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The Varlet sizing

Hey everyone.

I’m looking to get my hands on a Varlet whenever Aldo opens up his orders again, but have a question regarding sizing.

He offers the HD knot in 25, 27, and 29mm knots on many of his brushes outside of custom requests (Mega is only 29 and Gaslamp is 27 or 29). But how unwieldy are the larger brushes? For comparison, I currently use a Simpson Chubby 2 and find it to be a bit larger than I need, but luxurious. The Chubby 3 on the other hand is unwieldy.

Can someone who has used some Varlets and Chubbies please help with sizing? Is a 29mm Mega way too much given my current preference? What about for the other models (interested in Gaslamp and Ranger)? Really frame of reference is appreciated as I can’t find any old threads on any forum discussing these comparisons.

Best
Krishna
 
I think you’d be ok with a 27mm HD knot. The 27mm Ranger handle is very comfortable. I have a 27mm Gaslamp too, but I’m not totally crazy about the handle shape. It’s not technically on the menu, but you can ask for a hybrid or bulb shaped knot, both of which will feel smaller on the face than a fan.
 
Aldo is making me a Ranger right now. I went with the standard high density knot at 25.4. I also have a Chubby 2, which I like, and also a Declaration Grooming brush with a 28mm knot. I was looking for something a little smaller, and I think a 27mm knot would be comparable to a Chubby 2 (it probably would measure at least 28mm in actuality). BTW, Simpson Chubby 2 brushes officially have 27mm knots as well.
 

Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
Aldo is making me a Ranger right now. I went with the standard high density knot at 25.4. I also have a Chubby 2, which I like, and also a Declaration Grooming brush with a 28mm knot. I was looking for something a little smaller, and I think a 27mm knot would be comparable to a Chubby 2 (it probably would measure at least 28mm in actuality). BTW, Simpson Chubby 2 brushes officially have 27mm knots as well.
That is the Ranger I got! What color did you chose??
 

Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
Royal blue—high polish with white font.
same color as mine, or?
IMG_1185.jpg
 
I think so. He does have another shade of blue that’s pretty close to Royal.

I also got a classic fan—which looks like the option you chose. Almost exactly the same brush—with the exception of the font.
 
BTW, Rudy, I did agonize over the options quite a bit and changed them a few times. You may not recall, but I asked you about your knot, and your advice was instrumental in my selection—so thank you for that.

Kind of funny we ended up with the same brush—not deliberate, but perhaps unconscious. :001_smile
 
On a related subject, how does the Varlet badger knot compare with, say, a shavemac 2-band or a Simpsons Best, Super, or Manchurian? Backbone, density, soft tips, lather flow-through, moisture and heat retention, etc.
 
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