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Shaving Brush Buyer's Guide: Savile Row

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Savile Row Shaving Brush

Welcome to the next installment of my shaving brush buyer’s guide.  I have been looking at popular shaving brushes on the market.  At the end of the series–just in time for the holiday gift-giving season–I’ll update the entire list and create a large, sortable table and also make the data available in a “CSV file” for importing into your favorite spreadsheet or database program.  This post looks at Savile Row shaving brushes (previous entries include Shavemac, Rooney, Truefitt and Hill, Simpsons, and Vulfix). 
Savile Row brushes are primarily available at QED, though I have seen them on other websites as well.  They have a reputation as a solid performer and a very good value.  Many people assume they are manufactured under license by another major brush maker but I have been unable to confirm this.
I admit to having a soft spot for Savile Row.  My very first good badger brush was a small SR23 (no longer produced): a “super badger” brush that put my larger but inferior Tweezerman to shame.  I still use it once in a while.  What are your experiences with Savile Row brushes?
On the table below I’ve listed the major specifications for the brushes currently being manufctured.  “Model” refers to the model number of the brush.  “Loft,” “Knot,” and “Handle” refer to the the dimensions, in millimeters, for the height of the hair, the diameter of the hair at the base, and the height of the brush’s handle, respectively.  “Hair” indicates what kind of hair is used, along with a “Grade” (if any).  The “Shape” of the hair refers to whether it is a fan-like shape or a bulb-like shape.  Finally, price refers to the Manufacturer’s list price in US dollars.  Although I have excersized care in researching these statistics I cannot guarantee they are exact.

 

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16 thoughts on “Shaving Brush Buyer's Guide: Savile Row”

  1. While it is impossible to review every brush it would be very useful to have a long term review of different brands of brushes so that we can have a comparrison. I understand that a negative review could be viewed as an attack by some vendors, who instead of seeing it as constructive critisism would see it as a personal attack, but it would be a service to the readerships.

      1. I don’t have a stake in this either way but bsmyn0708 is coming across as a little inflammatory. I’ve never been bothered by restocking fees for standard returns because this means I’m not paying for other people’s indecisiveness. One of my old girlfriends would return things because she changed her mind or just wanted the money back for other uses. I asked her if it would be okay if I stole something from the store as long as it was worth less than a dollar, she said no. When I pointed out that needlessly buying/returning was costing more than what I would steal she still didn’t agree. My point is that these cost are real and the money has to come from somewhere, so only buy what you need and if you’re going to be picky then shop at huge places that can more easily absorb the loss .

        1. @Chobe, you are being very charitable and polite, in marked contrast to what is obviously blatant trolling. I think Sharpologist would do well to allow only registered members to comment from now on.

        2. Sure would be nice if we treated each other with respect and agreed to disagree. If the first post wasn’t infammitory the second surely was. Not needed and not the tone meant to invite discussion.

      2. Well, I wouldn’t buy from a vendor with the intention of returning the product. Returns for refund if the shipped product is defective or arrives damaged in transit are one thing, returns due to buyer remorse or indecision are quite another. Restocking fees are the traditional way of cutting down on the latter. It was not all that long ago that many online and mail order vendors would not accept any returns unless the item arrived damaged or defective. Some still do not.
        There will always be an element of “caveat emptor” when ordering online. Doing a little research beforehand will help. Better yet, find a brick-and-mortar retailer and see the brushes firsthand before buying one. Many cutlery shops also sell wetshaving equipment. Sharpologist has a nascent brick-and-mortar product locator which could grow into something very useful in this regard. Perhaps the comments section there could be re-enabled?

      1. Pretty much like most I see but with a restocking fee. I really don’t like restocking fees and usually avoid buying from those sellers if there is any chance at all the product could go back.

        1. I may actually order a brush from QED for a gift. They look like they are well made and reviews are good. I checked out shipping on a brush and a couple other products and it wasn’t so bad. And the products I am interested in are about 2 dollars cheaper each at QED than on other sites. Shavemac shipping is about 20$ to my location just for a brush. QED was half that much for a brush and other items.

      2. “The only returns we accept are defective product or incorrect product that QED inadvertently sent to you. We will not accept the return of a product because the scent is not the scent preferred. Merchandise returns must be pre-authorized by our customer service department. To obtain a return authorization number email us providing all of the pertinent details including: order number and date. Incorrect merchandise must be returned unused and in original unopened packaging. You will receive a reply email including a return authorization number and shipping address. Returned merchandise must be accompanied by the original packing slip. You may want to make a copy of it for your records. Make sure the parcel is insured, as we are not responsible for damaged, lost, or misdirected parcels. Safe, timely arrival of your returned merchandise at our shipping center is your responsibility.
        Should QED allow the return of a product that is not defective nor incorrect product that QED inadvertly sent to you, a 15% restocking fee (minimum $10.00) will be assessed to help defray administrative and handling costs.”

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