They All Look Alike ....... Sorta .........

I was talking with my friend Phrank about brushes. M&F & Shavemac D0-1 two band to be more precise, and he was saying it is uncanny how similar the knots look. This is a phenomena that I have also observed, having a long history of many, many shaving brushes come and go. For some of us they are like potato chips, you can't have just one.

What gets me is they are like cats ......... they all look more or less alike, but each has its own personality. Some people want soft tips, gel tips seems to be the new expression nowadays, others, such as Phrank and me, are looking for scritch. A hard commodity to find. Now if you've been around long enough, and have suffered from the SBAD, you'll know about what I'm fixing to say.

I've had high end brushes from all of the 'best' companies, and I've had middle of the road brushes. Short lofts, long lofts, thick knots, thinner ....... looking for that perfect combination of backbone and scrtich. Eight to ten years ago, IME, if you bought a Plisson HMW, or a Simpson Super, a Rooney Finest you got that perfect balance 9 times out of 10.

I thought it would never change and sold some of my best brushes, because I was somewhat tired of them, figured I could always replace them, and wanted to apply the funds to other ADs. Big mistake. Suddenly the Rooney Finest was no more. Lee Sabini, the owner of Rooney back then, said he could no longer access the quality of badger bristle.

What ? Did badgers stop procreating ? Aren't all badgers the same ? They all look alike ......... sorta. Well the Rooney Heritage line came out. Darn good brushes, but if you ever found a scritchy one it is a rara avis indeed. At the time Simpson Supers, and the very scarce Manchurians still had the scritch, but they sold the biz to Vulfix who had the reputation of soft and floppy brushes.

Well to their credit the Simpson/Vulfix combination makes a helluva brush. Great customer service as well. Mark Watterson, the CEO will go two miles if you ask him to go one. But that said, their brushes, great as they are, aren't as scritchy as the old Somerset made Simpsons. I don't know about the current Plisson. I still have an old HMW, a size 14, and as large as that is, it is scritchy to beat the band.

The last HMW I had was a size 12, and you would think it would have been scritchy but it was gel tipped. I sold it. I even had a size 20, which was gorgeous, but far too large for me. Scritch like you wouldn't believe. I'm tempted to try a size 12 again, perfect size for me, but they are so expensive, and I don't feel like rolling the dice.

I think when the Thater came along the game changed. Robin from Germany introduced Thater to Lynn and Don. They are a small company in Germany and they make superb brushes. I went through four of them and couldn't find a scritchy one in the bunch. Sold 'em all. They have great backbone, yet 'gel' like tips. I think when other manufacturers saw the buzz on the shaving forums they all figured that gel tips must be the way to go, and jumped on the bandwagon.

I also tried Artisan knots. Our own dear departed pixelfixed made some beautiful brushes. I went through four of them, telling Bill I wanted scritch. He tried, but the knots just weren't to be had. I sold all but one of those, it is a 26mm knot with a 46mm loft and a lignum vitae handle. I don't recall the grade of hair, but it is like butter. No scritch at all. I keep it because Bill made it. Use it every now and again too.

Now if you're still with me in this long ramble ...... I heard about the Shavemac D0 hair and ordered one from Bernde years ago. It was a three band and great backbone, not gel tipped, but not scritchy either. Sold it. Lately I have read that the D0-1 two band had the scritch, so in spite of all of the disappointments seeking scritch in Thater 2 bands I ordered one.

I'm here to tell you if you're looking for high quality, SCRITCH, at a reasonable price look no further. I got a 24mm x 48mm two band D0 that will damn near take the chrome off of a trailer hitch. Almost, but not quite, too much of that good thing. I believe it will lighten up enough with use to be perfect for my preferences. So this makes me wonder .....

They all look more or less alike, so why are they all so different ? :thinking:

Attachment 248521Attachment 248522

Awesome Jimmy, and I concur, it's like looking for the Unicorn of Scritch.

Scouring through the threads and various shaving forums, I've encountered threads where guys are complaining of selling their various brushes because they are to "scritchy" and they're a M&F, or a Simpson, or a Rooney, I'd order the same thing, and after I'd use the darn thing I'd be like I want to feel the scrub and scritch of a brush on my face, not apply makeup! Argghhh!!!

I have one M&F Blonde Badger L7 - the scritch is remarkable, but as we discussed, is the scritch/scrub the result of the hair itself, or is it due to the small diameter and under 50mm loft? As you so aptly analogized, the brush is designed more as a "finger" than as a "palm" in terms of applying pressure to the face while lathering?

All my Simpson's have virtually zero scritch, with the exception of the Chubby 1 Super Badger, but again, a densely packed brush with low loft has backbone galore, and by it's nature will provide good scrub, but isn't necessarily scritchy on the face.

The M&F L7, provides the backbone factor, and really has the "scritch/scratch" so that while you're lathering, you can really feel it dig in and exfoliate the skin - awesome.

But the similarity of the appearance of the knots - my two Simpson Manchurian knots are dead ringers for the Morris & Forndran Blonde Badger knots, yet each of the three brushes perform completely differently. One Manch has uber soft tips, the other Manch has an above average but not quite there "scritch" factor, and the M&F L7 Blonde Badger just shoots right to the top of the scale in terms of "scritch", yet all their specs are almost identical in terms of diameter and loft and in appearance, yet perform so differently.

And therein lies I think what we've been discussing, consistency in knot hair - which today, Shavemac seems to have good a handle on - consistency.

The Rubberset Aluminum #3 MikeB52 restored with the Shavemac D01 knot hit the bullseye - beautiful quality knot - stellar backbone, and superb on the face - on par easily with my favorite of the 3 M&F's I have.

So accordingly, MikeB52 is replacing the knot in the wood and brass handled Walleyman brush with the even higher grade D01-2 knot - and from what you told me, this should be the winner.

The Shavemac site, with the graphs on it that allow you to choose softness vs scritch, and the resulting knot that meet's your needs, and the price - seems a winning combination in my view, especially with the ability to customize the type of handle you want.

The only brush I've used and have, in my opinion, that stand out in a separate class, a totally unique brush with it wide encompassing range of qualities - is the Plisson High Mountain White brushes. Simply a brush experience that is "outside the box" in terms of any normal terms of classification as far as I'm concerned - simply one of the nicest and best performing brushes I have that always stays on my counter, and like you mention, I'd love to try the Plisson 12 HMW, but wow, these brushes go for an ultra high premium....

Great thread Jimmy - thanks....

Yup. I shaved this morning with my d01. I never knew what scritch was, based on experience that is, but now I know. It's a very luxurious feeling!

Well your theory sounds good phrank. However, my knot is a 30mm with pretty decent loft, still pretty scritchy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I was talking with my friend Phrank about brushes. M&F & Shavemac D0-1 two band to be more precise, and he was saying it is uncanny how similar the knots look. This is a phenomena that I have also observed, having a long history of many, many shaving brushes come and go. For some of us they are like potato chips, you can't have just one.

What gets me is they are like cats ......... they all look more or less alike, but each has its own personality. Some people want soft tips, gel tips seems to be the new expression nowadays, others, such as Phrank and me, are looking for scritch. A hard commodity to find. Now if you've been around long enough, and have suffered from the SBAD, you'll know about what I'm fixing to say.

I've had high end brushes from all of the 'best' companies, and I've had middle of the road brushes. Short lofts, long lofts, thick knots, thinner ....... looking for that perfect combination of backbone and scrtich. Eight to ten years ago, IME, if you bought a Plisson HMW, or a Simpson Super, a Rooney Finest you got that perfect balance 9 times out of 10.

I thought it would never change and sold some of my best brushes, because I was somewhat tired of them, figured I could always replace them, and wanted to apply the funds to other ADs. Big mistake. Suddenly the Rooney Finest was no more. Lee Sabini, the owner of Rooney back then, said he could no longer access the quality of badger bristle.

What ? Did badgers stop procreating ? Aren't all badgers the same ? They all look alike ......... sorta. Well the Rooney Heritage line came out. Darn good brushes, but if you ever found a scritchy one it is a rara avis indeed. At the time Simpson Supers, and the very scarce Manchurians still had the scritch, but they sold the biz to Vulfix who had the reputation of soft and floppy brushes.

Well to their credit the Simpson/Vulfix combination makes a helluva brush. Great customer service as well. Mark Watterson, the CEO will go two miles if you ask him to go one. But that said, their brushes, great as they are, aren't as scritchy as the old Somerset made Simpsons. I don't know about the current Plisson. I still have an old HMW, a size 14, and as large as that is, it is scritchy to beat the band.

The last HMW I had was a size 12, and you would think it would have been scritchy but it was gel tipped. I sold it. I even had a size 20, which was gorgeous, but far too large for me. Scritch like you wouldn't believe. I'm tempted to try a size 12 again, perfect size for me, but they are so expensive, and I don't feel like rolling the dice.

I think when the Thater came along the game changed. Robin from Germany introduced Thater to Lynn and Don. They are a small company in Germany and they make superb brushes. I went through four of them and couldn't find a scritchy one in the bunch. Sold 'em all. They have great backbone, yet 'gel' like tips. I think when other manufacturers saw the buzz on the shaving forums they all figured that gel tips must be the way to go, and jumped on the bandwagon.

I also tried Artisan knots. Our own dear departed pixelfixed made some beautiful brushes. I went through four of them, telling Bill I wanted scritch. He tried, but the knots just weren't to be had. I sold all but one of those, it is a 26mm knot with a 46mm loft and a lignum vitae handle. I don't recall the grade of hair, but it is like butter. No scritch at all. I keep it because Bill made it. Use it every now and again too.

Now if you're still with me in this long ramble ...... I heard about the Shavemac D0 hair and ordered one from Bernde years ago. It was a three band and great backbone, not gel tipped, but not scritchy either. Sold it. Lately I have read that the D0-1 two band had the scritch, so in spite of all of the disappointments seeking scritch in Thater 2 bands I ordered one.

I'm here to tell you if you're looking for high quality, SCRITCH, at a reasonable price look no further. I got a 24mm x 48mm two band D0 that will damn near take the chrome off of a trailer hitch. Almost, but not quite, too much of that good thing. I believe it will lighten up enough with use to be perfect for my preferences. So this makes me wonder .....

They all look more or less alike, so why are they all so different ? :thinking:

Attachment 248521Attachment 248522

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What's the brush hanging upside down in the second picture? Looks like it has snow white tips!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prodigy

Well your theory sounds good phrank. However, my knot is a 30mm with pretty decent loft, still pretty scritchy.

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........:rofl2:

Oh man....you're the 30mm guy....I for the life of me can't imagine using a brush that size, I admire you, and it just further's Jimmy's point of how each of us experience knots differently and how our taste's differ.

When I had that Polo 3 M&F brush, 31mm knot and a 55mm loft, I was just gobsmacked the first time I lathered that puppy up, all the soap in my scuttle just disappeared, and after lathering the first side of my face I lost vision, as my entire head was covered in a 3 inch thick layer of uber lather.

You must think I'm crazy with the small diameter knots and under 50 loft, to you I'd be lathering with my Pinky finger....I thought the Simpson's Polo 10 Super Badger was a huge unwieldy beast, but that 31mm M&F made the Simpson's weep and run away in fear.

Can you expand, what are the qualities about the big brushes that make them your preference? I'd love to hear what qualities you look for, maybe I need to expand my horizons a bit...this is the thread for it...thanks.
:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prodigy

What's the brush hanging upside down in the second picture? Looks like it has snow white tips!

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That is a Rooney style 1 size 2. Was a great scritchy Finest grade. Should have kept it but ......... you don't miss your water 'till your well runs dry ....... :gaah:

Yes, buying a badger knot with the qualities you like can/is a crap shoot. When you do find one hang on to it because duplicating it may not be easy.

I don't know what scratch is in a brush and assume it is a scratchy/prickly feeling when face lathering. If that is the case, I don't want it. If I want that I'll use my one and only horse hair brush.

OTH, I do like good backbone with soft tips for a luxurious massaging feel when face lathering. Especially so considering the price of a good 2 band silvertip brush these days. Or I could save a lot of dough and just use my well broken Omega 10066 boar brush and be done with it. ;)

There definitely is more to constructing a badger knot that consistently gives the same qualities knot to knot and batch to batch than any of use will ever know. I agree that this is where a manufacturer like Shavemac and Bernd Blos comes to the fore and really shines. They seem to have the expertise to do this and on a custom basis to boot.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phrank

........:rofl2:

Oh man....you're the 30mm guy....I for the life of me can't imagine using a brush that size, I admire you, and it just further's Jimmy's point of how each of us experience knots differently and how our taste's differ.

When I had that Polo 3 M&F brush, 31mm knot and a 55mm loft, I was just gobsmacked the first time I lathered that puppy up, all the soap in my scuttle just disappeared, and after lathering the first side of my face I lost vision, as my entire head was covered in a 3 inch thick layer of uber lather.

You must think I'm crazy with the small diameter knots and under 50 loft, to you I'd be lathering with my Pinky finger....I thought the Simpson's Polo 10 Super Badger was a huge unwieldy beast, but that 31mm M&F made the Simpson's weep and run away in fear.

Can you expand, what are the qualities about the big brushes that make them your preference? I'd love to hear what qualities you look for, maybe I need to expand my horizons a bit...this is the thread for it...thanks.
:D

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Well that's a tricky thing to pin down. My first brush was a cheap parker I think. I still have it, but it's too floppy. Only works with creams, and not that well. My second brush, a Thater, was great. I really liked it, but it just didn't perform as good as I thought a brush should. Then I bought a 30mm HMW from wsp. Andrew made the handle. It's a great brush too, and I use it a lot. Then my M&F came. Blew me away completely. It just explodes lather, like how you described haha.

It could also be my very hard water. Normally I don't use my tap water, but recently have been with good results. I think the larger brushes hold more water and more soap. This allows me to build up enough lather to not have it all dissappear in 30 seconds.

I guess I just like bigger brushes for the same reasons people like 8/8 -10/8 size razors, they are cool in my mind.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prodigy

Well that's a tricky thing to pin down. My first brush was a cheap parker I think. I still have it, but it's too floppy. Only works with creams, and not that well. My second brush, a Thater, was great. I really liked it, but it just didn't perform as good as I thought a brush should. Then I bought a 30mm HMW from wsp. Andrew made the handle. It's a great brush too, and I use it a lot. Then my M&F came. Blew me away completely. It just explodes lather, like how you described haha.

It could also be my very hard water. Normally I don't use my tap water, but recently have been with good results. I think the larger brushes hold more water and more soap. This allows me to build up enough lather to not have it all dissappear in 30 seconds.

I guess I just like bigger brushes for the same reasons people like 8/8 -10/8 size razors, they are cool in my mind.

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Here is the Plisson HMW size 14 that I kept alongside of a couple of Simpson Manchurians that I didn't keep, because they lacked the scritch

Attachment 248529;

That Plisson has a 25mm knot, and a 60mm loft, yet it is scritchy as they get. I don't use it much because it is so big, but the genuine horn handle is so beautiful, and the scritch so good, that it is a keeper.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I'm here to tell you if you're looking for high quality, SCRITCH, at a reasonable price look no further. I got a 24mm x 48mm two band D0 that will damn near take the chrome off of a trailer hitch. Almost, but not quite, too much of that good thing. I believe it will lighten up enough with use to be perfect for my preferences.
Attachment 248521Attachment 248522

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I got my 22x46 D01 Fan about 18 months ago. My first use was unpleasant; I thought the knot was made of straw. Was tempted to immediately sell it. It softened up with each use, and by #20 or so I was quite happy with it. Still has the scritch. I like having 'one' with scritch. After 100+ uses though, it still hasn't bloomed. The knot is so tight that when in use (meaning on my face) the brush doesn't hold water or lather. It gets squeezed out and runs down to the shelf on the handle or worse, onto my hand. This is my sole complaint with this knot. Anyone else have this problem? Anyone know how to initiate a proper bloom in a tight knot?

I was just thinking about that earlier. There's a lot going on with putting a knot in a handle, and I had a very good lesson with making mine. My 30mm knot is really only 28mm at the base of the epoxy plug. It doesn't hit 30mm until above the epoxy line. I accidentally oversized my hole to about 34mm. I think this extra "breathing room" really helps the knot hold more water. That and because it's so dense, it has room to actually bloom out. Just speculation from someone who has literally made one brush, but I think the top 3-5mm of the handle should not be tight, but touching for sure.

Most knot sizes are quoted at the glue plug and then bulge out just above it so the hole it sits in needs to be a mm or so larger because of that. I guess depending on how stuffed the knot is it may need even more clearance to fit.

The other thing is how deep the knot is set into the handle to create a certain loft. If the knot is set to create a loft less than 1/2 the knot size you will have a lot of backbone. That coupled with a tightish fit bore hole won't let the knot bloom much.

The combination of low loft, densely packed knot in a tight fitting bore hole would create a very stiff non blooming knot that likely won't hold a lot of water.

Well, that is my guess anyway.

Bob

Why are they so different? Easy really. They come from an animal and each animal is an individual and it's coat depends on what it eats and it's life and it's location and it's genes. Then you factor in the seasons and the severity of the winters and climate change.

Even with us our hair is different from person to person.

Then they make a knot from hair that comes from who knows how many different animals and the fill varies from brush to brush and the loft varies.

It's no wonder each brush can be so different.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Why are they so different? Easy really. They come from an animal and each animal is an individual and it's coat depends on what it eats and it's life and it's location and it's genes. Then you factor in the seasons and the severity of the winters and climate change.

Even with us our hair is different from person to person.

Then they make a knot from hair that comes from who knows how many different animals and the fill varies from brush to brush and the loft varies.

It's no wonder each brush can be so different.

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Great minds think alike ......... and I thought of that believe it or not ......... but ......... how come all the old Simpson Somerset made Supers/Manchurians were scritchy ? The Rooney FInests until he could no longer get the hair ...... No longer get that hair ? What is that about ?

How come everyone who gets a Shavemac D0-1 two band says it is scritchy, and every Thater is not, though they both have great backbone ? It's got to be supernatural I tell ya ....... :shrug:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Great minds think alike ......... and I thought of that believe it or not ......... but ......... how come all the old Simpson Somerset made Supers/Manchurians were scritchy ? The Rooney FInests until he could no longer get the hair ...... No longer get that hair ? What is that about ?

How come everyone who gets a Shavemac D0-1 two band says it is scritchy, and every Thater is not, though they both have great backbone ? It's got to be supernatural I tell ya ....... :shrug:

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Agreed Jimmy...Shavemac seems to have solved that as you correctly point out.

As I posted on another thread - Shavemac now has a chart on their site which is basically a guideline allowing you to choose what you would like the feel to be - from uber soft, to stiffness:

Attachment 248543
Attachment 248544
Attachment 248545

So Shavemac seems to be offering knots that are most importantly - consistent - so you can decide and pay for what you get - which is an excellent step forward in setting and fulfilling customer expectations.

In that same chart it also explains why 2 band hair is different from the 3 band hair and why the 2 band is more expensive. There are also 2 versions of the 2 band knots. The plain 2 band silvertip and the DO1 2 band silvertip knots.

If you don't want scritch/scratch I can tell you to go with the plain 2 band silvertip. Both my 2 Band Silvertip brushes have soft tips without any scratch/scratch that I can detect, more than enough backbone and enough density to not be lather hogs.

It is a good thing to be aware that there are 2 different 2 Banders available depending on what your needs/likes are. I am glad Bernd Blos advised me to go with the plain 2 Bander after I described to him what I wanted for face feel from a knot which did not include scratch/scratch.

Bob

Firstly, if you are looking for a scritchy knot, then you may want to contemplate one of the Vie-Long Epsilon 2-Band 27x50mm ones. I have one (Bulb 28.5 x 52mm) and it is quite scritchy, indeed! However, it is a lovely knot! I also have a Shavemac D-01 2-Band Bulb 29 x 52mm that is superb! Some lovely gentle scritch, interluded by lovely softness. :)
I did go through four of these knots to eventually realize how great they are, and surprisingly, this one is the largest and lowest-lofted one of the bunch! The scritch did task awhile to subside to a manageable level, also.

I may have to conclude that these Shavemac D-01 2-Band knots might just be the best overall knots, in my opinion. However, I still love variety. :)
Epsilon is in the first photo and Shavemac is in the second.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...923/COxMmB.jpghttp://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...922/NNP6PL.jpg

Celistino, both of the brushes in your pictures have a nice bloom. My 22x46 D01 2band knot doesn't spread beyond the circumference of the handle it is embedded in. I'm at work so I cannot provide a picture. I'll ask again, anyone have a suggestion how I might facilitate the blooming of the knot?_

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cau

Celistino, both of the brushes in your pictures have a nice bloom. My 22x46 D01 2band knot doesn't spread beyond the circumference of the handle it is embedded in. I'm at work so I cannot provide a picture. I'll ask again, anyone have a suggestion how I might facilitate the blooming of the knot?_

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By any chance can you post a photo of the brush before you used it, and after ? When you get home from work I mean.

Jimmy, I shaved this morning and used another brush. My next shave will be Saturday morning. I'll get the Shavemac out and use it. I'll post some pictures then. May as well post my first SOTD picture as well...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cau

Celistino, both of the brushes in your pictures have a nice bloom. My 22x46 D01 2band knot doesn't spread beyond the circumference of the handle it is embedded in. I'm at work so I cannot provide a picture. I'll ask again, anyone have a suggestion how I might facilitate the blooming of the knot?_

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A picture of the knot before and after use would be great. However, with a 22mm knot, you may not notice much of a bloom, in my opinion, depending on how large the handle is.
My two knots are very large and they are blubs, so that will usually enhance the physical feature of the bloom. :)

So here's a few pictures of brush before/during/after. It's been put away for a couple of months. Perhaps I exaggerated a bit when I said the knot was no thicker than the handle... Maybe a fan head knot isn't supposed to bloom? This is my only fan knot. It lathers fine, but it is messy and that is my only complaint. Nice shave.
Attachment 248675
Attachment 248676Attachment 248677Attachment 248678

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cau

So here's a few pictures of brush before/during/after. It's been put away for a couple of months. Perhaps I exaggerated a bit when I said the knot was no thicker than the handle... Maybe a fan head knot isn't supposed to bloom? This is my only fan knot. It lathers fine, but it is messy and that is my only complaint. Nice shave.

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It's a beauty ! :tu

What do you guys define as scricth? To my understanding that is the prickly feeling from some thicker hairs mainly the black hairs in the knot.
I personally do not like that but I like the scrubby feel of a knot, that is something I get from CH3 Manchurian knots, and to lesser extent from my M&F brush.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainaman

What do you guys define as scricth? To my understanding that is the prickly feeling from some thicker hairs mainly the black hairs in the knot.
I personally do not like that but I like the scrubby feel of a knot, that is something I get from CH3 Manchurian knots, and to lesser extent from my M&F brush.

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Scritch is that prickly feeling. I have had a Somerset made Chubby 2 that was so prickly/scritchy that I sold it. The problem was the backbone was so strong, that it made the feeling too much of a good thing.

I had 3 Simpson/Vulfix Manchurians, a Chubby 3 (too big), a Polo 10, and an M-7. None of them were scritchy. I still have the M-7, because I like it anyway, but I sold the other two. I have a Manchurian Chubby 2 that is probably okay (just got it recently) and a Manchurian Tulip 3 enroute and I have high hopes but whether it will deliver the goods remains to be seen.

IME with Simpson Super Somerset made brushes, they were scritchy. I still have my Polo 8, and my Persian Jar 3. Delightfully scritchy with perfect backbone. The balance between backbone and scritch has to be there. If the backbone is too strong it becomes uncomfortable rather than pleasant .......... IME.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Scritch is that prickly feeling. I have had a Somerset made Chubby 2 that was so prickly/scritchy that I sold it. The problem was the backbone was so strong, that it made the feeling too much of a good thing.

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Thanks for clearing that up for me and confirming that it is what I thought it was.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cau

So here's a few pictures of brush before/during/after. It's been put away for a couple of months. Perhaps I exaggerated a bit when I said the knot was no thicker than the handle... Maybe a fan head knot isn't supposed to bloom? This is my only fan knot. It lathers fine, but it is messy and that is my only complaint. Nice shave.
Attachment 248675
Attachment 248676Attachment 248677Attachment 248678

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That knot looks like it's bloomed fine for the loft it's set at,, as far as messy, your lather s too wet. Tc

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tcrideshd

That knot looks like it's bloomed fine for the loft it's set at,, as far as messy, your lather s too wet. Tc

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That was my first reaction too. Maybe try loading with a drier brush and adding a little water a bit at a time. here is a vid that may help with the drier method.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4zESTQWDuw

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Scritch is that prickly feeling. I have had a Somerset made Chubby 2 that was so prickly/scritchy that I sold it. The problem was the backbone was so strong, that it made the feeling too much of a good thing.

I had 3 Simpson/Vulfix Manchurians, a Chubby 3 (too big), a Polo 10, and an M-7. None of them were scritchy. I still have the M-7, because I like it anyway, but I sold the other two. I have a Manchurian Chubby 2 that is probably okay (just got it recently) and a Manchurian Tulip 3 enroute and I have high hopes but whether it will deliver the goods remains to be seen.

IME with Simpson Super Somerset made brushes, they were scritchy. I still have my Polo 8, and my Persian Jar 3. Delightfully scritchy with perfect backbone. The balance between backbone and scritch has to be there. If the backbone is too strong it becomes uncomfortable rather than pleasant .......... IME.

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Jimmy, try a Vie Long 2 band brush with the shorter loft. They have a good amount of scritch to them IMO.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainaman

Jimmy, try a Vie Long 2 band brush with the shorter loft. They have a good amount of scritch to them IMO.

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+1, that is the Vie-Long Epsilon 2-Band 27x50mm ones. :)


@cau, that knot looks just fine and, has been stated, you may want to start off with a drier brush when loading, possibly.

Looks like my last post got lost along the way... a repost...
Wanted to thank you all for the thumbs up on my brush. It is my only 2-band so I had no other to compare it to. Personally, I prefer my 3-bands.
I watched the lathering video and will put the suggestions to use and try to thicken my lather. My rotation has recently evolved to 1 razor, 1 brush per month. The Shavemac will be my November brush.
Thanks again for all the comments and suggestions...