Kudos to Kent

[kbuzbee]

As many of you know Michael and Vanessa worked out a killer deal for us to close out 2007. I waffled on it for a while but, after Christmas, decided to pull the trigger on a BLK12. I've never tried a Kent brush but I liked what I'd read about using it with soap and bigger is pretty much always better to me so the BLK12 was a natural fit.

I placed the order but mistakenly put the code in the comments rather than the promotion field (honestly, didn't even see the promotion field tucked away over on the left). Kent was (if I understand correctly) shut down between Christmas and New Years but the order system sucked the full price out of my account immediately. On Michael's recommendation, I sent Vanessa a note explaining my stupidity and asked for her assistance. She responded after they returned in 2008 and today, I am pleased to tell you, today the 20% off was put gently back into my account.

So, for outstanding customer service and fixing my mistakes - Kudos to Kent!

Now, to wait for the brush!

Ken

[Queen of Blades]

Very cool!

I expected nothing less. ::

Excellent customer service!

[Bronco]

Congrats Ken! Appreciation to Kent, now start marking your calendar! :D

[IsaacRN]

Very nice....gonna need to see some pictures of that bad boy

[SSLSTudio...]

BLK12 .. WOW you can use that sucker to wash your car too ... Gigantic ! ::

[kbuzbee]

BLK12 .. WOW you can use that sucker to wash your car too ... Gigantic ! ::

Well, at well over 300 pounds (that's 140+ Kg for our European friends) my face is bigger than most folks cars:rofl !

I can't wait to give this a go.... I'm expecting a totally different feel from my XXL Shavemac. A nice change.

Ken

[kbuzbee]

Very nice....gonna need to see some pictures of that bad boy

Thanks!! I plan to take one comparing it to the 227 Shavemac.

waiting.... waiting.... waiting...

Ken

[Sejanus]

Nice deal! That is going to be one HUGE brush! :eek:

[TOB9595]

YES!!!
Waiting is such a pain in..I'm awaiting some Kent cream..So I know :)
I wish you all the best with the BLK12.
I have a BK 8 and love the luxuriousness of it...Whew..spelling?
Please do post some pics comparing the sizes of your other brushes to this.
I can't quite picture it in my head compared to the BK8..
And the black will be WONDERFUL!
Tom

[Michael]

Yeah, post the pic next to the Wee Scot. :cool:

[drP]

I'm ashamed to say, but i returned my BLK12 last week...on second thought two BK12 should suffice....
Now i'm awaiting the availability of the H12; since it has best badger i'm curious how Kent's best wil hold up against Simpsons best...

[kbuzbee]

So the BLK12 arrived the other day. Beautiful! Others have shown the wonderful packaging Kent brushes come in. I can tell you one thing. It isn't EASILY going back into that tube.

Prior to this, my "go to" had been a Shavemac 227 XXL Silvertip. The 227 is a pretty large brush. It has a dense loft and lathers anything instantly. I knew the Kent had some tough competition.

Comparison:

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/kbuzbee/twobrushes.jpg

The 227 is large (30 mm knot) the BLK12 is even bigger (32 mm knot) but the BLK12 blooms MUCH more making the overall size difference even more pronounced. Not a problem as I like a big brush but I think I've found the upper limit, for me.:D

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/kbuzbee/twobrushes2.jpg

The 227 is pretty dense and has nice backbone, to my experience. I expected the BLK12 to be less dense and, it may be, but it still has plenty of backbone. After bloom it still has nice density. Again, slightly less than the 227 but nice.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/kbuzbee/bloom.jpg

The 227 is baby soft on my face. I expected the BLK12 to be even softer. I don't think it is. In fact, it is just a touch more scratchy. Not SCRATCHY, just more than the Shavemac.... That really surprised me.

The 227 is heavy (6.5 oz). The Kent is noticeably lighter (4.3 oz). While I like the heavy feel of the Shavemac, the lighter weight makes the BLK12 feel more responsive.

The 227's handle is thick and solid. I find myself gripping it a bit tight. The handle on the Kent is a dream to hold. It finds the perfect place in my hand and allows perfect control.

As mentioned, the 227 lathers well and quickly. I pretty much only use triple milled soaps and it makes getting great lather totally effortless. It holds a ton of water. I never think about the differences between various soaps. They all turn to lather in 4-6 swirls (I presoak the brush but never the soap, since I've been using it. The Kent is almost as good. It takes a few more swirls but the lather is just as good and, like the Shavemac, it handles every soap equally well.

Bottom line, I'm really glad I got the BLK12. It's going to be a regular in my rotation. I like the weight and the handle better than the 227 but I like the knot on the 227 a bit better. Both feel great on my face but the 227 feels just a touch better. I use my brushes in what I consider a more traditional style. I use just the tips of the loft lightly on the soap AND on my face. I don't do any real "scrubbing" with them. Both these brushes excel being used this way. These brushes are both very luxurious and I would highly recommend either brush to anyone who likes a large brush.

Ken

[mastermute]

Great review!
It makes me want a Shavemac 227 XXL Silvertip!
I bet the Kent is a good brush too, but from that superb side-by-side comparison the Shavemac seems like the brush I'd like.

[TOB9595]

The comparison of the brushes are VERY well done!

I received my Kent soap and cream. The cream came in busted up a bit. Poor packaging. They are sending a replacement cream.

I would love to feel a BLK12 on my face.
Tom