Shaving Brush

[ideatev]

I understand Silvertip Badger brushes are the best, but I see a wide variety in price for what looks like similar brushes. I note on ebay that Silvertips are listed "buy now" from China for $13. Other online sources have silvertips for over $100. What's the difference? I can see price variation for special wood handles, but not otherwise.

[DPflaumer]

It mostly has to do with the handle, quality of the hair, and, like everything else, brand name. Personally, I like my Pure Badger brush and my Boar brush. They all get the job done.

[ndw76]

As far as I'm aware most of the badger hair knots come from China. Then the cheap brushes are constructed in China. It should do the job but you get what you pay for. Then the expensive brushes us knots from China, and other places, but their construction should be far superior. Of course you can buy a restored brush from the classifieds here.

[DPflaumer]

It really is up to the user though in terms of "best". Silvertip brushes are certainly the most expensive (although restored ones can often be had for around $40). Some users, particularly those that use soap rather than cream, can find them too floppy. Likewise, face latherers tend to prefer stiffer brushes since they aren't swirling it around a bowl and need that extra strength to whip up lather on their faces. There is even a group here devoted to boar brushes. I loved my first one (the cheap van der Hagen one from CVS), and I just bought an Omega to augment my EJ Pure Badger.

Badger hair does, for the most part, come from china. As far as I can tell, the issues with the cheap brush fall into 1 of 2 catagories

Knot: The hairs are trimmed into shape, rather than hand filled, or the knot is set at an angle, or the base is uneven causing a large number of hairs to fall out or "shed"

Handle: Poor materials or more often, poor craftsmanship. Examples include unsanded (or only roughly sanded) wooden handles, pitted plastics, a lack of any sort of waterproof finish, things of that nature.

I suppose you get what you pay for, but I don't (at least right now) see the point in paying $100+ on a brush when I get such great results from a brush costing 1/4 of that.

[BHChieftain]

My starter set included a moderately priced "Pure Badger" brush-- it works great on my soap puck and I have no desire to use anything else,

-Chieff

[Tuxedo7]

There's a pretty nice "Parker" silvertip badger with a polished or chrome-like handle for under $60. I have one of these and have been pleased. I also have the Dovo satin silvertip that is a little more "lush", but the price has gone up to around $110 ... I think I paid $89 not too long ago.