Rooney Finests

Well, it turned out on closer inspection yesterday that one of the new brushes is actually a Morris & Forndran Emillion 3 Finest that the seller included.  So there were just 19 of the Rooneys.  He also tossed in a real horn Rooney Stubby 1 Super and a strange old wooden-handled Rooney boar brush.  If anyone can provide information about the boar one I would appreciate it.




Two of my favorites among the new brushes are Emillions, one a tiger stripe.


The other is a two-tone ivory and jade.


I got three Style ones, a Size 1 and a couple Size 2.


And a couple Style 2 Faux Horns.


Three Style 3.


Four Stubbies and a 3XL.


Two Polos and a Beehive.


And three Emillions.


So here is a group picture of the new Finests together.


Finally, a group picture of all 39 of my Rooney Finests.

John, what type of knot is this? I have tried a couple of the nicer Rooney 3 bands but many of the super knots are subpar in my opinion. Most of the ones I shaved with were what I think was generic grade badger that was treated and/or wasn't sorted well.

This looks like a fine specimen for a brush!

John, what type of knot is this? I have tried a couple of the nicer Rooney 3 bands but many of the super knots are subpar in my opinion. Most of the ones I shaved with were what I think was generic grade badger that was treated and/or wasn't sorted well.

This looks like a fine specimen for a brush!

I don't really know. I bought it used but have not tried it myself. I can't imagine them putting a subpar knot in a genuine horn handle.

John, what type of knot is this? I have tried a couple of the nicer Rooney 3 bands but many of the super knots are subpar in my opinion. Most of the ones I shaved with were what I think was generic grade badger that was treated and/or wasn't sorted well.

This looks like a fine specimen for a brush!

I don't really know.  I bought it used but have not tried it myself.  I can't imagine them putting a subpar knot in a genuine horn handle.

My thoughts as well. Some of the Rooney's I would be referring to would be the cheaper options available through Classic Shaving years ago.

I am sure someone will thoroughly enjoy once it is sold.

John, what type of knot is this? I have tried a couple of the nicer Rooney 3 bands but many of the super knots are subpar in my opinion. Most of the ones I shaved with were what I think was generic grade badger that was treated and/or wasn't sorted well.

This looks like a fine specimen for a brush!

I don't really know.  I bought it used but have not tried it myself.  I can't imagine them putting a subpar knot in a genuine horn handle.

My thoughts as well. Some of the Rooney's I would be referring to would be the cheaper options available through Classic Shaving years ago.

I am sure someone will thoroughly enjoy once it is sold.

I've got the black horn version of this brush. It's the high quality original Heritage 3-band hair. Very soft tips, high density and atomic bloom.

I don't really know.  I bought it used but have not tried it myself.  I can't imagine them putting a subpar knot in a genuine horn handle.

My thoughts as well. Some of the Rooney's I would be referring to would be the cheaper options available through Classic Shaving years ago.

I am sure someone will thoroughly enjoy once it is sold.

I've got the black horn version of this brush. It's the high quality original Heritage 3-band hair. Very soft tips, high density and atomic bloom.

Thanks for the information, Rob.

I have written to Lee Sabini asking for information on the strange little boar brush, but I doubt that I will hear back from him.

The fellow who sold me the new Finests has told me that the brushes in this image are a Stubby 1, Stubby 2, Stubby 3, Stubby 3XL, and Stubby 3XXL. The XL with two rings apparently was custom ordered.

I received an interesting message from Brad Sears. He talked to Lee Sabini on the telephone about the wood-handled boar brush in the earlier images. According to Lee, Basil Rooney, Mrs. Rooney's brother-in-law, was an RAF Spitfire pilot. He was instrumental in getting the Rooney factory to make a number of inexpensive wooden brushes for sale to British soldiers and sailors in 1941-42. Beginning in 1943, Rooney was able to switch from wood to plastic for their Army/Navy brushes. Basil apparently was quite a character, sporting the archetypal handlebar mustache, Brycreamed, slicked-back hair, etc.

Well that is pretty darn cool. That brush may even have gone up in a Spit on a repositioning flight - you'd want to make sure you had your shaving kit in your new quarters wouldn't you?