Mail Call! My Custom PantaRei Shaving Brush

Now this! This is the mail call I have been waiting for by the mailbox, for at least a month. The wait was well worth it! 

A bit of back story on the brush. I have seen loads of shaving review videos on YouTube, who have had the great pleasure of using a PantaRei Shaving brush or bowl. They are, to all intents and purposes, made to an extreme quality and are exquisite in detail. Panta Rei brushes are made in Sicily, and are the real deal when it comes to the artisan wet shaving community.

Whether it be the amazing hand-made knots, or the beautiful large sized ceramic handles, that by the way, are detailed exquisitely with hand-painted images of your choice, the people at PantaRei do an amazing job! 

The Initial Design

Initially, I had trouble coming up with a design for my brush. I looked at some of the designs on PantaRei's Facebook page, and I was inspired by the designs that they have painted. Alessandro, one of the very talented artists there, was extremely helpful to me and helped me with the dimensions of the design.

Communication with Alessandro was made so easy by way of Facebook Messenger, with amazingly prompt responses within the first 10 minutes of contact.

The aim of this brush overall was for the brush handle design to reflect something of my personality, my love for Batman, with a bit of humour. The design I came up with reflects that. 

I then set about rendering the image in a photo editor, and what is then got was something really colourful, and reflective of where it is being made in Sicily. Vibrant colours, fresh full of life. Something that I love to feel during my shaves, bright and light. 

The knot was also a really important decision, and after some discussion with Alessandro, I chose the more popular Manchurian Badger hair knot. It is thick, plush, and something that is also reflective of the resources PantaRei has at their disposal. 

Ultimately,  the people at PantaRei took what I drew and rendered, and then set about hand painting it. He was great to deal with, and made the transaction a very pleasant one. 

The Delivery and Unboxing

One fine Autumn's day, I get home from work and what do I see? A package from PantaRei, Sicily! I immediately rushed through the door, and started unboxing it!

Please see my video here, which shows you the unboxing in it's full glory!

The Verdict

Well, well, well. What can I say? The final product is breathtaking. An amazing feat, and something that I am so proud to call my own. Absolutely fantastic work by the people at PantaRei.

The colours say it all, vibrant and fresh, with my design reflected nice and clearly. That human element in it's final design is evident, and I love it. It is as truly an artisan brush as you can get. I mean, look at the human element to the labelling of where it is actually made, below.

The knot is also perfect. It is nice and firm, bounces back when you comb your fingers or palm through it, and is absolutely full. All bristles hold a beautiful shape and formation, and the knot is huge. Please see the knot in its full glory here.

A great plush size. I can see this thing just whipping up the lather of all lathers. The smell of the knot is great, as it has been sanitised. whist keeping a natural scent that is reminiscent of the purest of badger hair.

Overall, I am absolutely stoked and extremely happy with this custom made PantaRei Brush. I absolutely loved dealing with the people there, be it online. It felt like they were in the house next door, which is rare these days with online sales, especially from this far away (Melbourne, Australia to Sicily, Italy). The design and quality of product is excellent, and it has exceeded my expectations.

Bravo, PantaRei! I will definitely be a repeat customer.