I have several Thäter brushes and I feel that their quality and performance are as good as you can get. I do find the 2-Band knots to have a little more backbone than the three band. The softness of their knots is hard to beat. I also find them comparable to the Shavemac 2-band Silvertip knots. I tend to order more Shavemacs as I can order the knot and put it in a custom handle, or have Shavemac make a custom handle for me. Shavemac also offers a D01 2-band knot, which has a great deal of scrub. I much prefer Thäter and Shavemac knots to Simpson, as Simpson manchurian knots are just too dense for me, tend to be lather hogs, and I don't enjoy the firmness of their bristles. I also don't care for their newer 2-band knots. Congratulations on your new brush and enjoy your Thäter brushes. I've sure enjoyed mine.