A few months ago I was browsing through the listings of Napa Soap company, and noticed that they had a "black fiber" brush. http://www.napasoap.com/napa-soap-shaving-brush-black-fiber/ I wrote and asked about it, and they confirmed that it was made for them by Mühle. I was definitely interested because I have two Mühle black fiber brushes and I like them. Here is the brush I received. Clearly a Mühle black fiber knot with a nicely shaped and attractive wood handle. I think the wood is beech. The knot is clearly the Mühle V2 black fiber, which is denser and has more backbone than the very soft V1 knot. Both knots are good, but I do favor the softer V1 knot. I was concerned about the durability of the finish on the wooden handle, which appeared to be a thin coat of an oil with a light stain color. I decided to finish the wood with Tru-Oil linseed oil varnish, which I used recently on my Bethlehem olive wood handle. After three coats of the varnish and some buffing with 0000 steel wool, here is the result. I like how it looks, and I hope it will be very durable. Here is a black fiber family portrait. From left to right, Mühle hjm V1, Napa Soap V2, and Mühle VIVO V2.
Very nice looking brush. I hope it will bring you many rich and creamy lathers. Love the handle design. Would love to see the same design on a plastic handle.
I agree, the handle is a good shape. It gives a good grip while face lathering. The Mühle VIVO has a striking handle design to look at, but it is not well balanced, very bottom heavy, and is not always easy to hold when slippery. The two brushes have the same knot, but the handles make a big difference in price. The Napa brush sells for $18, while the VIVO averages $60-$75.
Very beautiful brush ! Base knot diameter is ? I have a too Muhle Black Fibre V2 21mm although a 24mm would be great.
Is it hard to splay? I have a Muhler Silvertip Fibre and I find it too springy and I can't get it to splay for face lathering. I have to bowl lather with it, which is fine for home use, but I like to face lather when I travel.
