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Shave Mac scratchy?

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Got the B&B Beagle, a Shavemac 2 Band. I perceive it as Scrubby, not Scratchy/Scritchy. Not as soft as Böker silvertip, not as soft as Chubby 2 Best badger, but most buy the Shavemac 2 band because is is firm and still soft(ish) on the face. I think it is comparable to my chubby 2 manchurian. Finding your preference in high- end badger brushes is an awarding albeit expensive journey (it is not the destination, it is what we learn about ourselves on the way what makes it fun). Take care. BR from the Netherlands
 

Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
Listing of the different hair types at Shavemac - https://shavemac.com/en/content/9-hair-qualities I find this chart to be very helpful. @Rudy Vey do you find that chart accurate from your vast experience?
Of all these I have not used the all dark grey/black pure yet. They had a grey pure in the past which was very nice. Otherwise, the listing is pretty much 100% on with my experience. I think what sets Shavemac apart from others is that their hair quality is very consistent over the years. Others have to give every batch a different number or code and describe the hair. Shavemac had a great cheap grade - the Finest - unfortunately, they dropped this grade. I wish they would bring it back.
As far as the two-band goes, I have 8 or 9 in two-band silvertip from the time the grade came out, either made by myself or by Shavemac. I cannot detect any difference, other then size and shape. The D01 2band is definitely much different than the standard two-band, it is a much thicker and stiffer hair, and the knots are also much more stuffed with hair (D=dense) thus making it a quite stiff and scrubby brush, but it is never scratchy.

But one thing we should not forget: the feeling of a brush on someones face is a very subjective personal feeling. A brush someone finds great may not be the taste of someone else. Two examples, one personal and one I have seen on a shaving forum.
Mine is that then old Rooney Finest hair was the non-plus-ultra of badger hair. Some 12 years ago I was able to score of of these unicorns. Feels very soft dry, but when it was wet and used as a shaving brush, it felt on my face like a steel brush or barbed wire. I could not use this brush on my face; gladly I could sell it without a loss to me. Now the second, I have made a lot of brushes with a Muehle Synthetic STF knot. All of my customers love this brush, I had not one complain for the brushes I had made. However, on one other shaving forum someone describes the fiber a very pokey and not comfortable at all. Its a subjective thing, everyone feels a brush differently, or as we always say YMMV.
 
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I have a shavemac finest knot that Rudy turned. Complete opposite end of the spectrum compared to the 2 band. That is a knot nobody will ever complain about scrub or scritch.
 
Rudy, with respect you have certainly heard people say they have a scritchy Shavemac two-band silvertip. There was a previous thread in which a number of us pointed out that ours were scritchy and you participated in that thread (and made the same comment there). You may not have had one like this yourself, and you may not believe those of us who said we do, but you cannot say you have never heard anyone say it.

FWIW, my Shavemac two-band silvertip is still scritchy (but I still like it). My D01 two-band is not.

Here is the other thread I’m referring to. It was about 9 months ago.
Post in thread 'Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip Question'
Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip Question - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/shavemac-2-band-silvertip-question.576972/post-11354106
I was going to say the same. Plenty of threads pointing to that, but Rudy is a vendor who sells a lot of Shavemac knots (to mostly happy customers I have to say), but I take his opinions about Shavemac and Simpson’s with a big grain of salt

Anyway, I’ve had multiple Shavemacs and the only knot that I care is the D01 3 band. That’s a high quality Silvertip hair. All others were just average to me (Silvertip, D01 2 band and Silvertip 2 band)
 
Of all these I have not used the all dark grey/black pure yet. They had a grey pure in the past which was very nice. Otherwise, the listing is pretty much 100% on with my experience. I think what sets Shavemac apart from others is that their hair quality is very consistent over the years. Others have to give every batch a different number or code and describe the hair. Shavemac had a great cheap grade - the Finest - unfortunately, they dropped this grade. I wish they would bring it back.
As far as the two-band goes, I have 8 or 9 in two-band silvertip from the time the grade came out, either made by myself or by Shavemac. I cannot detect any difference, other then size and shape. The D01 2band is definitely much different than the standard two-band, it is a much thicker and stiffer hair, and the knots are also much more stuffed with hair (D=dense) thus making it a quite stiff and scrubby brush, but it is never scratchy.

But one thing we should not forget: the feeling of a brush on someones face is a very subjective personal feeling. A brush someone finds great may not be the taste of someone else. Two examples, one personal and one I have seen on a shaving forum.
Mine is that then old Rooney Finest hair was the non-plus-ultra of badger hair. Some 12 years ago I was able to score of of these unicorns. Feels very soft dry, but when it was wet and used as a shaving brush, it felt on my face like a steel brush or barbed wire. I could not use this brush on my face; gladly I could sell it without a loss to me. Now the second, I have made a lot of brushes with a Muehle Synthetic STF knot. All of my customers love this brush, I had not one complain for the brushes I had made. However, on one other shaving forum someone describes the fiber a very pokey and not comfortable at all. Its a subjective thing, everyone feels a brush differently, or as we always say YMMV.
What can you tell me about these? 2 band?
The olive wood handle measures 30mm at the base with calipers, the black 26mm. I think from the logo about 10 years?
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I think what sets Shavemac apart from others is that their hair quality is very consistent over the years.

…I have made a lot of brushes with a Muehle Synthetic STF knot. All of my customers love this brush, I had not one complain for the brushes I had made. However, on one other shaving forum someone describes the fiber a very pokey and not comfortable at all. Its a subjective thing, everyone feels a brush differently, or as we always say YMMV.

Thank you Rudy,

I totally agree with your comment regarding the consistency of Shavemac brushes.
They are what I would call dependable brushes and you know precisley what you get when you order the brush and they never seem to let you down. So much better than two other, similarly priced brushes from a manufacturer in nearby (to Shavemac) Nuremberg that need to be pampered a bit.
My oldest two Shavemacs are probably +17 years old and show no signs of wear and tear (except for a little chip where one dropped to the floor).


What surprises me, however, is that someone would describe the Mühle Silvertip Fibre® synthetic as “pokey”.
Until about five years ago I used Mühle synthetics extensively as travel brushes and found them anything but pokey, at least when compared to the Shavemac synthetics that I use now for travel.
Which leads me to my question: Have you worked with Shavemac synthetics as well and did you consider sourcing synthetic fibres from Shavemac rather then Mühle?
If not, what made you stick with Mühle and did you find their synthetics superior to Bernd’s?


My apologies, it is not my intent to highjack the thread.



B.


Addendum:
So I go and check on the Shavemac website their info on various hair grades.
Then I see that they have a 20% off summer sale.
And then I found that somehow a new order for a 2-band Silvertip appeared on my account.
Wonder how that could have happened??? :001_cool:
 
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My Shavemac 22 x 48mm 2 band has plenty of backbone, slight scritch. My 2 Simpsons (Duke 3, Commodore 2) in Best Badger have have much less backbone, about the same scritch (or lack of). Nothing wrong with them, but I prefer the Shavemac, especially for face lathering.
 
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