Here's the photo of my new Sabini (Rooney) Finest, Style 3, Small.
Some random thoughts.
1) The hair used in the "white" brushes really is something different. I'm speaking more so of the "two-band" whites vs. the "three-band", although the Plisson three-band seems to have similar characteristics. However, when I say different, I'm not necessarily saying better. The hairs are coarser and the tips almost seem stringier, if that makes any sense. I like how the shafts are stiff, and the tips are relatively soft, but I if I was a new to shaving brushes, I would swear the normal grey silvertips to be the top-of-the-line brushes. The white knots aren't as luxurous as others available. I'm completely fine with that as this brush is pretty much what I was looking for in terms of performance. And I'm VERY happy about the brush considering what I paid for it. Howerver, I would caution people spending $100's looking for their perfect brush in a white.
2) I've handled a few "two-band" Sabini Finest brushes and have seen a few lost hairs (normal for a new brush). All had three bands (even the folded ones, which seem to be a Rooney thing) which further leads to my belief that there is no such thing as a two-band badger hair. The difference seems to be that the hair is much longer, and the bands are as well. Tie and cut the knot at the base of the second, dark band, and it looks like two bands. I don't know if it's because it's from a different type of badger, or just from a different part of the same badger (but I'm trying to figure that out). I'm not yet convinced the whites are more rare, and therefore should comand the premiums manufacturers ask, than of the more conventional badger hair. Especially in light of #3.
3) There has been some discussion about Rooney whites of varying shades of whiteness and softness. Typically, the whiter ones are more scritchy. This corelates well to the threary that pretty much all shaving brush hair being bleached. More bleaching = stiffer hair. Please note that this isn't just a Rooney thing. I think all manufacturers are doing this.
4) It's hard to compare density between the normal badger hair (from Pure to Silvertip) vs the white type.
5) I've never been blown away by the looks of Rooney brushes. Personally, I like this one very much.
6) While most of the industry uses plastic for handle materials, the material quality can make a difference in the feel of the brush. I'm indifferent about the handle material on this brush. It's not up to the standards of the B&B or Simpson, though. However, please note that this brush is probably a prototype, and I didn't pay $200 for it, so I'm not going to knock it for that.
7) I'm still very much a bulb brush fan, but this brush in the fan shape, with the much stiffer shafts, makes for a killer soap brush. Again, not as luxurious as some, but it sure does get the soap off the cake quickly.
Some random thoughts.
1) The hair used in the "white" brushes really is something different. I'm speaking more so of the "two-band" whites vs. the "three-band", although the Plisson three-band seems to have similar characteristics. However, when I say different, I'm not necessarily saying better. The hairs are coarser and the tips almost seem stringier, if that makes any sense. I like how the shafts are stiff, and the tips are relatively soft, but I if I was a new to shaving brushes, I would swear the normal grey silvertips to be the top-of-the-line brushes. The white knots aren't as luxurous as others available. I'm completely fine with that as this brush is pretty much what I was looking for in terms of performance. And I'm VERY happy about the brush considering what I paid for it. Howerver, I would caution people spending $100's looking for their perfect brush in a white.
2) I've handled a few "two-band" Sabini Finest brushes and have seen a few lost hairs (normal for a new brush). All had three bands (even the folded ones, which seem to be a Rooney thing) which further leads to my belief that there is no such thing as a two-band badger hair. The difference seems to be that the hair is much longer, and the bands are as well. Tie and cut the knot at the base of the second, dark band, and it looks like two bands. I don't know if it's because it's from a different type of badger, or just from a different part of the same badger (but I'm trying to figure that out). I'm not yet convinced the whites are more rare, and therefore should comand the premiums manufacturers ask, than of the more conventional badger hair. Especially in light of #3.
3) There has been some discussion about Rooney whites of varying shades of whiteness and softness. Typically, the whiter ones are more scritchy. This corelates well to the threary that pretty much all shaving brush hair being bleached. More bleaching = stiffer hair. Please note that this isn't just a Rooney thing. I think all manufacturers are doing this.
4) It's hard to compare density between the normal badger hair (from Pure to Silvertip) vs the white type.
5) I've never been blown away by the looks of Rooney brushes. Personally, I like this one very much.
6) While most of the industry uses plastic for handle materials, the material quality can make a difference in the feel of the brush. I'm indifferent about the handle material on this brush. It's not up to the standards of the B&B or Simpson, though. However, please note that this brush is probably a prototype, and I didn't pay $200 for it, so I'm not going to knock it for that.
7) I'm still very much a bulb brush fan, but this brush in the fan shape, with the much stiffer shafts, makes for a killer soap brush. Again, not as luxurious as some, but it sure does get the soap off the cake quickly.
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