Thread: Deciphering The Difference

Hi all,

I'm having some trouble when I'm trolling around antique shops checking out old brushes. How do you easily tell the difference between them, and if it's a quality brush before buying & shaving with it? Is it boar, badger, super badger, etc.? Lots of them don't have any writing on them, and without testing them there is really no way to tell if they'll hold water or not. I've probably passed on a lot of possible good finds because of this.

Actually most old brushes you find in antique shops are basic boar models. The badger ones, well with age and deterioration it's really hard to tell the good from the bad from the ugly. Really you just have to clean it up and try it out. Probably better to buy on a forum or Eboy and just get a gently used brush.