Thread: Fine Badger???

So im thinking of getting the Muhle shaving Fine Badger and in my research im not sure where the Fine Badger fits in the spectrum of quality?

According to Muhle website there Fine Badger falls between there Pure and Silvertip badger. Will all Fine Badger fall in that area of quality?

I do have a Omega pure badger and recently got a Semogue Slivertip (which still needs to be broken in). Is it worth the time and money to invest in the Muhle Fine Badger? To tell the truth the design of the brush i really like. But i dont want to spend alot of money on the design of a brush.

There are no standards for badger grading. Everyone just calls it the way the want so a finest with one outfit can be nothing like finest with another. You just need to know what the one you are interested is like and possibly a current or former owner will chime in to give you an opinion on this.

I have quite a few silvertip badgers and also one finest badger and one pure badger. I like something about each one but they are all different. If I had to keep just one it would probably be the finest because I like the fact that it is slightly more stiff than the silvertips. However I set the knot a little deeper also

As far as I know there is black badger hair (for make-up brushes), grey badger hair and silvertip badger hair. Of course the individual knots and hairs are not uniform, as they are a natural "product" and manufacturers' influence can be quite substantial. How the knot is formed, how and if its combed, bleached, cut to size, etc. can all have an influence on how the knot behaves. Backbone, for instance, depends not only on the stiffness of the hair, but also on the density of the knot (i.e. number of hairs) and how deep it is set. "Two band" is a slight misnomer, as it is really just a three band consisting of three band hairs that are set in the handle in a way that only the top two bands protrude.

So I would think that manufacturers' individual classification such as finest, best, super and whatnot are more determined by the manufacturing process than the actual hair used. At least I would hope so, otherwise in the best case scenario the manufacturer eyeballs and categorises (strains of) rather uniform (looking) hair; worst case scenario is that these classifications would be relatively arbitrary and more of a sales gimmick than anything else.

For instance if a Plisson High Mountain White knot would not be made from the hair of a badger that lives at certain elevation levels in certain areas than it would not be anything more than a sales gimmick. As this classifications is not part of any standardised system of classification, I will have to take their word for it.

MÜHLE Shaving Culture | Shaving brush from MÜHLE, pure badger, handle material high-grade resin black | purchase online

so would any of you guys think of buying this, this is the brush im looking at to buy.

thanks for all the reply and opinions.

Originally Posted by Riaanrab

so would any of you guys think of buying this, this is the brush im looking at to buy.

It is impossible to know which brush another person may like. Looking at that brush I see it has a 21mm knot and a relatively short loft. I would like that for soaps, but it is a bit short and thin for creams IME.

The only pure badger I have is a Shavemac I bought out of the classifieds for $50 bucks. I wouldn't take three times that for it. It is the same size as the brush you are looking at, delightfully scritchy, and generates plenty of lather. I've had it for maybe 5 years and it has never shed a hair.

Chances are Muhle doesn't make the brushes, but has another maker with their own name on the handle. Might even be a Shavemac. I would say, if the price is right, give it a try. If it is anything like mine it will be a great brush.

So as said, this brush is not a top of the line brush. Brush performance and price rarely go hand in hand.

I own, probably a couple hundred brushes, most vintage. And as well said, brush performance is as personal as blade grind, point and maker.

Do not overlook inexpensive brushes, Semoque makes a great brush, I love their boar brushes, you can buy, for as low as $10. Boar makes a great lather and last forever, I have and still use one, I bought over 40 years ago. Don’t overlook it.

Really you only need one brush. I doubt that Muhle will perform any better than your Semoque badger.
If you want a really good brush, bite the bullet, buy a good custom, (way more bang for the buck, and we have several custom makers on this forum), or buy a quality brand name brush, Simpson, Rooney, Kent, Jagger, Parker, Vulfix.

Everyone should own a least one Simpson, or Rooney, or Kent, or…

Brushes make great gifts, I tell my kids, buy me a good brush… I have plenty of socks….

Enjoy the journey

In theory there are standard grades. Pure is the dark stuff very prickly, and best is the bargain grade between pure and silvertip but way closer to silvertip and of course there is silvertip and then two band which is a variation of silvertip which isn't available anymore. Plisson has their own top end stuff the HMW.

The problem is many makers and retailers play fast and loose with these categories and classify their brushes as they wish.

Thanks guys.

Think i will go the shop where they sell this brush and have look and feel first before i decide on spending money on a brush that might be close to a pure badger.

Originally Posted by Riaanrab

Thanks guys.

Think i will go the shop where they sell this brush and have look and feel first before i decide on spending money on a brush that might be close to a pure badger.

Even that can be tricky because some brushes feel very different when wet in use to their dry state. Going to the store that sells them is still a nice option though.

Bob