What am I missing out on?

[thepaulson]

Hello All,
I'm a newcomer to all this, and have a question. I bought a $10 kit that includes soap and a ceramic bowl. Having used just this one cheap brush, I lack perspective. What is it that $50 or $200 do that my <$10 brush doesn't? Are they more comfortable? Is it just a matter of better-looking materials?

Thanks much,
Paulson

[mainaman]

the more expensive brushes use Badger hair unlike yours which probably is VDH and therefore Boar bristle. Most brushes are made with Badger hair and depending on the grade and handle material prices vary a lot.

[thepaulson]

Well, yes, but what do the more expensive materials accomplish?

[janivar123]

most importantly they make you spend more money

some brushes just feel better then others,but not nessesarely according to prize

[JohnG10]

I started with the VDH "deluxe" brush from CVS. I believe it's the same as the Walmart kit brush, but with a white handle.

After ~ 3 weeks, I bought a Stevenson's Silvertip brush ($75 from SRD). In comparison, the silvertip brush:
1. Holds a lot more water. I only have to add about a 1/2 a tablespoon of water 1-2 times during the lather making process, and only have to add about 1/8 a tablesppon between passes. With the VDH boar brush, I had to add a tablespoon of water 3-4 times during the lather making process, and a 1/4 tablespoon between passes. This "water holding" aspect was the main reason I bought a badger brush. In retrospect, I found I had to shake much of the extra water out of the brush because otherwise it runs down my chest while I'm lathering... However, even after gently shaking the extra water out of the brush, the badger's water holding ability causes the lather to stay warmer much, much longer and that's very nice.
2. It is a little stiffer, and this seems to make the lather a tiny bit faster.
3. It feels a tiny bit scritchier on my sensitive neck skin. (Despite the reputation of the boar hair being scritchier). I attribute this to the brush being more densely packed with bristles.
4. It "blooms" when I shake the water out, and this seems to help it dry significantly faster - and keeps the bristles "brush shaped". The VDH boar brush got a swirly pattern in the middle and hollow spots between the swirls. Looked like it was really bad off. Didn't work any worse for lathering though.
5. It smelled a lot worse for the first several days (even though I shampooed it 4-5 times).

So, am I happy I bought it ? Yes.

Would I do it again if I was short on cash ? Not sure. Crabtree & Evelyn (in most malls) has renewed their relationship with Jagger and will be stocking the $35 "best" badger brushes again soon. I'd probably check them out, and decide based on what I saw.

I've also noticed that the soap or cream seems to make a lot more difference than the brush. I'm on my fourth...

[thepaulson]

This is very helpful. I might be willing to sink $35 into a brush. I can't imagine myself spending more than that.

[niftyshaving]

Hello All,
I'm a newcomer to all this, and have a question. I bought a $10 kit that includes soap and a ceramic bowl. Having used just this one cheap brush, I lack perspective. What is it that $50 or $200 do that my <$10 brush doesn't? Are they more comfortable? Is it just a matter of better-looking materials?

Thanks much,
Paulson

Two quick things...

• badger versus boar
• Better handle and bigger knot for the brush.

A lot of us shave with the $10 brush so do not
discount it. They get better with time too.

A badger brush can make a fine lather a bit quicker
and is softer.

[akshayshah]

Another thing to consider: a relatively small, but passionate, community of members here and at B&B prefer boar bristle to badger hair, particularly for soaps. Since boar is generally cheaper than badger, its worth a thought.

I had a C&E Best Badger and loved it, and it's a great value. Like JohnG10, I found that the differences between various soaps and creams were generally much more noticeable than differences between the C&E BB and more expensive brushes. You might consider getting a sample/travel-size container of a well-regarded cream to see what all the fuss is about.

[BeBerlin]

Another thing to consider: a relatively small, but passionate, community of members here and at B&B prefer boar bristle to badger hair, particularly for soaps. Since boar is generally cheaper than badger, its worth a thought.

We would be talking about bottom line brushes, though. If you can, try a Thäter Chubby, and you will be surprised how soft stiff bristles can be. That is, you get the best of both worlds. Sterling stuff.

Regards,
Robin

[Gldbird1]

We would be talking about bottom line brushes, though. If you can, try a Thäter Chubby, and you will be surprised how soft stiff bristles can be. That is, you get the best of both worlds. Sterling stuff.

Regards,
Robin

This is very helpful. I might be willing to sink $35 into a brush. I can't imagine myself spending more than that.

The Thater costs well over one hundred dollars, does it not?