Shavemac D01 2-Band, break-in time needed ?

[CHSeifert]

I have now used my Shavemac 233 Bruyers wood D01 2-Band 3 times.

It feels less prickly the third time, but I knew it would be scrubby, but not prickly.

In the thread about break in time for badgers, most thought they didn't need that, but badger brushes pretty much allways worked from the get go.

Are owners of D01 2-Band agreeing to that, or does this particular brush hair need some break in time ?

As per request from JaDo, here are some pics of the brush, post bloom and after 3 shaves - in 2 pics compared up against my Simpson Duke 3 2-Bander:

A FYI - I originally bought this brush to act as a cousin to my Duke 3 2-bander, expecting it to have - as I ordered 52 mm loft - but got his one with 48 mm loft.
So this brush is basically a Duke 2 1/2 2-Bander, but feel stiffer and more scrubby. I did consider getting a Duke 2 2-bander, but with only a knot szie of 22 mm, I felt it was just too little for an also short lofted brush, thus what I got from Shavemac sort of fills my desire to get a slightly more dense and thicker knotted Duke 2 in 2-band. The Shavemac has a knot size of 25 mm, very close to what I ordered, which was 24 mm. So it holds on to water a little bit better than the Duke 2 in 2-band will do, thus actually fulfilling my desire to get a Duke 2 1/2 in a denser knot.
I still think and hope this brush needs at least 12 shaves more for it to break in and perform at its best.

Hope you all enjoy the pics of this little woody charming fellow

 

[Loric]

My D01 two band always had a touch of skritch to it. It was like Rooney Finest light in that respect. The hair is unique, but similar to Finest in its structure. Like Rooney Finest it does break in noticeably but not dramaticly with extended use (6 months to a year of heavy rotation) however it will more thank likely always have that touch of skritch. Also, the D01's are dense enough that they will take at least a week or two of dedicated uses for the knot to loosen up, and for the hairs to break in. Flow threw will also improve with that first two weeks. The tips, again will take much longer and the difference will not be night and day.

 

[texaninkc]

I think 2 band D01s take more time than others including other 2bands. My only 2 band is a flattop though and it was about 15 uses before I felt it was good to go. For the flat tops it needs some time to open up as initially it seems to stick together. The tips split a tad and the prickliness goes away.still scrubby but not prickly. I had Rudy Vey make my shavemac and he recommend 2 dozen uses to fully appreciate its potential. It's probably half or so for the fans and bulbs.

 

[CHSeifert]

My D01 two band always had a touch of skritch to it. It was like Rooney Finest light in that respect. The hair is unique, but similar to Finest in its structure. Like Rooney Finest it does break in noticeably but not dramaticly with extended use (6 months to a year of heavy rotation) however it will more thank likely always have that touch of skritch. Also, the D01's are dense enough that they will take at least a week or two of dedicated uses for the knot to loosen up, and for the hairs to break in. Flow threw will also improve with that first two weeks. The tips, again will take much longer and the difference will not be night and day.

I expected it to have some scritch to it.

But as mentioned in another infamous thread, I originally ordered it with 52 mm loft, but it came with 47-48 mm loft.
Therefore - also as expected, since I didn't chose to return it for a new higher lofted knot, which Bernd offered me instead - I got a prickly feel from it, especiall in the mid part since I ordered it in bulb shape and I can see some of the black hair goes all the way to top the top of the brush hairs. They are actually sticking out a bit right in the middle of the bulb.

I though about picking these hairs out with a tweezer to possible eliminate the scricthy feel these black hairs might cause - don't know if the feel comes from these hairs, just not used to see black hair going all the way to the top in 2-Bander, normally they are only black at the bottom to mid part of the hair knot, but in this brush I have a few that stays black from bottom to top part of the brush (only a few like 5 or 10 hairs or so)

BTW I expect to receive my M&F Stubby 2 Medium 28 mm knot with Rooney's Finest hair in 2 weeks time. Can't wait to test it. It's the old batch of Finest hairs from Rooney, the geneuine old batch

I think 2 band D01s take more time than others including other 2bands. My only 2 band is a flattop though and it was about 15 uses before I felt it was good to go. For the flat tops it needs some time to open up as initially it seems to stick together. The tips split a tad and the prickliness goes away.still scrubby but not prickly. I had Rudy Vey make my shavemac and he recommend 2 dozen uses to fully appreciate its potential. It's probably half or so for the fans and bulbs.

I did like the overall shave I got with the brush - it's the smallest most compact, most dense and very tough brush I have ever tried. And as you say, it did open up quite a bit more than I expected, but it's still a rather small brush - Duke 3 2-band size.

But I felt a small sting from a couple of the middle hairs, and I have a suspicion this might come from the long black hairs, I have a few of in the middle of the brush.
The 2-Band D01 from Shavemac really is a quite unique 2-Band kind of hair. Not at all resembling the 2-band I hairs I have in my Simpsons, Simfix, Thäter nor Rooney/M&F.
Very dense, very compact, very rugged - but most definitely seem like high quality badger hair, unique density of hairs I must say.

 

[Rivguy]

I have a bulb, fan and an extreme flat top in DO1 and have noticed that they do require some break in time. For me, the scritch went away and the flow through improved. I would agree that they are a bit scrubby but not prickly. I enjoy them very much and I think that you will as well Claus. I find that if I am patient with a new brush and let it get to the point that I think that it is broken I am most often rewarded with a good keeper. If not, it is passed on.

Regards,

Doug

 

[djh]

I loved my D-01 2-Band right from the start but I realise that plenty of others find them to be overly scritchy. I corresponded with another member over a period of a month whilst he was learning to live with his new brush and in the end he may have even sold it.

You have inspired me- I will use mine in the morning.

 

[taco8slo]

I feel it is a great brush to keep in the arsenal when you really want to feel your brush. It will soften over time and use, look at all the old brushes with badger hair from decades ago, they are all super soft now.

 

[JaDo]

Man...where are the pics?!

 

[mblakele]

I used mine this morning: 20-mm flat-top with a 40-mm loft, set by Rudy Vey. It had a very brief break-in period in terms of knot stiffness and a little stink (see http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/295302-Shaving-analytics?p=4361297#post4361297 for details) but seems to have plateaued. Perhaps it will change slowly over months, but I do not see much sign of that.

This D01 is not quite as soft as my Rooney Super or Simpson Best brushes. I do not find it scratchy, but then I am used to a Rooney 3/1 finest and I enjoy Vie-Long natural horse, both of which can be a bit prickly.

 

[CHSeifert]

Man...where are the pics?!

Look back in this thread tomorrow at the this time circa - I will post some pics of it - will not post pics of it pre-bloom (have some of it pre bloom), because this simply does not do the brush justice.
It looked like a dwarf midget brush before the first use, now it still is small, but more like a Duke 3 2-Bander in size........

 

[JaDo]

Great...can't wait. I love the look of that bruyere wood.

 

[Lando]

D01 2 band hairs are extra stiff, by far stiffer than any other two band currently out there IMO. I had to get rid of my extra short loft D01 that shavemac sold on their site, my face couldn't take it. I did try again with an RV custom, flat top, with a higher loft, and really enjoy the brush. It took a couple weeks to break in, but is great for face lathering.

 

[CHSeifert]

Great...can't wait. I love the look of that bruyere wood.

As promised, I have attahced 3 photos of the little woody fellow in my OP - enjoy the pics

 

[Intrigued]

As promised, I have attahced 3 photos of the little woody fellow in my OP - enjoy the pics

Beautiful! I'm glad you decided to give your little woody fellow a chance.

 

[JaDo]

Love it!!! Thanks, Claus. You have just about pushed me over the edge....