Originally Posted by
Obie
debay:
Badger brushes come in four general grades: pure, best, super and silver tip. The grading varies with some manufactures, some of whom combine best and super. Make mine a silver tip.
The characteristics of these brushes are:
Pure — a bit scratchy and good for starters.
Best — softer
Super — softer even more
Silver Tip: Rolls Royce
The backbone will also differ among brushes: some brush hairs will feel sturdy and strong against the face and some will be floppy like a wet noodle. Brush quality will also differ among manufacturers. And so on. There's a lot to cover. The brush you're currently using sounds like the Van Der Hagen boar bristle with the rubber tip. It's time to move on to a better brush.
Boar bristles are generally stiffer and hold less water. Some are more scratchy than their badger counterparts. Some gentlemen love them, some accept them. I don't particularly care for them. It's a personal choice among all these brushes, badger and boar.
Horse hair brushes are also popular with some shavers. I find them too scratchy. Be prepared for a heavy odor for several weeks.
Synthetic brushes are also a consideration. Some can be of quality, providing good lather, but some are bombs. They do dry faster than the others. They make good travel brushes.
Thater, Simpson, Rooney, Shavemac, Vulfix, Kent, Semogue, Omega, Edwin Jagger, among others, are good names for brushes. Now start your research and see what best strikes your fancy.
As a general rule, I go for stiffer brushes with soaps and softer with creams. There is no set rule. Do what works best for you.
Brush sizes also vary. The most popular, from my experience, are between 20 to 24 mm. Here, too, personal choice dictates what you should choose. Some gentleman like the big brushes. My preferred size is the 22 mm. I especially find them conducive for face-lathering.