Thread: Which brush type should I go with next?

Good day everyone:

I'm sure asking this question will open up a can of worms but I'll do it anyway. I would like to get another brush at some point in the future and have been thinking about which type I should get.

Currently I am using an Omega 10066 that I bought about 8 years ago. The way I make lather is dunking the brush under the tap, swirling the brush in the soap container, swirling the brush on my face, and painting. I have gotten a decent lather from this but I wouldn't say it's the best. I have been using hard soaps such as Williams and Prorazo. I used to have a container of Taylor Of Old Bond Street Sandalwood that I got for Christmas (loved it!). I got a way better lather from the Sandalwood stuff too.

From the reading I have been doing on here, all of the hair types do a good job of lathering but they feel different. Some of the brushes I have been looking at are the following:

https://classicedge.ca/index.php?rou...roduct_id=2659

https://classicedge.ca/index.php?rou...roduct_id=2053

https://classicedge.ca/index.php?rou...product_id=854

https://classicedge.ca/index.php?rou...product_id=855

https://classicedge.ca/index.php?rou...roduct_id=2432

https://classicedge.ca/index.php?rou...roduct_id=2434

So all of the brushes except for the Boker (synthetic) are pure badgers. The price range between $25-75CAD is all I can afford right now. However, I am not in a rush to buy anything. To get a more luxurious feel, would a synthetic or pure badger be a good step up from an Omega boar? Would I be better off saving my money a little longer for a best or silvertip?

Thanks!

It all depends on what you want to feel on your face. A good quality badger will be stiffer and give you a little scrubbing feel plus it will be packed with more hairs. If you want a brush that feels cotton ball soft a synthetic will do that. They dont always have much backbone but some do a fine job. If you want a lot of stiffnes and scubbing then the boar brush is it.

The more quality the badger, the dencer the hairs and more backbone. Although some can still be somewhat less prickley. I wont name name brands but ive got brushes that are 20 buck up thru 200 bucks. They all work fine. Some are floppy as hell and look like huge makeup brushes and some are stiff and scrubby. Its all depending on what you want in a brush.

First off, I have to say I really like the Omega 10066 brushes and have used them for years with great satisfaction. They will lather anything well if I do my part.

If you want a badger brush with good back bone and soft tip the Semogue Owner Club (SOC) 2 band badger is a nice one. Tips get softer with a little use, the handle is very comfortable and it is not overly expensive for a brush from a recognized brand name.

https://www.fendrihan.ca/products/se...sh-cherry-wood Shipping is free on orders over $50.00 Canadian.

Bob

Originally Posted by Gasman

It all depends on what you want to feel on your face. A good quality badger will be stiffer and give you a little scrubbing feel plus it will be packed with more hairs. If you want a brush that feels cotton ball soft a synthetic will do that. They dont always have much backbone but some do a fine job. If you want a lot of stiffnes and scubbing then the boar brush is it.

The more quality the badger, the dencer the hairs and more backbone. Although some can still be somewhat less prickley. I wont name name brands but ive got brushes that are 20 buck up thru 200 bucks. They all work fine. Some are floppy as hell and look like huge makeup brushes and some are stiff and scrubby. Its all depending on what you want in a brush.

I'm thinking of trying a brush that has a bit less of the stiff/scrubby feel that I have in my boar.

Bob knows a lot about brushes. He helped point me in the direction of my favorite brush, Shavemac.

But when its all said and done, you really need to try a few different brushes to find what you like. A boar can be prickly and stay that way for ever. But a boar made by someone else can break-in and become very nice. Othefs with break-in and then ware down to the point of being floppy after 6 months. You can get low cost brushes that work just great. Its hard to say "this is what you need".

Yes, unfortunately users opinions on shave brushes and how the feel wrt stiffness, scrub and scratchiness is all subjective. They may fell different to you when you use them. you really have to try a few to see what suits you best. I would have mentioned the Shavemac 2 band regular silvertip, not the DO1 2 bander, but I thinking it is a little above your current budget. You can always check them out https://www.shavemac.com/ .

Bob

Whatch out! Bobs a quite enabler. Thats how i got my Shavemac. Oh, and TC too.

But i think a person needs to try/own a few different brushes to learn what he likes. Then you will be able to use different ones every couple days.

When you are just starting out you don’t have to spend a lot of money. I still regularly use my Omega boars hair brushes that cost under $20 and my WIlkinson whatever hair brushes that are so old I forget what they cost and what kind of bristle they have.

I think you would be well advised to spend a little extra on good quality shaving soap or cream. When you find the ones you really like, splurge on a good quality brush.

The Wilkinson-marked brushes I've seen in French supermarkets are pure badger; and if you are wanting to avoid the scritch of boar, I would avoid pure badger. And the only all-around synthetic knots I can positively recommend without hesitation are those made by HIS. But the handle ergonomics there are on the large side, perhaps best for larger hands and those who like a barber's handle style. If you are looking for something similar for face-lathering with the same soaps and like dealing with Classic Edge (I have never bought from them, not being located in Canada myself), why not try one of their in-house badgers for starters? Thing to remember about badgers is that they have more bloom than boars, especially silvertips. Following this, one can use a smaller knot for a similar effect.

This two-band badger looks like it would work well for face-lathering: https://classicedge.ca/index.php?rou...product_id=231. If you would want a larger silvertip knot (or "silvertip quality" in this case), which I am not necessarily recommending, this looks like it would do the trick: https://classicedge.ca/index.php?rou...product_id=136. Of the three, I would personally suggest the two-band, to try a smaller knot for a change as well. The boar could be consigned to creams afterwards.

Originally Posted by BobH

First off, I have to say I really like the Omega 10066 brushes and have used them for years with great satisfaction. They will lather anything well if I do my part.

If you want a badger brush with good back bone and soft tip the Semogue Owner Club (SOC) 2 band badger is a nice one. Tips get softer with a little use, the handle is very comfortable and it is not overly expensive for a brush from a recognized brand name.

https://www.fendrihan.ca/products/se...sh-cherry-wood Shipping is free on orders over $50.00 Canadian.

Bob

That's a pretty nice brush. Not too bad price wise considering that shipping is free.