Thread: Moving away from badger

I would not compare a silvertip that came in a shaving kit with a good 2 band badger knot with the right loft to knot size ratio. That said, I have a 2 band badger from The Golden Nib that I set into a handle and 2 custom Shavemac 2 band badger brushes and while The Golden Nib brush knot is not up to the standard of the Shavemac knots it is a very good knot in use. Personally I could not justify the price difference based on performance alone. Personally, a lot of using a high end product, be it a brush or car, is making a statement to a large extent.

For me, there is a difference between the various knot materials in how they feel on the face when face lathering and how they produce a good lather. They will all produce a good lather though.

Synthetic knots do not hold water well but they do take it on only to let it run out of the knot and down your hand and arm. The trick is to stop trying to use them like a badger brush and forget about soaking them. Just wet the tips and load the brush adding a little water as you go to let the proto lather already in the brush hold the water. Then go and start face lathering with the proto lather again adding a little water as you go till you get the type of lather you want.

Only tried one horse hair brush and it did not suit my face lathering technique. Just too prickly for me but I guess if you were mopping on the lather from a bowl it might be just fine. I don't bowl lather so I don't use a horse hair brush.

Bob