Thread: What's a good travel brush?

I'd like to get one of the travel type badger brushes that stores in it's own tube, would appreciate hearing from anybody who has one on how they like it or what they'd do differently if they had it do do over again.

Thanks - Dave

Dave,

The most recommended travel brush I have seen is the Vulfix Turnback. I recently tried to buy one through Ashford.com, but they were sold out (pm me for my thoughts on this company). One alternative would be to take a smaller brush with you when you travel. Visit you local pharmacy and pick up a pill bottle that your brush will fit in, and cut holes into either the lid or the tube.

RT

I don't have a brush specifically for travel. Hwoever, I have a coupls of brushes that would fit into a pill bottle as RT suggests.

One of them is this Omega 599 (Sunshine)...



It has a 19mm knot of Best Badger grade hair. Due to its size, the loft is quite resiliant, and provides some scrubiness. I've had no problems making sufficient lather for 3 or more passes.

Here's another picture next to a C&E BBB & a Wilkinson Pure for size comparison...

I've got one of the DOVO travel brushes in the stainless tube which works well. The only problem might be taking it on an international flight - it probably looks like a pipe bomb to an X-Ray guy.

If I'm doing a trip like that I'll pack another brush in a toilet paper tube.

You have two choices - a small brush in a travel tube or a turnback.

I have a little Saville Row travel brush in pure badger that I got with a travel tube for about $30 - its a great little brush and does the job just fine. If you have large hands or don't like getting lather on your hands, this brush might be a might small for you.

I don't travel too much - usually less than a dozen trips per year, so this suits me.

A cheap alternative is to buy any small brush and see if you can find a large pill bottle to use as a travel container - alternately, Em's Place sells travel containers for a couple of bucks. It may be that you have a small brush that will fit into one of these containers, in which case you have a travel brush for a couple of bucks. If you do use the pill bottle (most pharamacists will give it to you for free) be sure to drill one or more holes in the lid so that you get some air circulation (this applies to any travel containter that doesn't come with a hole for ventilation).

The turnback brushes are more expensive, the best value is likely the Vulfix (which I think runs between $80 and $100 depending on when and who you buy it from). The brush that tends to generally be perceived as the "best" turnback is the Simpson Major (I have seen the Major up close and it is better built than the Vulfix, but I think it has a smaller (but very dense knot). A Major in best will cost about $150.

The main advantage of the turnback is that you get a longer handle - which addresses the big hands/don't like lather on your hands issue.

If I were buying a turnback for personal use, I'd likely go with the Simpson.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the good info and advice here, guys.

I'm going to go with the Vulfix turnback. CS sells it for $60 and it's the same knot and bristle dimensions I use on my regular brush (2234). I think the longer handle will be useful for working up lather in hotel room coffee mugs.

--Dave

I've seen the travel tube type in various stores here. I got my brush (Kent pure badger T4 size) just before they started selling the tube type around here (doh!).

Still, my T4 sized one fits in my wash bag OK and doesn't require any wrapping up or whatever. It arrives at its destination relatively intact - the bristles get neatly packed together and the first shave after that usually sorts that out. So far I haven't lost more than a couple of bristles.

Don't forget you can't put the tube type back in the tube straight after use; something to bear in mind perhaps?

Once again, xChris, I am impressed with your photography!