Thread: Why do people pay $300 for a brush

I have been straight shaving for two years and the most expensive brush I have was $50. I get wonderful lather with little effort.. I thought that was all anyone could ask.



I must not understand something so I am asking.
Stingray

Why do people buy expensive shoes, suits, cars, etc.? Personal preference, I guess. I don't own any $300.00 brushes, I own some in the range $180.00 and below. If I see something I like and I can afford it then I buy it.

Though handmade silvertip brushes are typically on the pricey side, a lot of times you are paying for brand recognition - the name on the brush. IMO that's a large part of why some can be so expensive.

If it is working for you and you are happy with the brush no need to look further. I fact it will save you a lot of dough. Once you try other brushes and actually see the differences between them it can get costly once you start chasing that magic bullet. That is one way to work up to spending $300 on a brush. The other reason is just because you have the disposable income and can.

Bob

Disposable income is the thing. I remember when I used to get the Sunday NY Times and I'd see ads for watches for $15,000.00. I used to wonder who in the world had that kind of money to spend on a watch ?

There is a thread in finer things about shoes, d.m. ellington posted about, John Lobb handmade oxfords, a custom shoe that costs as much as a car. I went to the website and an'off the shelf' pair of their shoes costs $1200.00 USD. My converse all stars ran me $40.00 and I thought that was expensive.

I have spent too much on a shaving brush or two or three though. That was years ago before the great recession turned into the depression. Not much 'disposable income these days. I don't see fancy shoes or shaving brushes in my future.

There is nopractical reason to spend 300$ on a brush.
You still have to use it in the same way you'd use a 30$ brush.
I've seen 17$ horse hair brushes that were very good. But it's a matter of splurging on a luxury item. I've bought a badger Thater from a friend, and it is without a doubt the best and finest brush I've ever handled. Using it is a very nice feeling. So while it doesn't do anything the 17$ brush does, it does is much more enjoyable.

And at that point you just have to decide for yourself if you have some disposable cash at hand which you won't miss, and whether that is worth the added luxury.

By the same token, there is not a single reason to spend 1000$ on a pattern welded blade instead of a simple O1 blade. They'll do the exact same thing, and behave the same in all aspects. It's just a matter of weighing the added 'niceness' versus the added cost.

Because they can...

Simple as that.

Originally Posted by Shaggy8675

Because they can...

Simple as that.

I was thinking the same thing.

You'll see lot's of stuff like that in this hobby, Custom razors over $1500.00, Japanese stones that run in the thousands, and even the NOS Filarmonica razors were fetching around 750.00 at one time.

Them that have-get. Them that don't-ask why.

Because they're magical. Each hair used in the brush grants you 3 wishes.