever did. I'll admit I never gave much of a break-in period to the 1/1 so this comparison may not be entirely justified. I also find the 3/1 handle to be easier to grip...

 

[vitaman]

Got my Duke 2 yesterday from Badger and Hone and gave it's maiden voyage this morning with PSGT. Great brush so far. The handle is close to the same style as the 1/1, but feels thicker and heavier which I like. The tips aren't as soft and they are not as dense, but dense and soft none the less. Tomorrow I will be using Tabac. So far so good though. I thank all that endorsed it based off my complaints of the 1/1.

Good to hear you are enjoying your new brush! My 1/1 is enjoying it's spot back in the arsenal. Keep practicing your lathering, it will be routine shortly.