Thread: Importance of the brush

What difference does a good brush make? Do you get a better lather from a badger brush than a boar bristle? Anything helps.

i think it's all personal preference.. i generally prefer a small scrubby brush.. but i get different results depending on the soap or cream i am using.. i have one boar brush that gets used frequently with soaps when i face lather.. or if i'm making a super lather i'll use a larger pure badger.. and if i'm face lathering a cream i'll use my simpson wee scot which is made of best badger.

essentially there are many variables.

hope i made sense.

It's funny. I asked the exact same question on here a while ago and I got very different responses. Some still use the $7.00 brush from Walgreens and others spend hundreds on their brushes. I have to say that I did notice a difference in my lather when I switched brushes. Read this thread:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/brush...ew-lather.html

YMMV, but from my limited experience, my brush upgrade improved my lather and my overall shave experience. A well crafted brush just feels good.

For at least 25 years I used the crap drug store brushes. Each lasted 3-5 years till they became unusable because of so many hairs falling out. It wasn't until I joined SRP that I even heard about a badger hair brush. I got one of the $35 Crabtree & Evelynn badger hair brushes made by Edwin Jagger. I was shocked at how much of an improvement I had in my lathering.

So, in my experience I definitely did get a better lather with my badger hair brush than I ever got from my boar bristle brushes.

Originally Posted by Utopian

For at least 25 years I used the crap drug store razors. Each lasted 3-5 years till they became unusable because of so many hairs falling out. It wasn't until I joined SRP that I even heard about a badger hair brush. I got one of the $35 Crabtree & Evelynn badger hair brushes made by Edwin Jagger. I was shocked at how much of an improvement I had in my lathering.

So, in my experience I definitely did get a better lather with my badger hair brush than I ever got from my boar bristle brushes.

Ditto...My shaving experience, especially my lathering improved considerably when I invested in a decent badger brush. The same is most likey true with respect to boar hair brushes as well. Neither badger nor boar hair brushes need be overly expensive to help you create good lather, though.

Like Ron/Utopian I too used the cheapie boar brushes, they aren't bad, but there are better alternatives. From the cheapie boar I moved up a half notch to the tweezerman badger, a world of difference!

Hello, Scarey:

I fully concur with these learned gentlemen.

Making luxurious lather is an art onto itself. A good brush can help by holding ample water and subsequently soap or cream. In general, you have a choice of four different hairs in a brush: badger, boar, horse, and also synthetic.

Badger brushes are the most popular, although some gentlemen swear by boar brushes. In many respects, it's a matter of taste. Badger brushes come in four general grades in the following order of softness: pure, best, super and silver tip. Some brands lump best and super together. The coarsest is pure and the softest is silver tip.

For starters, I suggest buying a pure badger. I like Edwin Jagger for starter brushes. You can get a 22 mm. brush for around $30. There are many other brands, of course, and the other gentlemen have mentioned some of them.

So, yes, a good brush is important.

Regards,
Obie

My first brush was a Van der Hagen boar bristle (local drugstore). I used it 20-some-odd years ago face lathering with William's shaving soap. after about ten years, it fell apart. I bought a second one and a third one but they just would not make lather.

That was the only brush that drugstores carried, so I went online and found someone who sold a variety of brushes (I think it was Em's Place). After much deliberation I purchased the cheapest silver tip badger brush and stand in their line. "Cheap" being a relative term, given that I paid about $70.00 for the set. That was a far cry (and an act of faith) from the $7.00 drugstore brush.

The difference in making lather between the drugstore boar bristle and the silver tip badger brush was nothing short of amazing. I've used it daily for eleven years now and I'm still a happy camper.

Keep in mind my experience is with the cheapest mass produced boar's bristle brush on the market. There are members here who love and swear by their quality boar's bristle. For my money, though, when it comes time to replace my current brush, I'm buying another silver tip badger. And this time I will spend the money to get one with a large knot and a long handle.

Whatever direction you go, make certain that you purchase a stand with your brush. Being able to hang your brush up with the bristles pointing down gives the knot the best opportunity to dry between uses. And IME, that contributes toward longevity.
Namaste,
Morty -_-

Thank you all for you wisdom on this subject. I am currently using the $7.00 VDH brush i bought from the local drug store. While i get a very nice lather using Tabac, i can't help but wonder (because i am new) if my lathering experience can be better. I have been SR shaving for a week now and i have gotten the two best shaves of my life in the past two days(first two shaves were very painful experiences). When i woke up this morning parts of my face were still smooth from my shave yesterday. I shaved anyway and what very little hair was there is now gone with next to no irritation. The collected wisdom and experience of the users on this site is a great help to me.

Originally Posted by scarey

Thank you all for you wisdom on this subject. I am currently using the $7.00 VDH brush i bought from the local drug store. While i get a very nice lather using Tabac, i can't help but wonder (because i am new) if my lathering experience can be better. I have been SR shaving for a week now and i have gotten the two best shaves of my life in the past two days(first two shaves were very painful experiences). When i woke up this morning parts of my face were still smooth from my shave yesterday. I shaved anyway and what very little hair was there is now gone with next to no irritation. The collected wisdom and experience of the users on this site is a great help to me.

scarey,

Good for you...I think your face has adjusted to the traditional new technology you are using to shave with and your shaving technique has improved too. Your experience will only get better and better.