Thread: first brush

I've been doing pretty well with my six straights, a nice strop and a waterstone, and nagura stone for slurry, but don't have a brush yet. Did a little research a while back and Shave Mac brushes seem to be in high regard. Not a clue about size and handle selection though. I could use some suggestions. Is 24mm a popular size?

24mm is a popular size, Brush selection, size, knot, loft is really personal preference and what your going to primarily use if for, I.E. Soaps or Creams, or both...
Some brushes are better for creams, and other's soaps. Lot's of guys have several brushes. I have 3 myself, A Thather, A Rooney and a Simpson. All are good, but I lean towards the Simpson. It's a good all around brush. It's a PJ2. I like the feel and it has just the right amount of firmness, Also, It's not a lather hog, like my Rooney which just eats shave cream.....

My Thather, while a great brush, is a little limp, not as firm as I'd like. Now most Thather owner's say the opposite, so mine may be the exception, rather than the rule.....

I've been using the same brush for 20 years, with all different kinds of razors. It is so worn that it's impossible to tell what brand it is. My wife got me an AoS brush for Christmas, but I've been too lazy to use it. As old and used as my brush is, it seems to get the job done.

That's not much help, I know, but I think I just told you everything I know about brushes.

Whatever the case, welcome to the forum!

Hey there,

Get on Ebay and do a search for Frank Shaving. The main seller is Ian Tang from China. There are a few retailers in the US, but I still prefer to deal directly with Ian. He has a range of brushes, loft length, and knot size. I own his Silvertip short knot, and I love it.

Don't be confused by the price, he's very affordable.

I'd give it a look if I was you.

michaelcassani,

Like a lot of things in shaving, brush choice is a very personal decision.

There are quite a number of factors to be taken into account, excluding the price.

Would you like a soft brush, scrubby brush ? Large brush, small brush (knot size & loft) etc, etc.

As a gross generalisation, a brush with 22 - 24 mm knot and with ca 40 -60 mm loft would be a good place to start.

For me, I have had great service and really enjoy my Kent BK4 Silver-Tip, and my Simpsons X2L Colonel in Best (great for face lathering !).

A lot of people here at SRP think the BK4 is too floppy - I don't agree !!

Good luck in your search

Have fun !

best regards

Russ

i think it's important to put your time in with brushes.. i lathered williams with a van der hagen brush for years before i started to become interested in wetshaving..

to me.. buying a high end silvertip as your first brush is the same as buying your 15 year old son a ferrari as their first car..

i'd suggest at $15 tweezerman as a first brush.. then maybe you can try a nice best badger from simpson.. then maybe try out a silvertip..

oh.. and don't forget to try out the boars as well.. plenty of decent boar brushes out there for less then $20.

Originally Posted by Maxi

Hey there,

Get on Ebay and do a search for Frank Shaving. The main seller is Ian Tang from China. There are a few retailers in the US, but I still prefer to deal directly with Ian. He has a range of brushes, loft length, and knot size. I own his Silvertip short knot, and I love it.

Don't be confused by the price, he's very affordable.

I'd give it a look if I was you.

Thanks. I'll search for this vendor.

Originally Posted by Maxi

Hey there,

Get on Ebay and do a search for Frank Shaving. The main seller is Ian Tang from China. There are a few retailers in the US, but I still prefer to deal directly with Ian. He has a range of brushes, loft length, and knot size. I own his Silvertip short knot, and I love it.

Don't be confused by the price, he's very affordable.

I'd give it a look if I was you.

Thanks, i found Ian Tang on ebay and he has one for $36.oo and quite a few for around $22.00.

Great!

Yes, Ian now has a wide range of brush and handle selections. If you want to read further, Real shaving using double edged safety razors and brushed on lather — BruceOnShaving.com has done a number of reviews.

I own the FS silvertip, but I'm told that the "Finest" are also incredible, and they are more affordable as well. Good luck with your selection.