Thread: EJ "Best" Black Badger???

So I'm considering a first step into badger brushes. I started out with a VDH boar which I still use on rare occasion. My go to is a horse hair brush that sold for about $3 new. It rocks. Much softer than the boar with better lather, but with good backbone. It is a good daily use brush with enough muscle to feel real good if I've skipped a day or two. More than that and I switch to a stiffer Horse Hair to get a good scrub and work the lather deep.

In a badger I'm looking for a softer more luxury feel, but not floppy. I use pucks...I haven't gotten into creams. I found an EJ brush listed as "Best Black Badger" that's comfortably within my price range, but I found conflicting reviews on the qualities of black badger brushes.

Anybody have any experience with the EJ Best Black? Or with Best Black vs. regular Black? I'm aware that for a little more I can get a "Best" that's not black, and I've found nothing but good about those, but am curious about the Best Black.

Thanks for your feedback.

Peace,
Jim

Hey Jim really can't tell you much about the EJ brush but I do remember hearing once before that people felt the EJ brush were good but overpriced. That was some years ago so may have changed.

I have a black badger that is a nice brush. It is good with pucks but I wouldn't say it gives that luxurious feel that it sounds like you are going for.

Something to think about is that for about 6-7 dollars more you can get a vulfix super badger. I have a 660s medium that I have used with every type of soap and it gives me that luxurious feel that I think you are going for.

I have read reviews of vulfix and some people feel all vulfix brush are floppy. I have not found this to be the case for me ymmv.

Because there are no standards in hair grading many terms mean little. usually the black brushes are pure badger which are very prickly. What most consider to be "best" badger are kind of like junior silvertips and tend to be a good compromise in price and quality.

I'm sure someone will come along who owns that brush and can give it to you from the badgers Mouth.

Originally Posted by BigJim

So I'm considering a first step into badger brushes. I started out with a VDH boar which I still use on rare occasion. My go to is a horse hair brush that sold for about $3 new. It rocks. Much softer than the boar with better lather, but with good backbone. It is a good daily use brush with enough muscle to feel real good if I've skipped a day or two. More than that and I switch to a stiffer Horse Hair to get a good scrub and work the lather deep.

In a badger I'm looking for a softer more luxury feel, but not floppy. I use pucks...I haven't gotten into creams. I found an EJ brush listed as "Best Black Badger" that's comfortably within my price range, but I found conflicting reviews on the qualities of black badger brushes.

Anybody have any experience with the EJ Best Black? Or with Best Black vs. regular Black? I'm aware that for a little more I can get a "Best" that's not black, and I've found nothing but good about those, but am curious about the Best Black.

Thanks for your feedback.

Peace,
Jim

Black badger is too scritchy for me. My favorite badger knot is finest badger. It's stiff enough to work up a good lather and comfortable enough to feel real good when applied to your face.

Not getting a great deal of feedback I've continued shopping and ran across an Omega 636 Silvertip that's in my budget. I may end up going that route, though I like the handle on the EJ Best Black better.

Peace,
Jim

badger is like anything else as far as natural materials go,It is graded according to quality,be it leather,wood,wool.the list is endless,Black badger is the lowest Quality.
But in may work for you.To me it is like boar,which i do not like,and almost as bad as horse hair brushes,JMO,Do not buy any brush because of the way it looks.

I don't know about the omega 646 but I have the 599 about 50 dollars if I remember right and like it a lot it is probably my second most used brush behind my omega big pro boar

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

badger is like anything else as far as natural materials go,It is graded according to quality,be it leather,wood,wool.the list is endless,Black badger is the lowest Quality.
But in may work for you.To me it is like boar,which i do not like,and almost as bad as horse hair brushes,JMO,Do not buy any brush because of the way it looks.

I find it odd that the black would be the worst quality. It's marketed at a price point around the "Best Badger" level from brand to brand. You'd think if it was the worst quality it'd be cheaper than pure badger, but maybe that's marketing or fad? I don't know.

My old VDH boar is not exciting, but it gets the job done. My favorite is my #7 Horse Hair. Cheaper than dirt price wise, but a lot softer and better lathering than the boar. A $3 brush that's gone over a year of daily shaves so far with no noticeable wear.

At any rate, it sounds like the EJ is not the way to go for what I'm looking for at this point in time...(can I say that...did Glen copyright that? )

Originally Posted by Castel33

I don't know about the omega 646 but I have the 599 about 50 dollars if I remember right and like it a lot it is probably my second most used brush behind my omega big pro boar

Nearest I can tell the difference between a 636 and a 599, is the former is about 25% bigger than the latter. It's also about $5 cheaper. How does it compare to the boar you use regularly? Soft? Floppy?

Thanks,
Jim

The 599 is a lot softer but still has good backbone. Feels real good on the face.

I think a best badger brushe would do very well for you. it doesn't matter to much on the company. most best badger brushes to me at least have the same feeling as far as softness goes. hope it helps a bit. the EJ brush would be very prickley indeed. I owned one, I like it though, great for exfoliating the skin!