Previously, I was using a boar brush and a cake of soap that I just bought in the organic section of the grocery store. It was round so it fit into my mug and I liked the smell (almond). In the absence of any other criteria, you go with what you have.

My lather was OK. Not spectacular but ok. It suited the purpose. then I bought a badger brush and some Col. Conk's. I wanted to see what the badger felt like so I bought the cheapest I could find. I know it doesn't compare to a silvertip, but I'd read that the jump from boar to badger is much bigger than the jump from the lowest grade to the highest grades of badger.

Wow. Big difference. Big fat lather all over the place and the badger brush holds gobs of it.