Thread: Quality of badger hair

I bought this brush at an antique store for $12. I was wondering how to tell the quality of the badger hair. All it says on it is "Pure Badger Vulcanized Sterilized". I want to know if this is a decent brush or if I should invest in a better one. It feels soft and full. But im not sure what a good quality brush would feel like. Thank you for any help.

Pure badger is the lowest end badger hair, though it's softer than boar bristle or synthetic brushes. That's not to say pure badger makes a bad brush, not at all. Generally, the better the badger hair the softer the bristles. A silvertip brush, which is top-of-the-line, is velvety soft but this can sometimes make for a floppy brush with very little backbone.

That brush seems to be in pretty good condition. I'd say give it a go and see how it feels, lathers etc, and let us know how it goes.

I have no idea, really, but I'm thinking maybe too much is made of the 'quality' of badger hair (maybe, feel free to banish me). I saw a brush online the other day for FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS. Now I know yours isn't THAT much, but the one I saw, and others that are pretty expensive, do maybe represent, in my MOST humble opinion, that there is maybe a bit of 'one up man-ship' going on in this particular market.

I bought a Windsor Pure Badger brush (my first badger) a few weeks ago and I like it, only 45 bucks. in fact, if I have any reservations about it, it is that it's a little wide, and hard therefore to apply cream to the area between my moustache and goatee thingy. It's a nice, soft brush though. I really couldn't imagine how good a brush would need to be for me to pay three times that for a silvertip, let alone $450.

BTW, I read an article the other day talking of a huge cull of badgers in Britain to stem TB in cattle (apparently somehow the badgers spread the disease) Badger cull proposed to cut cattle TB . Now I hear a lot of badger hair comes from China, but MAYBE (just maybe) this will result in cheaper products? Then again, if the shaving brush companies follow the lead of fuel companies it'll have no effect at all :-)

Twelve bucks, it feels soft and full, looks cool, what more could you ask for? If you don't want it, send it hither and I'll pay 24AU plus postage! :-)

And like Ryan said, soft is not necessarily better, I actually like some aspects of my supermarket $8 brush, it may not be as soft on my milky white super sensitive super smooth lovely soft skin, but being a little less soft actually made the lather easier to spread, in my MOST humble opinion :-)...

For $12.00...you did AWESOME! You bought a good looking brush, take it home and wash it a few times with your shampoo and put it to use. I have a badger, a couple of super badgers, and a silver-tip badger. My silver-tip is borderline floppy & seem to use the others more. It's one of those preference things on which one is "better".

Brushes are one of those things where one mans meat is another's poison. It's all a matter of what characteristics you like in a brush and unfortunately you need to be able to try them to find out which is a difficult proposition. Do you like soft or scratchy or floppy or with backbone or a combination of qualities? That doesn't even touch on size and handles.

Amen brother! I do remember that when I had my first brush, a VDH boar, I didn't get the wonderful lather others were getting, but when I got my first super-badger the thick & luxurious lather almost magically made itself. I do believe the next brush I get will be a shorter loft silvertip...maybe it will be MY perfect combination.

I tried it out last night and it was awesome! I just had a cheap badger brush from walgreens before and that one was super rough and just didn't produce a good lather. This one has just the right backbone/softness combination. I think I found myself a good brush gentlemen!!

I remember reading something awhile back that stated some badger hair was more expensive that others because it was rare, not necessarily better. I make brushes using TGN knots. I have one silvertip, one black, and the rest are all finest extra stuffed bulb shaped. It may (emphasis MAY) be that shape and the depth the knot is set is as important as the "quality" of the hair. Or not. My humble opinion is that a lot of what we believe about our hobby is more folklore than fact. That isn't bad, it just is. All of us are right, for us, though not necessarily for all of us. We could get by with one brush, one razor, using one brand of blades and one soap, but where's the fun in that? Ditto similar for straights - one razor, one strop, one set of stones, etc.. No _AD. ??????
Nuff' said. Rock on.

The whole reason I asked in the first place is that since I am still learning all of the ins and outs of straight shaving, when I browse through the forums I see a lot of emphasis on branding and what manufacturers are better. I guess sometimes the quality of the equipment might make it easier on someone who is just learning. It might put someone off of the experience if they are dealing with equipment that is hard to use. But from what you all are telling me, it really is about finding something that you like and works for you.

I still haven't been able to get a good shave yet. Its probably my technique but I also think I am not stropping correctly because my razor always feels like its pulling the hair out and i get really bad razor burn and the pain during shaving is almost unbearable. Im not sure what I am doing wrong but I just can't get the razor to shave smoothly.

I'm only a couple of months ahead of you on the journey, so I can identify with what you say. Good lather is essential. Also a good sharp razor. Was yours professionally honed before you started? Very important - at least then you know you are working with a properly sharpened tool. I find that when the razor starts pulling, I am not stretching my skin properly. A suggestion on the Forum about the time I started suggested just doing a with the grain pass until you got your technique figured out - then finish with a DE. I still haven't got my neck completely figured out, but every time it gets better. Good luck! The end result will make the journey worthwhile.