Thread: OK, Now's Your Chance...Tell Us...

That depends on what you define as good. If by good you mean a combination of craftsmanship, performance, and price, Thäter brushes can't be beat (certainly not by Shavemac or Plisson). Absolutely fabulous stuff.

Regards,
Robin

Yea I was waiting for someone to really start this tread going too.

Personally, I like the two band. I have a Rooney medium and a older Simpson Chubby 3 and a Plisson HMW size 14 and a Kent from the B&B buy and I'm waiting on a Thater Chubby (if it ever arrives). Though the Plisson is overall the best performer I don't think the performance increase is worth the very high price. The Rooney is overall, I think the best though as I understand they have trouble sourcing the stuff these days. There's nothing wrong with the Simpson its a fine brush too. The kent is plain silvertip and is scrubby only because its a small brush with very short loft.

Normal Silvertip I don't like because it is too floppy for me. Best badger is really the best price-performance choice. It has a little of everything however the choices in type and handles are limited.

That's an "old" Plisson, right? If you can, try a new one for comparison. You will be surprised, and I don't mean positively.

I couldn't choose a single brush, but I think my favorites are the three following brushes (not in order):

-Semogue LE 09 Boar brush: why? Great backbone, great lather, very dense, tips are firm and not velvety soft but are also not scritchy AT ALL (none of that annoying prickly feeling)

-Simpson "Ehsan", custom XL2 in 2 band: why? Great backbone, dense, soft tips that have zero prickliness. Lathers easily and doesn't hog lather as much as my Rooney 3/1 Finest or my Simpson PJ2 2 band.

-GoldenNib finest knots: why? Velvety soft tips when wet, but still great backbone. Really really nice knots.

For reference, I prefer soft tips (softer the better) with good backbone. Not killer amounts of backbone, but still a firm, small brush. Also for reference, I'm comparing these brushes to Semogue HD silvertip, Rooney 3/1 Finest, Rooney 1/1 Super, Plisson 2 band (size 16) and 3 band (size 12) HMW, Vulfix Pure (Conk's Full Volume brush), and Kent silvertip (B&B LE 08).

In a few days, I will try the Goldennib silvertip Grade A knot and post impressions of that hopefully.

One thing that has always been a necessity for me has been a badger that was firm so that I could use it for soaps and creams. Needless to say any Kent I have ever tried and my B&B brush that you could run over with a car hit the trash before the shave was completed as these proved to be very floppy, even paint brush floppy. I have a 28mm Shavemac and one from a group buy and these are both OK. I think I like bulb cut better than tulip cuts with regard to the brushes themselves. I have an older Simpson Chubby in a 28mm knot which was my favorite until I got the big Rooney finest. It still is one of my very favorite brushes and no knot that I have found is as densely packed. That said I truly enjoy my newer Simpson Polo 8 two band. Of the Plisson, and considering the cost, I actually like the European White better than the High Mountain White. Most recently I have tried the Thater that Robin recommended and this brush while have a very nice amount of firmness is the softest feeling brush against my face that I have tried to date. I ended up buying a second. These are great brushes.

Lynn

I facelather soap 99% of the time. I like a brush with backbone, and a scrubby, not scritchy (if that makes sense) feeling on my face. Tips not too soft.

Of those I have, #1 would be the Rooney 2/1 finest. A Somerset two-band Tulip 2 is a close second.

I'd like to try a bigger Rooney though, if and when they become available. And yes, I am intrigued by the Thater.

In my opinion the best shaving brush in the whole wide world is Rooney Finest in style 2.

I love my omega boar. It's simple and cheap but it works like a champ for soaps and face lathering.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I'm surprised no one has posted here. A little disappointed too, cause I have been wanting a new one for a while and was hoping for some input.

But then I went to visit Lynn and I found my new favorite brush. Granted, I don't have much experience with brushes, but I did talk with Lynn about what we each like in brushes (we seem to have similar preferences - soft and good backbone is what I'm after) and I tried some of Lynn's favorites from his own collection. I have found my new favorite brush.

I don't remember which one it is, but it's either the Thater Chubby I or Chubby II (just different sizes as far as I can tell). I love it because it's got great backbone and yet is very soft. This brush does both together better than any other brush. I'm going to get one as soon as I can.

IIRC, Chubby II, 24mm. Those Thater silvertips are FANTASTIC!! Heinrich L. Thäter - Rasierpinsel Kugel II "Chubby", Clear The Different Scent:

I don't know the BEST brush, since I've only used a VDH Boar brush, but I love it and am in no hurry to try anything else until I have money to burn.