Agree. Get a 620. It's all you need.
Looking for advice on a new brush
- Thread starter Alex_Kinzor
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Agree. Get a 620. It's all you need.
I would also recommend the Razorock Plissoft as others have suggested. It handles all soaps and creams very well. I wish I had started with this one, could have saved some money!
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I have the omega boar/badger which I can't remeber the number but it was cheap and is awesome. Not the biggest brush but bigger isn't always better. The aluminum handled badger from maggard is another great choice and you can pair it with the matching razor for less than a comperable brush alone.
That's the exact brush that I have as well. It's a deal at under $20 bucks!
Since you asked, I would go for a new brush. My preference is natural fibers. In your price range that means a boar and there are lots of options. The main thing is to pick something that appeals to you, then go on from there!
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- #27
Thanks for the advice guys. While I'm going to wait before ordering (I'm waiting on word about a job actually, but I got a good feeling about it I doubt they'd want to bother with a background check if they weren't in the mood to hire) it looks like my best bets are going with omega (I'm probably going to go with a boar from them) and the Plissoft. Both seem to be value for money and with the omega lots of places are pricing them in the under 10 USD range. Meaning I can actually get two brushes and stay within my budget. And two brushes are better than one.
Honestly , I have a Razorock plissoft synthetic brush I used once and it sits there collecting dust . If you want it, I'll just ship it for free . Shoot me a message and we can coordinate it.
+1!
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- #31
Well as an update...I received the brush from CGR86 yesterday (my sincere thanks to him). I used it yesterday. My shave wasn't excellent but I think that's the blade I was using rather than the brush cause I got the lather to a standard that I deemed acceptable. I was using a Treet Carbon Steel on the third time round and I could feel where the blade was getting blunt, probably could have gotten a couple more shaves out of it but the quality of those shaves would be dramatically reduced. Three shaves for me is a week (unless something comes up and I need a shave on the weekend) and Treets are cheap (I'll definitely try their other options--I got the carbon ones because they weren't stainless).
It did take me three lather attempts to get a passable lather. I blame my technique on that one because at first it was too thick, then it was too thin and then it was good enough but not quite perfect. I have to learn the properties of the brush and adjust accordingly. I must say that it is very soft and luxurious feeling. All in all perfect.
So essentially this brush went from a den where it was the red headed step-child to one where it will be loved, and used often.
Would I recommend plissoft brushes to someone else? Yes, yes I would. I do think that it would work better with a croap than a harder soap though. I will be experimenting with soaps soon.
It did take me three lather attempts to get a passable lather. I blame my technique on that one because at first it was too thick, then it was too thin and then it was good enough but not quite perfect. I have to learn the properties of the brush and adjust accordingly. I must say that it is very soft and luxurious feeling. All in all perfect.
So essentially this brush went from a den where it was the red headed step-child to one where it will be loved, and used often.
Would I recommend plissoft brushes to someone else? Yes, yes I would. I do think that it would work better with a croap than a harder soap though. I will be experimenting with soaps soon.
Great and timely post, as I too was given the VDH kit ( but with the small bowl) - As I learn more about wet shaving, soaps, blades, razors, AS, technique etc etc etc. I am heading towards a better brush.
So I will digest all the input I have read here, that was also offered in such a non-judge mental and open way. I really love the friendliness and the comraderie and the PIF genetics built into the membership.
Time to wrestle with this just a bit more, as I am a bowl lathered as of now. Leaning and heading towards the Semogue 620. Love the three colors, the metal ring and the earnest compliments of it read here. There are just so many types and variations of brushes and I do not fully understand the differentiations. Mind boggling.
Cheers
So I will digest all the input I have read here, that was also offered in such a non-judge mental and open way. I really love the friendliness and the comraderie and the PIF genetics built into the membership.
Time to wrestle with this just a bit more, as I am a bowl lathered as of now. Leaning and heading towards the Semogue 620. Love the three colors, the metal ring and the earnest compliments of it read here. There are just so many types and variations of brushes and I do not fully understand the differentiations. Mind boggling.
Cheers
Thats the funny thing about brushes: its all so subjective. Ask 10 wet shavers what brush to get and youll likely get 10 different answers.
Omegas are nice, Simpsons are nice, Semoges are nice; most name brand brushes are nice. As for badger vs boar vs horsehair vs synthetic; I find badger and synthetic to be very similar, boar to be a bit stiffer and horsehair to be kind of in the middle. I can get a good lather with any of them but you may like the softness of badger/synthetic or if you use hard soaps, you may like the stiffness of boar for ease of loading your brush and ease of building lather.
As for the VDH brush, no surprise there. Its a cheap brush and everyone knows it. Im sure the knot isnt of the highest quality but you could pick up a nice namebrand brush for $15 or less.
Omegas are nice, Simpsons are nice, Semoges are nice; most name brand brushes are nice. As for badger vs boar vs horsehair vs synthetic; I find badger and synthetic to be very similar, boar to be a bit stiffer and horsehair to be kind of in the middle. I can get a good lather with any of them but you may like the softness of badger/synthetic or if you use hard soaps, you may like the stiffness of boar for ease of loading your brush and ease of building lather.
As for the VDH brush, no surprise there. Its a cheap brush and everyone knows it. Im sure the knot isnt of the highest quality but you could pick up a nice namebrand brush for $15 or less.
Just ordered the Semogue 620 from Portugal....$18 and change
Well, I'll chime-in with the Semogue 620 love. Got it from Amazon for a bit under $18, delivered. I've used cheap drug-store boars for a long time, and at the beginning of this year bought the Semogue. It's been significantly better, and I expect to have it around for a long time. I whole-heartedly recommend it for anybody looking for a relatively cheap boar brush.
Awesome gesture!
Great brush you will love it!
Some people like boar, some like synthetic, some like badger. I have each kind. I prefer badger. You need to realize that Van Der Hagen is to shaving as "Acme" is to Wiley Coyote supplies.
Stick with reputable brands like Parker or Omega and you'll find some decent badger brushes within your budget at Amazon, Maggards, Fendrihan, etc.
Not that you wouldn't enjoy more expensive brushes from Rooney, Simpson, etc, but "baby steps" as they say
Stick with reputable brands like Parker or Omega and you'll find some decent badger brushes within your budget at Amazon, Maggards, Fendrihan, etc.
Not that you wouldn't enjoy more expensive brushes from Rooney, Simpson, etc, but "baby steps" as they say
