Thread: Brushes

Now I started wet shaving a couple of years ago. Did a bit of reading and decided on this brush
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/160770437381

I actually liked it so much that I got another one from the store (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/160953562272 ) however I feel a little bit meh about it, yet to work out how to build up lather with it properly.

Lately though I have been wondering if there are even better brushes out there And how much better? The grass is greener and all that. So, if you ever tried these how do you rank them? What would you recommend as an upgrade.

Seems you like those and they are doing the job for you. You could save yourself a lot of time and money by not going down the I wonder path, believe me. Of course that is too sensible an approach for most of us.

What exactly do you find meh about them and what characteristics do you like in a brush? Knowing that might give others a better idea of what to recommend in an improvement over what you now have.

Bob

When I first got on SRP I always admired that the old timers on here didn't fawn over all the latest and greatest brushes or the "posh" ones. Many of the other forums were filled with the brush sycophants while SRP focused on the straight razor and stones. My simple Omega does just as good as my HMW Plisson. Do more with less in my opinion. A well broken in boar is truly hard to beat.

Might also be interesting to know what characteristics you don't like. For example, one thing I don't like about silvertip badgers is how much bloom they have.

As mentioned above, opening up the Pandora's box of brush acquisition is a risky process, so if you're happy with your first brush just stay with it. If you want to try something different, then maybe a boar or a horse knot by way of comparison. These, at least, would not be very pricey, whereas topflight silvertips easily move into $$$USD territory.

A relatively cheap brush can be quite versatile. And it doesn't have to be all that large. Lately, I've been using a ~21mm x ~53mm Vie-Long horse-badger knot for just about everything but face-lathering. For face lathering, I prefer a small Simpsons best or super badger, or a small synth knot.

If you want a really nice and cheap badger brush in the future, let me suggest Stirling Shave Co.

They are known for their synthetics, but he realeased a badger that was amazing and he is fixing to release a new batch in the near future including a 26mm.

Brushes are a very personal choice to me. What works for some, doesn't work for others. One thing I have learned is that price doesn't equate to quality.

I have over 100 brushes, from very expensive to relatively cheap, is all about performance and what you like.

One of the things with silver badger brushes is loft and density of the knot makes up a lot of the brushes performance. Given a reasonably dense knot how high or low it is set will dictate how much backbone the brush will have. I have reset the knot on some of my brushes finding the sweet spot. I like soft brushes with a lot of backbone, so I set mine fairly low. If your cheap brush is too floppy you can try to set it with a little lower loft.

Here's a link to read & there are others throughout the "Library" that deal with brushes & lathering.

Brush Observations - Straight Razor Place Library

Originally Posted by hrfdez

If you want a really nice and cheap badger brush in the future, let me suggest Stirling Shave Co.

They are known for their synthetics, but he realeased a badger that was amazing and he is fixing to release a new batch in the near future including a 26mm.

Brushes are a very personal choice to me. What works for some, doesn't work for others. One thing I have learned is that price doesn't equate to quality.

I have over 100 brushes, from very expensive to relatively cheap, is all about performance and what you like.

By the power vested in me I officially appoint you "The SRP Shave brush Stockpiler" You should meet Dr P over at B&B.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

By the power vested in me I officially appoint you "The SRP Shave brush Stockpiler" You should meet Dr P over at B&B.

Lol....Brushes are my soft spot. Been buying them for years and use them all. Even the Somersets. Not a collector, just like variety and brushes always got my attention.