Thread: One Brush to Rule Them All...

The current group buy on the Thater brush has made me think seriously about my shaving equipment. I've been shaving with a straight now for three years, so I'm long past the point of knowing whether I'll stick with it or not. I'm a dedicated straightrazor user. Now I'm looking to upgrade my equipment.

Specifically, I'm looking to get a better brush than my EJ Best Badger fan, which I'll hand down to my 17 year old son, who needs it only twice a week or so. lol.

I want an everyday workhorse brush that will be my one brush. I like what I've read about the group-buy Thater, especially how soft the bristle tips are, yet how stiff the rest of the bristles ar--making the brush not floppy and providing lots of room for lather to form between the hairs. That's what I'm looking for.

But...I don't care for the shape of the handle.

The 4125/3 though, seems to have the same qualities as the group buy brush, with a handle that appeals more to me, as well as stellar reviews. Am I correct in understanding that the knot on the 4125 is 25mm across and the bristles are 41mm tall? If so, that's quite a bit smaller that the group buy Thater. What does the 3 stand for?

I'm looking for a bulb; I mostly lather in my Georgetown scuttle with shaving cream, though I occasionally face and palm lather, and am looking to get more into soaps. (I do have a Wee Scott that's dedicated to travel).

I also don't want a brush that is too gigantic, wastes shaving cream or never dries out when I use it every day.

Is the group buy the brush what I should get--should I just shut up and not be bothered by the handle? Am I really better suited for the 4125/3 or another similar brush? Should I give the group buy a miss, and keep looking for a better-suited (for me) brush?

Sorry for all the questions, but thanks for any advice you could give me.

If it is a Thater you want, and you don't like the handle in the group buy model, SRD has a whole array of Thaters with different knots/lofts and a couple , or maybe it is a few, different handles. I love the handle on the group buy model but I guess that is why God made apples and oranges.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I love the handle on the group buy model but I guess that is why God made apples and oranges.

Or octagons that morphed into circles. I actually like the group buy handle just fine if I were a brush collector, but I don't think it wows me enough to be the only nice brush in my shaving kit.

I bought a Thater and gave my old brush to my youngest. All i have is the Thater as my workhorse and you will be happy with the choice.I got mine from SRD with the 24mm Tulip cut.

I've been a dedicated straight shaver for a couple of years, too. I've been a wetshaver for a tad more. In that time, I've tried a huge number of brushes, from the most expensive to the least, and what I've found is I'm happiest with a Semogue boar brush. Smooth and stiff, great on soaps or creams, it really just works.

That being said, I recently did get a Thaeter 4125/3 in a trade, and it really is a fantastic brush. It's got all the qualities that seem to make a perfect brush--just what you say you are looking for. So if you're looking to join the big dog club, and want to put down your money on an ace brush, then yeah--go for the Thaeter.

By the way, the 3 refers to their sizing--each number up, the knot increases by 2mm. So a 0 is 22mm, 1 is 24, etc. A number 3 is 28mm. It is a bit big, so you might go for the 1 or 2.

But I don't see the 4123 on the Thaeter site. Do you mean 4125?

i got myself a Duke 3 which is a popular all rounder brush for the one brush to rule them all.
it can handle anything throw at it well, be it soaps, cream, bowl or face lather.

Originally Posted by JimR

But I don't see the 4123 on the Thaeter site. Do you mean 4125?

Good catch, and I just edited my original post. I did mean 4125/3. Thanks for noticing that.

Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it and will continue to look here. I'll also check out the Duke to see how that compares to the Thaters.

Check on some different manufacturers also. There are quite a few great brush makers out there (Plisson, Rooney, Simpson, Shave Mac to name a few). I was very partial to the Rooney heritage line on Vintage Blades but I caved and bought the group buy brush to give it a shot. The price was just unbeatable.
(Vintage Blades LLC::Shaving Brushes::Rooney Heritage::"The Turned Beauties") The 'Beehive' is awesome

My face is small so I would normally have gone with a smaller size (my normal Plisson brush is a 20mm) but what the heck, if I don't like it, I'll figure something out. It's really a matter of what you're looking for in size, shape, and look.

One thing to remember about the group buy one is that it is a 2-band brush.
That gives it a bit different backbone than the other you are looking at. That is a 3-band silvertip.
Both very good, but with slightly different feel to them.
I have a similar Thater, and IMHO, it is a very high quality brush.
That said, I do prefer the added stiffness in the 2-band brushes I have, for soap anyway