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I have the whole of this week off so decided to use the opportunity to get my shaving kit sorted out and stored a bit better. My aim is that I want to make it easier to access my stuff so I can choose a brush, razor and soap without digging through boxes piled high. I feel many good products are not getting a fair shout because they are buried and I am too lazy to dig them out. My mission this week is to address this, first was brushes and I believe I have came up with a few good storage solutions and will share them later. Initially I had to gather everything up and I had the Simspons lined to match them to the boxes so took a quick picture, and then did the same with theRoonys and the others.
My idea of posting these pictures is not trying to make a willy waving thread because I know there are those out there with a brush collection that easily dwarfs mine. I am quite proud of my brush collection because they were all chosen with thought and bought with an intended purpose at the time. Although I have already sold a few and may sell a few more after I decide which ones I like the most, either way it is nice to have experienced so many different ones but I know there are so many I have yet to try.
What started out as a quick clean up made me think about what I have, what I actually use and why I like them, therefore can I get rid of some? or do I even want to? I don't know the answers yet but I listed my reasons for liking them (or not) down on a piece of paper and then thought I'd post them up for your amusement and because everyone love pictures....
On this first picture the Polo 8 and the Major are unused. The Major was recently fitted with a new knot by Vulfix. While I was on holiday last year the thread got really sticky so I sent it back expecting them to ream it out a little. I had said that I would ideally like to keep the brush as it had been on a few memorable journeys with me, like one of the last voyages of the QE2, so if it could be repaired then that would be my preference. They must have had to take the knot out to ream the handle and then had to replace it with a new knot. It would have been far easier for them to say the thread was buggered and replace the whole brush but they went out of their way to repair it which was nice. The Polo 8 was ordered at the same time as the CH2, I was in hospital when they arrived and when I got home I was so excited to have a Chubby 2 in 2 band that the Polo just got stuck to the back of the cupboard, in one of those stash boxes we all have, I have had other new things since then to occupy me so I have never got round to using it.
The Simpsons, left to right
X2L Conolel 2 Band (AKA Ehsan) - Probably one of my favourite brushes, speedy to lather use and rinse, the bristles are stiff enough for hard soaps but lovely soft tips and it works great with creams and soft soaps alike.
Duke 3 2 Band - This is a custom brush made by Vulfix that I got in conjunction with a forum member. It is still breaking in but it is a lovely dense brush that is between a Chubby 2 and and the X2L in terms of density. It is sort of like a Chubby 1.5, yes it is that unicorn of brushes and if you want one you need to come round and pry it out of my cold dead hands to get it. Vulfix have said they won't make any more after a group buy enquiry on B&B
Major Silvertip - Very luxurious travel brush that can be used every day, the 17mm knot makes it very fast drying but it also has a short loft so it lathers extremely well and generates enough when properly loaded to keep it going for a three pass shave. There are much cheaper travel brushes out there and ironically when in its case it is bigger and heavier then most full sized brushes but its sheer exuberance makes you feel like royalty when using it.
Astor 2 Band - Another very good brush, it has an ever so slightly bigger knot than the Ehsan (by about 1mm) but the nice horn handle is what sold it to me. Stiff enough for soaps and soft enough for creams, a good face latherer but equally happy lathering in a bowl, only detractor for me is sometimes (especially at the weekends) I like something more dense and bigger. If you want one of these but don’t want to spend that much or can’t find one then buy an Ehsan and have more or less the exact same brush with change in your pocket for some nice soap, I can send you pics of the Ehsan and Astor knot together and there is honestly no difference.
Polo 8 - I love the shape and size of this handle, this was my main reason for buying it, now that I found it again it will be out for its maiden voyage soon.
Chubby 2 Band - So dense it is unbelievable, it needs a good 15 minute hot soak before use and takes more then 24 hours to dry after use but what a brush!!!. When properly loaded this thing keeps going and going with endless supplies of lather generated by the tightly packed bristles.
Persian Jar 2 in 2 Band - I really love this little Simpsons brush, the PJ2, Astor, Ehsan, and the Rooney Alibaba are my weekday workhorse brushes but the PJ2 is a special little brush in 2 band, it only needs a few swirls to load and no matter how often I use it there seems no be no real bloom happening, it is a really short loft so maybe this will never bloom that much, I don't care I love it it works very well.
The Rooneys, left to right
Executive Shaving Branded Rooney made Best badger (stubby 2 size) - My first attempt at procuring something like a Rooney, I find it a bit scratchy but I have not used it a lot,m just did not click with this one.
Rooney Stubby 2 Heritage (3 band) a very dense brush next to the Alibaba this is my most used Rooney brush and it is so tightly packed it feels like velvet on your skin, really nice to use but like the CH2 it is a process which requires a good soak and plenty of loading to get it going.
Rooney Stubby 2 Super Silvertip - nice brush and a nice alternative to the density of the Heritage 3 band, another great brush but it has some serious competition for a rotation slot in my collection.
Rooney 1/1 in Ebony Super Silvertip - Great latherer, the tips are a little scratchy but not overly so if used with a little caution, nice and compact but the handle is a little awkward for me. I got this from Fido and I agree with his conclusions on this brush in his blog.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://fidosshavingbrushblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/rooney-11-super.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://fidosshavingbrushblog.blogspot.c ... super.html</a><!-- m -->
Rooney Heritage Alibaba Size 2 - A hiden gem of a brush, it is something between a PJ2 and a X2L, it has a small knot but still is a very effective latherer the head acts like it is bigger than it is. The handle fits nicely in my hand and this is an underrated brush which does not seem to get the praise I believe it deserves.
The mixed ones from various sources, left to right
Savile Row 3824 - I bought this a few years ago and it is still a great brush but I tend to use this only for creams now.
EJ Chatshorth Silvertip - Edwin Jagger make good products and this is a beautiful brush in faux horn, it is not too soft and not too hard, I like using this on soft soaps.
EJ Medium Best - My very first brush and now shedding like a dog, it needs a new knot I will do it one day
Cocobola - Quite soft brush again a nice cream and soft soap brush but too floppy for my tastes these days, I do like the handle and thisis probably the only reason I keep it, another knot replacement candidate?
Custom Olive wood in Best - Made by our own neocaligatio, this arrived at the same time as the Polo 8 above as ashamed as I am to say again is one I have never used so far but I will rectify this in the near future.
Two B&B Essentials - I got one sent from the US which went missing during the postal strike (one of the many). I then got another second hand from some in the UK and two months later the first one turned up. So I have one that has not ever been used which may be good trade fodder, this was one of the last versions so it was the better (think the first batch had some issue with them).
Vulfix 18 - The only non badger brush I have left, again not used often but I should sell it or use it.
And lastly here is the entire collection of 20 together, the only time they have all been together and probably never will be again.
It was an interesting and believe it or not an enjoyable exercise, I thought I actually had more than 20 brushes but there you go :roll: , I sold a few a while back and then sold my two Semogue LEs so I have room for some more. I ordered some Plisson/Joris items last week and await their arrival with some anticipation.
Tomorrow I will do the Razors but I am not intending to gather them all together and take pictures, I pretty much know my razor stock, it just needs a tidy up and organising.
Hope this didn't bore you too much.
My idea of posting these pictures is not trying to make a willy waving thread because I know there are those out there with a brush collection that easily dwarfs mine. I am quite proud of my brush collection because they were all chosen with thought and bought with an intended purpose at the time. Although I have already sold a few and may sell a few more after I decide which ones I like the most, either way it is nice to have experienced so many different ones but I know there are so many I have yet to try.
What started out as a quick clean up made me think about what I have, what I actually use and why I like them, therefore can I get rid of some? or do I even want to? I don't know the answers yet but I listed my reasons for liking them (or not) down on a piece of paper and then thought I'd post them up for your amusement and because everyone love pictures....
On this first picture the Polo 8 and the Major are unused. The Major was recently fitted with a new knot by Vulfix. While I was on holiday last year the thread got really sticky so I sent it back expecting them to ream it out a little. I had said that I would ideally like to keep the brush as it had been on a few memorable journeys with me, like one of the last voyages of the QE2, so if it could be repaired then that would be my preference. They must have had to take the knot out to ream the handle and then had to replace it with a new knot. It would have been far easier for them to say the thread was buggered and replace the whole brush but they went out of their way to repair it which was nice. The Polo 8 was ordered at the same time as the CH2, I was in hospital when they arrived and when I got home I was so excited to have a Chubby 2 in 2 band that the Polo just got stuck to the back of the cupboard, in one of those stash boxes we all have, I have had other new things since then to occupy me so I have never got round to using it.
The Simpsons, left to right
X2L Conolel 2 Band (AKA Ehsan) - Probably one of my favourite brushes, speedy to lather use and rinse, the bristles are stiff enough for hard soaps but lovely soft tips and it works great with creams and soft soaps alike.
Duke 3 2 Band - This is a custom brush made by Vulfix that I got in conjunction with a forum member. It is still breaking in but it is a lovely dense brush that is between a Chubby 2 and and the X2L in terms of density. It is sort of like a Chubby 1.5, yes it is that unicorn of brushes and if you want one you need to come round and pry it out of my cold dead hands to get it. Vulfix have said they won't make any more after a group buy enquiry on B&B
Major Silvertip - Very luxurious travel brush that can be used every day, the 17mm knot makes it very fast drying but it also has a short loft so it lathers extremely well and generates enough when properly loaded to keep it going for a three pass shave. There are much cheaper travel brushes out there and ironically when in its case it is bigger and heavier then most full sized brushes but its sheer exuberance makes you feel like royalty when using it.
Astor 2 Band - Another very good brush, it has an ever so slightly bigger knot than the Ehsan (by about 1mm) but the nice horn handle is what sold it to me. Stiff enough for soaps and soft enough for creams, a good face latherer but equally happy lathering in a bowl, only detractor for me is sometimes (especially at the weekends) I like something more dense and bigger. If you want one of these but don’t want to spend that much or can’t find one then buy an Ehsan and have more or less the exact same brush with change in your pocket for some nice soap, I can send you pics of the Ehsan and Astor knot together and there is honestly no difference.
Polo 8 - I love the shape and size of this handle, this was my main reason for buying it, now that I found it again it will be out for its maiden voyage soon.
Chubby 2 Band - So dense it is unbelievable, it needs a good 15 minute hot soak before use and takes more then 24 hours to dry after use but what a brush!!!. When properly loaded this thing keeps going and going with endless supplies of lather generated by the tightly packed bristles.
Persian Jar 2 in 2 Band - I really love this little Simpsons brush, the PJ2, Astor, Ehsan, and the Rooney Alibaba are my weekday workhorse brushes but the PJ2 is a special little brush in 2 band, it only needs a few swirls to load and no matter how often I use it there seems no be no real bloom happening, it is a really short loft so maybe this will never bloom that much, I don't care I love it it works very well.
The Rooneys, left to right
Executive Shaving Branded Rooney made Best badger (stubby 2 size) - My first attempt at procuring something like a Rooney, I find it a bit scratchy but I have not used it a lot,m just did not click with this one.
Rooney Stubby 2 Heritage (3 band) a very dense brush next to the Alibaba this is my most used Rooney brush and it is so tightly packed it feels like velvet on your skin, really nice to use but like the CH2 it is a process which requires a good soak and plenty of loading to get it going.
Rooney Stubby 2 Super Silvertip - nice brush and a nice alternative to the density of the Heritage 3 band, another great brush but it has some serious competition for a rotation slot in my collection.
Rooney 1/1 in Ebony Super Silvertip - Great latherer, the tips are a little scratchy but not overly so if used with a little caution, nice and compact but the handle is a little awkward for me. I got this from Fido and I agree with his conclusions on this brush in his blog.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://fidosshavingbrushblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/rooney-11-super.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://fidosshavingbrushblog.blogspot.c ... super.html</a><!-- m -->
Rooney Heritage Alibaba Size 2 - A hiden gem of a brush, it is something between a PJ2 and a X2L, it has a small knot but still is a very effective latherer the head acts like it is bigger than it is. The handle fits nicely in my hand and this is an underrated brush which does not seem to get the praise I believe it deserves.
The mixed ones from various sources, left to right
Savile Row 3824 - I bought this a few years ago and it is still a great brush but I tend to use this only for creams now.
EJ Chatshorth Silvertip - Edwin Jagger make good products and this is a beautiful brush in faux horn, it is not too soft and not too hard, I like using this on soft soaps.
EJ Medium Best - My very first brush and now shedding like a dog, it needs a new knot I will do it one day
Cocobola - Quite soft brush again a nice cream and soft soap brush but too floppy for my tastes these days, I do like the handle and thisis probably the only reason I keep it, another knot replacement candidate?
Custom Olive wood in Best - Made by our own neocaligatio, this arrived at the same time as the Polo 8 above as ashamed as I am to say again is one I have never used so far but I will rectify this in the near future.
Two B&B Essentials - I got one sent from the US which went missing during the postal strike (one of the many). I then got another second hand from some in the UK and two months later the first one turned up. So I have one that has not ever been used which may be good trade fodder, this was one of the last versions so it was the better (think the first batch had some issue with them).
Vulfix 18 - The only non badger brush I have left, again not used often but I should sell it or use it.
And lastly here is the entire collection of 20 together, the only time they have all been together and probably never will be again.
It was an interesting and believe it or not an enjoyable exercise, I thought I actually had more than 20 brushes but there you go :roll: , I sold a few a while back and then sold my two Semogue LEs so I have room for some more. I ordered some Plisson/Joris items last week and await their arrival with some anticipation.
Tomorrow I will do the Razors but I am not intending to gather them all together and take pictures, I pretty much know my razor stock, it just needs a tidy up and organising.
Hope this didn't bore you too much.
