Thread: Smaller Badger Brushes

Hi Guys,

I bought the small Rooney's Best Badger Brush and have been experimenting like crazy latey. Bottom line is I think this has become my favorite brush. Not only because of the stiffer badger bristles, but because of the size. It seems that when I put steaming hot water on the brush and whip up a lather, I can put the lather on my face and then swish the brush around to make more lather feeling the remaining hot water on my face. Pretty cool. When I do this with my larger Maestro Brush, Vulfix, Kent or Simpson, there is so much water that I am winging both water and lather all over the place. This little brush really gets the job done and is working better than I would have expected. I still like the amazing amount of suds from my larger brushes, but am leaning more to using this one.

Any similar findings? Thoughts?

Thanks,

Lynn

Here is my current badger collection:

Back row: Shavemac SMF I (26mm), Shavemac #22607 (26mm), Shavemac SMF II (24mm), all silvertips. All $100-125 range brushes.
Middle Row: Shavemac #181 (23mm, $100), Savile Row 208 (25mm, $59)
Front Row: Crabtree & Evelyn Best Badger (21mm?, $35) C&E Pure Badger Travel Brush (19mm?, $35), Vulfix #2234 (22mm, $59)

The easiest brush to use? The C&E Best badger...the $35 brush. The Shavemacs are the most luxurious to use, require a bit more work and cream, and they get a frequent workout. But my most used badger brush is also my cheapest badger brush.

RT

That is the same experience I had with smaler vs. larger brushes. I use Vulfix pure badger, with 22mm knot. Recently, I had experience with best badger brush, with the same knot size, but with very dense hair packing. Due to bristle diference (best badger is somewhat thinner than regular badger hair) and packing density, I found that the later brush hold much more water, maybe twice the size, and makes mess when lathering. I didn't had a chance to try the brush monsters with 28-30 mm knots, I dont wish either, if they lather like my best badger "monster". On the other hand, maybe I don't know how to controll it, so after refurbishing the knot (it's loosing some hair), I will give it another try, and give the report...

Nenad

Shaving brushes are no different than the razors we use. They have a learning curve. How much water to shake out must be learned. Just like starting with a new cream or soap. How much do I need? One thing I would suggest to anyone trying out a new brush, especially if moving to a larger brush...err on the side of shaking out too much water. You can always add.

RT

In my short time wet shaving, I have to say that I like the smaller brushes for soaps and the larger ones for creams. I have a vulfix #41 that use only with creams. My other brushes are all much smaller in knot size and are great for soap with the exception of a small silver tip which is a little too soft.
-Fred

I've never used a brush above a 24, the whole reason I stumbled upon this place was five months ago soon after I got deployed out to Japan I dropped my brush and took a big chunk out of the side. It was still useable but was a good excurse to buy a new one. While looking around I found information on Straight Razors and DE Razors that wasn’t around the last time I looked around for new shaving stuff.

My first brush was a small CM best badger but I've gravitated to 30mm silvertips now. I use either a Vulfix or a custom one I had made with a wood burl handle and for me there's nothing like a large brush to wip that soap into a fantastic lather.