Thread: Rooney Heritage Stubby opinion?

I didn't want to hijack the other Rooney thread so I decided to make my own

I've seen many people being happy with their Rooney Heritage Stubby brushes but I'm a bit (OK, quite) hesitant to pull the trigger and order one. $200 plus for a brush and just the slight possibility of it being a shedder keeps me back from ordering one. First of all, who makes them? Where are they located? what proof is there that their brushes are even made in England? They have no web presence and in 2016 that's unacceptable. If you don't have a webpage, no customer service to back up your products, no email or physical address to complain, no Facebook, no Twitter, nada...it just seems fishy. I know Vulfix stands firm behind their products (Simpsons included) and their customer service is good. It seems to me the present day Roonies are just a shadow of their former selves. What do you guys think? What was popular five or ten years ago is not relevant today. Is that the case with these brushes?

Get a Simpson in Super and be happy.
From my readings on different forums it is not quite clear what is going on with Rooney.

You could get a box of vintage brushes and new knots for that :<0) Just saying, I never read the other Rooney thread but it sounds like too much chance of a shed for the bucks by the way you talk about it.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Get a Simpson in Super and be happy.
From my readings on different forums it is not quite clear what is going on with Rooney.

You're reading my mind lol. Cheers!

I think anyone contemplating buying a Rooney brush today has every right to be worried because of exactly what you are saying about the company. Like Stefan, I have read on other forums that it is not clear what is going on with the company today. Despite that I thought I would take a chance on one anyway.

If you want to be on safer ground go with a company that is not so much of a mystery. Stephan has suggested Simpsons in Super and I would add Shavemac in 2 band Silvertip to that. Thater is another company who's brushes get recommended a lot. There are lots of good choices from less enigmatic companies.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

I think anyone contemplating buying a Rooney brush today has every right to be worried because of exactly what you are saying about the company. Like Stefan, I have read on other forums that it is not clear what is going on with the company today. Despite that I thought I would take a chance on one anyway.

If you want to be on safer ground go with a company that is not so much of a mystery. Stephan has suggested Simpsons in Super and I would add Shavemac in 2 band Silvertip to that. Thater is another company who's brushes get recommended a lot. There are lots of good choices from less enigmatic companies.

Bob

+1 Bob. Couldn't have said it better. I'm looking into Thater/Shavemac/Simpsons. We'll see, but the devil you know is probably better than the one you don't know (an old saying). Cheers!

Gentlemen,

I have the Rooney Stubby 3 and like it.

I wish the tips were a wee bit softer — there is a hint of a scritch. This brush has a dense 28mm knot, I believe a 50-53mm loft, and with good backbone. No, the density is nothing like that in the Simpson Chubby. Still, the brush is dense enough, but it does splay somewhat, which I like. Mine has shed a total of five or six hairs, if even that, and I've had it for a few months.

Indeed, Rooney is embroiled in mystery, but I've stopped trying to solve it.

I've had a Stubby 2 since it was first brought out about a decade ago and it is still my most expensive brush. It has never shed a hair.

I have had 2 out of 3 Simpson brushes become shedders, one I gave up on and the other was replaced by Simpson (Vulfix actually) and while the new one did not shed, it was nothing like the orginal, which was from the pre-Vulfix era, less dense and much more scritchy and it was promptly sold off.

Select a dealer who stands behind the products they sell and if it turns out to be a shedder (Any manufacturer can run into this problem as the hair is a natural product and sometimes it may look fine but breaks too easy, something that is only discovered after using it for a while) they should take care of it for you.

It's nice to be able to contact the manufacturer directly, such as Simpson, but I would not hesitate in buying another Rooney from a decent dealer.

In the meantime, I'm trying two Chinese sourced knots, one was assembled with handle, the other I glued into a handle from Whipped Dog. I would normally turn something up on my lathe, but the shop is not heated and I'm getting wussy about standing out in the cold. So far it has been very interesting, the knots appear quite nice and the hair grade is excellent. The shape is perhaps not as nice as a high end brush made by one of the big makers, but one of my Simpson brushes did have a typical plug knot so they probably out sourced it as well... none of the hand whipped stuff was found, but then it was a sub $100 brush.

I would simply ask the dealer as to their support after purchase, if it's positive then I'd go for it... If not, look elsewhere or at a different brand, or try your hand at making your own!


Regards

Christian

The current Simpsons owners make a big deal out of claiming hand tied knots. They even have a vid out showing how they do it. Was that a recent made Simpsons?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZziZnOCBdLQ

Bob

I'd agree with the others, Rooney has always been an outlier and these days the management is in question so I'd use caution in considering them. There are others that are just as good.