Monsta_AU
...can I interest you in some vintage blades?
Staff member
Forum Administrator
Grand Society
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2011
- Location
- Guildford.nsw.au
Well, I finally got my hands on this brush to lather after I handed it to my nephew for Christmas. I must admit it exceeded my expectations in test lathering and use.
The brush itself is a short handled, short lofted bulb-shaped synthetic, set in a handle which is similar in shape to the Kent BK series handle. PAA calls this the 'Suave' knot, but it is for all intents and purposes the same Plisson/Ubersoft/Plissoft kind of fibre which most of us know. PAA also has a 'Duro' knot which according to them is more like a synthetic boar which I suspect some of our face lathers might prefer a bit more.
I have to say that the workmanship on the brush in terms of fit and finish is very very good. It looks like a quality product, no unfinished edges, the knot fits properly in the handle and there is no gaps at all. The handle is well machines & polished. A definite step up on the Plissitane which feels rather roughly finished by comparison.
Running a test hand lather with bath soap on it straight out of the box to remove any manufacturing oils & dirt, It again showed how the synthetics can lather just about anything very well. The yoghurt started to generate off a glycerine-based bath soap which started to surprise me a bit. The backbone of this shorter-set knot also becomes apparent fairly quickly - the Plissitane is floppy by comparison but I still love it.
After a quick lather lesson with a fresh tub of B&M Latha, it showed itself to be far superior in loading on the harder soaps.It picked up far more and needed much more water than I would have thought it needed. Unfortunately the bulb shape is a bit small and I personally prefer a larger brush but for my nephew starting out it is probably a good thing.
Either way, this is a good brush, and although I probably would normally go for something cheaper in a 'starter kit' like the Body Shop $15 synthetic, the build quality is not anywhere near as good as this. It also has a wooden handle which puts you at risk of the knot getting wet and the expansion of the wood letting the knot fall out. I was after something that would last years and years with abuse and I am sure this will.
It is good at the price - I picked it up before Christmas for USD$22.46 which equates to a shade under AUD$30 before postage. While you have get the Razorock Plissoft for less, it is difficult to find it in stock, and I am not so much a fan of the handle material or shape. The Faux Ivory of this brush (or the faux horn alternate choice) looks far nicer to me than the flat black of the Plissoft.
The other nice thing is that the Crown King range has some varying knot sizes and handle choices, at cheaper prices than most of the competition. There are some very nice wood handles, or you can go as big as 26mm knots. the only issue is postage costs from the US, but again if you can get a few things at once then it can amortise the cost of many items and the overall cost is not too bad. Hopefully we will see these available locally soon, along with maybe the Fine brushes.
The result? I am interested enough to put a 26mm Duro-knot brush on my wishlist to try. You know I love my Plissitane, so that is about as good as a Monsta-Approved seal as you will get. As you all know, I am not a fan of PAA Soaps but @D_Smythe has produced some good brushes here. Hurry up and get stock @shavetheman!
The brush itself is a short handled, short lofted bulb-shaped synthetic, set in a handle which is similar in shape to the Kent BK series handle. PAA calls this the 'Suave' knot, but it is for all intents and purposes the same Plisson/Ubersoft/Plissoft kind of fibre which most of us know. PAA also has a 'Duro' knot which according to them is more like a synthetic boar which I suspect some of our face lathers might prefer a bit more.
I have to say that the workmanship on the brush in terms of fit and finish is very very good. It looks like a quality product, no unfinished edges, the knot fits properly in the handle and there is no gaps at all. The handle is well machines & polished. A definite step up on the Plissitane which feels rather roughly finished by comparison.
Running a test hand lather with bath soap on it straight out of the box to remove any manufacturing oils & dirt, It again showed how the synthetics can lather just about anything very well. The yoghurt started to generate off a glycerine-based bath soap which started to surprise me a bit. The backbone of this shorter-set knot also becomes apparent fairly quickly - the Plissitane is floppy by comparison but I still love it.
After a quick lather lesson with a fresh tub of B&M Latha, it showed itself to be far superior in loading on the harder soaps.It picked up far more and needed much more water than I would have thought it needed. Unfortunately the bulb shape is a bit small and I personally prefer a larger brush but for my nephew starting out it is probably a good thing.
Either way, this is a good brush, and although I probably would normally go for something cheaper in a 'starter kit' like the Body Shop $15 synthetic, the build quality is not anywhere near as good as this. It also has a wooden handle which puts you at risk of the knot getting wet and the expansion of the wood letting the knot fall out. I was after something that would last years and years with abuse and I am sure this will.
It is good at the price - I picked it up before Christmas for USD$22.46 which equates to a shade under AUD$30 before postage. While you have get the Razorock Plissoft for less, it is difficult to find it in stock, and I am not so much a fan of the handle material or shape. The Faux Ivory of this brush (or the faux horn alternate choice) looks far nicer to me than the flat black of the Plissoft.
The other nice thing is that the Crown King range has some varying knot sizes and handle choices, at cheaper prices than most of the competition. There are some very nice wood handles, or you can go as big as 26mm knots. the only issue is postage costs from the US, but again if you can get a few things at once then it can amortise the cost of many items and the overall cost is not too bad. Hopefully we will see these available locally soon, along with maybe the Fine brushes.
The result? I am interested enough to put a 26mm Duro-knot brush on my wishlist to try. You know I love my Plissitane, so that is about as good as a Monsta-Approved seal as you will get. As you all know, I am not a fan of PAA Soaps but @D_Smythe has produced some good brushes here. Hurry up and get stock @shavetheman!
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