Thread: Whipped dog 24mm HMW Badger opinions.

First off, I don't have any Whipped Dog brushes so I cannot give you an exact reply.

As others have stated, HMW, MW (Manchurian) and the like terms are just the made up and used by different manufacturers. As far as Larry's brushes go, it appears his HMW is what some others would call 2 band silver tip. 2 band silver tip hair has more *backbone* than the 3 band silver tip and so it is not as necessary to set it deeper in the handle. The tips should be as soft or even softer than the 3 band silver tip, but the shafts of the hair are stiffer, giving you a firm but soft feel.

For the money you paid for a 24mm brush from Whipped Dog, there is nothing to second guess. Just relax and enjoy when it arrives.


I spent almost $300 on a Rooney, it's a wonderful brush but I almost never use it.....<sigh> I much prefer my lower cost brushes that I can abuse without worry.


Regards

Christian aka

Kaptain "I may have to order one of those brushes myself...." Zero

mine have not shed. There is a failure rate though and a percentage of cheap brushes will shed. The cheaper the knot the higher the percentage. On the scale of brushes I cannot answer because I have only sampled the bottom 2/3 of the scale as far as I can tell.

When I first started using a brush I bought a bunch of custom made brushes and they were the cat's meow in the looks department and they all had big overstuffed knots of 3 band badger. They were also the floppiest brushes out there and I sold them all. I have several of the "real" two banders which you can't get anymore and some Manchurians which come close.

I agree you get what you pay for.

Buying any badger knot brush no matter the price point is a bit of a crap shoot. Generally the more you pay the less possibility that you will get a shedder but it is still there. Then like everyone has been saying every maker calls badger knots by different names making comparisons difficult.

Even if you get a 3 band silver tip it can vary from one maker to another on how it feels lathering. I have 2 three band silver tip brushes from different makers. The are close in size and loft. One which is bulb shaped has very soft tips and not so much backbone and the other which is fan shaped has tips that are not as soft but it has good backbone. Both work fine but I prefer the second one. Both shed the occasional hair also.

The 3 band with not so soft tips and good backbone has as much backbone as my Manchurian 2 band an shaped brush but the tips on the Manchurian feel softer.

With even just a little luck the brush you ordered should turn out to be serviceable and very likely have a face feel while lathering that you like.

Bob

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

I spent almost $300 on a Rooney, it's a wonderful brush but I almost never use it.....<sigh>

Where is the fun in that?
For me cheap brushes basically are not worth looking at with rare exceptions when a particular knot is made well actually.
I decided I am going all in on higher brushes and they perform and are pleasure to use. If you take proper care of your brush and especially if you rotate it will last for decades.

Originally Posted by RezDog

I have never had a chance to try a high end knot. At some point I hope I get a chance. I do have some brushes that have more expensive knots than larry's and they seem to be quite a bit nicer, I have no idea what lies above but I would like to find out!

Shaun you've got to get yourself a nice expensive brush. I got a thater.. man I love my Boar brush I do.. but my plexiglass handle 28mm thater is just unreal. I would take my thater over a whipped dog any day especially since Robin pointed out he probably gets his knots for under $10. I see no joy in that and would rather use my Boar.

Perhaps I am more utilitarian, but I have never seen spending crazy money on a brush. I am very happy with my WD HMW brush. Is it luxurious as if sent from heaven, nah, not even close. But, it only sheds two or three hairs now and then, lathers great, and feels great on the face.

Not to mention, Larry is a good guy and his brush prices are very reasonable.

I have a HMW brush from Larry.... No issues with it. I can't see spending alot of money on a brush. I've never owned a high end badger brush. I'm sure all the brush companies get there goods from China. Buy 10k of em and only use 100 out of the bunch to meet their standards. Resell the ones they don't use.......lol

Originally Posted by Willisf

I have a HMW brush from Larry.... No issues with it. I can't see spending alot of money on a brush. I've never owned a high end badger brush. I'm sure all the brush companies get there goods from China. Buy 10k of em and only use 100 out of the bunch to meet their standards. Resell the ones they don't use.......lol

That statement shows that you should do some research.
Thater, Shavemac, Simpsons, Vie Long, Varlet, Wiborg, all make their own knots in house.
Get 10 That er knots of the same size and they will look the same and feel the same, get 10 TGN knots of the same kind and you will find out they are not quite identical in construction or feel. High end brushes cost more for a reason.

I think the question, "Why do I shave with a cut-throat razor" should be asked. My answer: "I like nostalgia." And part of that nostalgia is craftsmanship. They simply do not make things like vintage razors any more. Whenever I see a modern razor with a matt finish, I cannot help but think of the old craftsman who told me, "We had to learn matt finishing for four years." Yes, years. Which is why each time someone kills one of them in order to put a "shiny mirror finish" on a razor, I cringe inwardly.

So I could be driving a Landwind X7. It looks like a well known luxury SUV, and it will get you from A to B (probably, possibly). Same with Chinese import brushes, or knots. They may look like the real deal. But they are not. "High Mountain White" made in China is not the same as silvertip made in England, Germany, or Italy. Machine made is not the same as hand made.

Personally, I would much rather use a Frank Shaving synthetic (also China made, mind you) than one of these dubious looking "whiter than white" knots. At that price (taobao or alibaba, not US retailers with a 100-500% markup), it is not economically feasible that someone in China hand picked identical hairs to achieve that uniform look. There is a reason why Thäter brushes - which excel in the uniformity department - cost a bit more.