best brush for $60 price range

im looking to get both a boar and badger and didnt really wanna go over $60 per brush. any thoughts?

mainly iv been looking at:
simpson "special"
vulfix #850
rooney style 3 small 'special' (according to vintage blades its made especially for them)

also do all the rooneys come with the script logo on it or is that just certian ones. some websites i see it, others i see its just stamped. trust me the logo isnt the biggest factor but if i get answers that im comparing two brushes that are both on the same level of quality, it might come into play.

Get the 3/1 Rooney from vintage blades! (I believe vintage blades gets the 3/1 custom with a slightly shorter loft than other sites). The 3/1 in super is a great brush, but is $75. Totally worth the extra $15 IMO, though.

I quite like my Semogue 730 silvertip from Leon at thevintagescent.com. You can read about it here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/brush...silvertip.html

I have both a Rooney and a Vulfix. I like the Rooney the best...it is soft yet very stiff (commonly refered to as backbone) while the Vulfix is soft but sort of floppy and after two passes turns into a sticky floppy mop.

I think if I were on a budget and/or could live without a brand name brush I'd give serious consideration to making my own. Find the cheapest brush you can with a handle you like (so you don't have to make the handle) and remove the knot and glue in one from golden nib. You will have the equivalent of a $100+ brush for about 30 bucks.

Not sure about the logo question. All the Rooney's I've seen have the same logo...Rooney on one side and style/size/grade on the other.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AusTexShaver

while the Vulfix is soft but sort of floppy and after two passes turns into a sticky floppy mop.

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Have to concur with this. I had one, but got a few brshes from SRD. The 24mm was about $70, but so far outdistanced the Vulfix in performance that the extra $10-$15 was worth it to me. :tu

All of the 3 brushes you are looking at has fairly short lofts with the vulfix's 50mm as the highest,followed by Rooney 3/1 special at 46mm and Simpsons at 40mm.

At the moment I use 2 brushes,one of them a post-Vulfix Simpson, both with 50mm loft, and I find them to work best with hard soaps, they both work ok with creams, so if you mostly use cream you might want to go with the Semogue silvertip Hollie4.. linked to as it has a higher loft. Of your selection I would have gotten the Rooney as they have a good rep, and the 40mm loft of the Simpson just might be too short for me.

Try QED. Their 24mm silvertip is $65 +shipping and is very well reviewed. Most of the other brands offer only rather small brushes in this price range.

I like my vulfix 2234 very much... Vulfix Shaving Brushes

Vulfix Shaving Brushes

i also have a vulfix boar brush and IMO it sucks...

If you wanted to spend 60 per brush, a boar will be no more than 10 to 15 so you could but the rest into your good badger...

or get a nice silver tip like the 2234 and a pure badger ... like 850 you suggested...that would give you one really nice soft brush and one a little firmer and scrubbier...

Check out also Edwin Jagger brushes and special offers

The English Shaving Company - Edwin Jagger shaving accessories, shaving creams and aftershaves

Well I just finished my own brush with a silvertip knot from the golden nib..
It cost me about 25 euros on materials and an evening or two...

Maarten

I emailed AusTexShaver about the above link and asked for help describing these badger brush knots. He replied with some great information that he has allowed me to share with all of us.

Thanks and here is his reply about badger brush function.

The main factors influencing how a knot performs are the grade, the density, and the loft (length of the knot).

As a general rule the higher the grade the softer the brush, the greater the density the stiffer it is, and the shorter the loft the stiffer it is. In addition there is shape...with Rooneys being more of a flat shape while others have more of a bulb shape.

That is why I prefer Rooneys as they are very soft, very dense, and have a slightly shorter loft than most brushes.

Now all you have to do is figure out what size you like. Some people like large (28mm or more) brushes and some like small (22mm or less). I like 24mm as nice all around size...it's easier to get the lather where you want while for me the larger sizes seem to get lather everywhere.

Hope this helps...but in the future don't be afraid to post on the forum as I'm sure there are others with the same question.

I will second the Semogue brush. I got mine from Leon as well, and can't recommend his site, products or service too much.


I have a Dan Capshaw custom, and Edwin Jagger and the Semogue.... I pick up the Portuguese brush every time.

Hey Outlaw, have you decided on your brush?

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