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I have using a super badger vulfix travel brush and it has been great. I can't really make any comparisons since I haven't really used any other brushes. I've noticed that vulfix super badger is cheaper than many of the other high end brush companies. Is this reflected in the quality or are the other companies overcharging?
My first brush was a Vulfix 377, and I don't think it's of inferior quality. I understand that Vulfix brushes are sometimes sold wholesale to other companies who rebrand them and sell them for more ...
Certainly there are brushes out there that are a little better constructed than the Vulfix, but then you get into the whole "how much is premium worth?" issue.
As to personal preference, some guys dislike Vulfix for being to 'floppy', but that's a personal liking for one style of brush over another, rather than a quality issue. (This is probably less noticeable in a travel brush, though.)
I have a Vulfix Best Badger and for $40, its a fine performer. If you like them, keep using them.
Jordan
I don't think its a quality issue. Its more a preference thing. If you like what you have stick with it. personally I like a brush that is more scrubby than the Vulfix which is too soft to my liking.
I have a Vulfix 2234 and enjoy it, but it is, compared to my other brushes, a bit floppy. The Vulfix line is a bit less expensive because of their volume. They are a great brush, but I have others I prefer.
RT
I like the one I've been using and it doesn't seem to be too floppy but it is a travel brush so that might be part of it. Hopefully this one lasts me a while. When it does die, I've kind of had my eye on the Kent BK4
http://www.kentbrushes.com/usd/acatalog/BK4.html
but I've spent so much money on shaving supplies lately that I'm going to have to draw the line somewhere......maybe
I have a Vulfix best badger and the Crabtree & Evelyn best badger brush. The best way to describe the difference is that the C&E brush seems to have a stiffer core. With the Vulfix, I'll frequently mash it all the way to my face as I build the lather. The tips of the C&E are about the same in terms of softness, but there seems to be more hair in the knot, so it's more solid. I can't mash the brush against my face the same way--it's almost painful. :) The technique for using the two brushes is more different than I would have guessed.
Also, the C&E seems to hold a lot more water than the Vulfix. I ended up with some pretty runny lather the first few days I used it...
The Vulfix was a decent brush, and I plan to keep mine. It does shed a hair every few days, which bugs me.
Josh
I have a Vulfix 662 Super Silvertip and I like it a lot, especially with creams. It is quite soft and flexible. That's one reason I requested a Simpson Polo #8 in Best for Father's Day ;) ! BTW If you want to stick with a very soft and flexible style then (from what I have read) the Kent would be in the same vein. The Simpson brushes are known for being quite dense and firm - "scritchy" is the term thrown around a lot. There's a huge difference between the two styles. Note that I said Difference and not that one is inherently Better than the other. It's just a matter of preference YMMV. The other brush I have is an Omega Boar. It's different, still. Firm, and old fashioned comes to mind.
BTW, I have read that ShaveMacs are nice Bulb shaped brushes versus the British Fan shape. They also seem to be pretty reasonable. Once I have the courage to seek another brush purchase, I will probably pick up a ShaveMac :w . Good luck and watch out for SBAD:cool: !!
I thought silvertip aka super badger brushes were supposed to be softer bristles. What is the advantage of a "scritchy" brush? Does it help generate lather more quickly? did I just read that they retain more water?
I'm starting to think that if I get the Kent I'll be getting a brush very similar to the one I have. Maybe it is best to try something a little different. You both mentioned Crabtree and Evelyn and Simpson. I'm looking for a super/silvertip brush that isn't crazy/silly stupid overpriced. What are some recommendations?
Salad -
It's mostly personal preference. I really love the softness of my Vulfix but wanted a brush with more "backbone" - a little firmer and less "splay". There are many brushes in between a Simpson and a Vulfix, that's for sure. Again, I would try a ShaveMac or a Muehle-Pinsel my next time around (most likely the SM) but they may not appeal to you.
The biggest thing is to find what YOU like and if it's all extra soft brushes - that's perfectly fine :tu . However, if you like a firmer feel and more massage fromthe brush, then you should consider looking and researching!
Vulfix brushes are very good performers. I would not say top notch but certainly very good.
They happen to be a bit floppy compared to Shavemac, Simpson, Savile Rows etc.
The hair is not of inferior quality but just less densely packed IMO
The 'scritchy' brush tends to exfoliate a bit more, removing dead skin layers. Other than that, it's pretty much personal preference. I don't think there's much difference in water retention between badger grades, IMHO.Quote:
Originally Posted by saladbar2000
Generally, the stiffer brushes (not scritchier, but stiffer ... with more 'backbone' even with softer bristles) tend to be better with soaps, where you need to 'dig' into the soap a bit more. Look for firmly packed bristles, a low loft of the bristle-head hight, and a bulb shape rather than fan, to help get toward a firmer brush. Stiff or floppy, like biig or small, is personal preference, not good & bad.
A really good 'soap' brush is the Simpson Chubby #1. You can get that in Best for about $125. http://www.leesrazors.com/simpsonsBrushes.htm
Personally, I love my Vulfix, it does the job nicely, has great water retention and holds the lather well. Never had a problem with it, but it does shed a hair on occasion. Besides, you can't beat the cost.
Personally, i prefer Shavemacs... i have 4 of them. my favorite is the 429, 23mm in finest (~$70). i also have a 177, 23mm silvertip (~$100), a 220, 28mm silvertip (~$140) and the new VLB.
Most of them i got from Jim at vintage blades
to be honest i do not find much difference between the 429 and the 177. but that is just my opion they are both dense and pleasurable brushes to use.
so do most of you have multiple brushes? I've heard of having a rotation of blades but not of brushes. The rationale behind multiple blades was to reduce wear and increase time between honing I thought. Is there a reason for multiple brushes or are we all just straight addicted?
:nj
I rotate a bunch of brushes including Vulfix, Simpson, Maestro and Shavemac. I love the 28mm and 30mm knot Shavemac brushes with the lightbulb shaped badger. Awesome brushes.
Lynn
saladbarMM,
Its addiction pure and simple. In a pinch one can rub soap on one's face with fingertips. I've never cared for pinches much so I tried a brush and then wondered if I had chosen the right brush. Finding out the correctness of my choice required buying another brush. Determining how correct my correctness was required buying yet another brush to figure out how to work this hypothesis/theory/law thing. I find myself real close to hypothetically buying another brush just to test this theory. There's no law against that, it there?
I've heard that pills are available to help cure my besottedness, I wonder if they will work on my brushfulness?
one can always hope, but in the meanwhile another brush might hit the spot, Bruce
well I've been spending all my money on blades lately, and it was soaps and creams before that. Brushes could be next or maybe more stones. I guess there is no end in sight to how much we could spend on all this stuff
They say that SBAD is the last, and most costly, of all the ADs. :gthQuote:
Originally Posted by saladbar2000
But seriously ... a rotation of brushes seems pretty common, partly as a way of giving the brush more than one day to dry out, partly because some brushes work better with creams or with soaps, partly for the sake of variety, and partly as an homage to our search for the perfect brush.