Thread: Do I really need a brush?

I understand you perfectly. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way for me. Otherwise I would use it by the gallon. My wife also doesn't really like the smell of aftershave, so my chances are better without it.

And I have a sensitive skin that is allergic to most soaps and perfumes.

But my main point was that you don't really 'need' x, y and z to shave.
You pretty much only need a razor and a strop. All the rest is preference and personal taste.

I must say for me the brush makes the experience even better. The suggestion of a baggie is how I would go. As for badger vs boar I have both and I prefer the badger but the boar might be a way to start...

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

Or just get yourself a real badger. You could carry it around in one of those dog carrier cages and sedate him whenever you need a bit of his hide. Trim some off, lather up, and then re-cage him and allow the fur to grow back like some sort of angrier, smellier Chia-Pet. Make sure to water often.

What a great idea! Instead of a badger travel brush, a traveling Badger. The two of you can sing "Coom-by-ya" around the camp fire....



Scott

I really really enjoy the whole experience of the shave, and a very important part is the brush I use.

There is no substitute to a top quality badger brush when creating and applying lather. Takes your shave to the next level.

Originally Posted by vitriol

So my question is, is a brush mandatory for straight shaving??

The required possessions mandatory for straight shaving are as follows:

1. A straight razor sharp enough to cut hair
2. Hair
3. A way to scrape the razor across the hair (three or four fingers including a thumb ought to do it)

Everything else only serves to enhance the process

I didn't use a brush for the first few weeks that I shaved with a straight razor. Shaving has been much better for me since I bought a badger's-hair brush (not to be confused with a badger's hairbrush.)

First, an answer to your question. If you use a brushless cream you don't need a brush. I will often use a brushless cream for total convenience when I am traveling.

Will you get a better shave with the use of a brush? Possibly.
A good quality brush does three useful things for me.
It builds a rich lather with the hard shaving soaps that I prefer.
It enables the lather to be applied deeply into the hair growth thereby helping to lift the beard ready for shaving. Incidentally, the more you pay for a brush, the better it should be at doing this job.
It holds enough lathered soap to coat my face at least three times.

Finally, do you get a better brush if you pay more for it? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. But let's take a Kent BK4 as a good quality brush from a reputable supplier that would satisfy most people fully and beyond their expectations. If you want to better it by lets say 10% you will have to pay four times the price.

Hope this helps.

I certainly agree with most that it's not mandatory, but it's much nicer with a brush than without. I have an Crabtree and Evelyn badger travel brush that is excellent.

It's small, and comes with it's own ventilated screw-top container. I shake it out anfter rinsing, dry it as much as possible by sqweezing it in a towel, and slide it into the case. It drys well, and the ventilated cap makes sure it's ready for the next day. For the price, it is an excellent badger brush. I highly recommend it
Wayne

If you get by without, then the answer is no, you don't need one. My advice would be, give it a go though. They're great.

Originally Posted by AlanII

If you get by without, then the answer is no, you don't need one. My advice would be, give it a go though. They're great.

Well, certainly, it's your shave, so do what you will. For others who might be reading this thread with a similar question, I will add that while I really like badger brushes, I have two others that I often end up with for traveling. One is the only boar brush that I think works really well, the Omega #10048, see it here. The other is an Omega Syntex brush, like the #90075, or several similar others here.

This boar brush works well because it has a really long straight bundle of bristles, so you can use it like an egg whisk, makes lather quickly in a bowl. The Syntex brushes are really soft, springy, and great for lathering on your face after using a shave stick (or spreading cream). They also dry quickly and won't mildew, smell bad, etc. And neither is so expensive that anybody would steal them!

I have seen the Omega 10048 in Target and Wal-Mart at times.

Oh, and if the ziploc baggie solution doesn't suit you, then take your brush to your friendly neighborhood pharmacy. You can often find a pill bottle that is long enough and big around enough to hold the brush. Drill a couple of 1/8" holes near the bottom and top, and you have a ventilated brush holder. If you're a customer, the pharmacist might not even charge you for one, but they cost peanuts anyway.