General brush question.

[BarSoapShaver]

Hi all,

For the last few years i've been using a simple Wilkinson Sword brush. It does the job in was intended to do froth up the chops so to speak.

So my question/s is, are brushes really all that different? I see a lot of folks saying "badger is the best", "boar is ok" "synthetic are not bad".

They just froth up the chops. Is it really worth paying out tons of dosh for a chop frother ?

What advantages do badger have over boar or boar have over synthetic brushes ?

What's your preferred choice of brush and why ?

Thanks in advance

Paul

 

[matwho]

I think boars are great and so are synthetics. I have all three plus a horse hair brush which is also great. The boar has the most backbone and needs to be broke in. I use the boar more than any of the other brushes. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a great brush.

 

[BarSoapShaver]

Hi Matwho,

The horse hair brush sounds interesting, what is it like to use? My GF has horses so I could make one but would horse hair take some time to break in compared to boar ? I think my wilk sword is boar and is broken in now.

Best,
Paul

 

[Greyfox]

Yes they are different. As far as " Is it really worth paying out tons of dosh for a chop frother ?" goes I guess that depends on you. Let's face it, wet shaving is an indulgence for most and dollars on brushes creams, razors, etc is a choice not a requirement. One can buy a whole lot of canned foam and disposable razors for the cost of a decent brush. It all depends upon what you want to get out of it.

 

[doofus]

Ok I get froth. What the heck is a chop? I had to get one of each to find out for myself. I ended up liking boar the most although I have been using badger and horse more and more. I found synthetic wasn't for me at all. It's really one of those things you have to try for yourself to see.

 

[BarSoapShaver]

Hi Greyfox,

Can you explain why the difference please? I'm debating on weather or not to upgrade.

 

[BarSoapShaver]

Hi Doofus,

Lol Chops are cheeks.

 

[ColonelHogan]

Hi Doofus,

Lol Chops are cheeks.

If chops are cheeks then what are jowls?

 

[drwevil]

If chops are cheeks then what are jowls?

Saggy checks that hang below the jaw line ....

 

[Swazilander]

For the price of synthetic brushes they're definitely worth trying. I really like them and can be had for a song.

 

[Greyfox]

Hi Greyfox,

Can you explain why the difference please? I'm debating on weather or not to upgrade.

I am an old guy and I find that the badger brush makes my shaving ritual more comfortable and enjoyable. With a fine badger brush the entire experience is enhanced. It turns a required chore into something I look forward to rather than something that just has to be done. No one needs a silvertip badger to get a good shave but it sure adds to the pleasure. An analogy might be the difference between smoking a good cigar in the car on the way to work compared to smoking that same cigar on a warm summer evening on the porch with a great whiskey and good friends. In both cases you are smoking a cigar but the latter makes the cigar more memorable. Such things add value to a genteel life. I admit such esoterical differences may not be for everyone but to those that it is, the difference is significant and worthwhile. I find the boar brushes to take a very long time to break in and never reach the luxurious feel of the badgers and the synthetics I just do not like. YMMV.

 

[BarSoapShaver]

I am an old guy and I find that the badger brush makes my shaving ritual more comfortable and enjoyable. With a fine badger brush the entire experience is enhanced. It turns a required chore into something I look forward to rather than something that just has to be done. No one needs a silvertip badger to get a good shave but it sure adds to the pleasure. An analogy might be the difference between smoking a good cigar in the car on the way to work compared to smoking that same cigar on a warm summer evening on the porch with a great whiskey and good friends. In both cases you are smoking a cigar but the latter makes the cigar more memorable. Such things add value to a genteel life. I admit such esoterical differences may not be for everyone but to those that it is, the difference is significant and worthwhile. I find the boar brushes to take a very long time to break in and never reach the luxurious feel of the badgers and the synthetics I just do not like. YMMV.

Thank you Greyfox I'll look at a badger now.

Best,
Paul

 

[paintflinger]

For me, expensive badger is all about chasing the lusciously soft tips. Thing is, certain companies (cough...Simpsons...cough) mark their brushes up to extremely high prices for no reason. I can spend a little over $100 and get a knot/handle that exceeds a $400+ Simpson's Manchurian. I do not consider an extra $60-80 dollars over a decent boar or synthetic to be an egregious mark up, since neither synths nor boars mimic the badger knots. All that said, you will be absolutely happy with the new synthetics that are coming out (e.g. gamechanger, tuxedo, cashmere, silvertip plissoft) or any decent boar over your Wilkinson brush. My 2 cents.

The brush below has the best knot out right now, a stunning handle, and it will only run you $130.

 

[BarSoapShaver]

Saggy checks that hang below the jaw line ....

Lol that and saggy knackers (Private region) No man wants either.

 

[BarSoapShaver]

For me, expensive badger is all about chasing the lusciously soft tips. Thing is, certain companies (cough...Simpsons...cough) mark their brushes up to extremely high prices for no reason. I can spend a little over $100 and get a knot/handle that exceeds a $400+ Simpson's Manchurian. I do not consider an extra $60-80 dollars over a decent boar or synthetic to be an egregious mark up, since neither synths nor boars mimic the badger knots. All that said, you will be absolutely happy with the new synthetics that are coming out (e.g. gamechanger, tuxedo, cashmere, silvertip plissoft) or any decent boar over your Wilkinson brush. My 2 cents.

The brush below has the best knot out right now, a stunning handle, and it will only run you $130.

View attachment 720386

Many thanks for this.

 

[adamchur]

IMHO - any brush will do the job, it's just that different types of hair or fibre that the brush is made from, and the company that makes it just add different characteristics

I've also got a DIY Travel Badger that's not in the pic, but just going by hair/fibre characteristics....


Aluminium Handle - Unbranded Chinese Synthetic Silvertip - cost less than €6 on eBay with free shipping from China to Spain
Odourless from brand new and no need to break in or defunk - kitten soft feel, but has some backbone too - needs zero soaking and holds water like a sponge after a quick dip in warm water, so needs a good squeeze and a quick shake so it's just damp before loading it. It looks so much like the Silvertip Badger I've seen in photos , I wouldn't realise it wasn't badger if I didn't know it was man made.
I'm essentially a bowl latherer, but I tend to use it to treat myself to a weekly face lather with Proraso Soap, well worth buying and still as good as new after 6 months

Black Handle - Unbranded Dark Badger - less than €10 on eBay including shipping from England to Spain
Not too much of a "wet dog" smell, and was fairly soft from new so only needed the minimal amount of defunking and breaking in - holds water well after a soak in warm water - easy to load and lather - after 2+ years it's nice and soft and feels great every time I use it

Wood/Stainless Handle - Vie Long 4101 Professional 60% Boar / 40% White Horsehair - less than €15 from Spain on eBay with free shipping
When it was new it was the stinkiest brush I've ever smelled in my life - and as stiff as a yard broom into the bargain !! I had to give it a thorough wash with baby shampoo, a long rinse in hot water and no less than 10 test lathers with a Derby stick to get it from plain "stinky" to just a "wet dog" smell. After another wash with baby shampoo and a couple of hours soaking in warm water it just about smelled inoffensive enough to lather my face with. A characteristic of the Boar is that it's got backbone and tends to be a bit scritchy, a characteristic of Horsehair is that it's floppy, this brush has the best of both worlds, the backbone it makes it a breeze to load from even the hardest puck of soap, and the floppiness makes it most efficient when used in a "painting" motion instead of "swirling" - it was easy to mix a good supply of lather in a bowl, and the painting motion has all the exfoliating feel of a face lather - I got some very nice lathers even from brand new.
Now 6 months down the line, the tips of the bristles have split and softened enough to do a swirling motion to coat my face with a thin layer of lather before applying the rest with a painting motion.
The "American" style professional handle is a joy to use too

Wood Handle - Unbranded Chinese Horsehair - €3,75 on eBay with free shipping from China to Spain
It had a slight odour to it from new, but was by far the quickest and easiest "animal" brush to defunk
It had the backbone from new, but surprisingly enough it was almost as soft as badger and worked equally well in a swirling or painting motion
It produced an explosion of lather the first time I used it and basically blew me away and opened up my eyes to the qualities of Horsehair
Now 12 months down the line it's kitten soft and I can't ever remember having a bad lather
For the price, it's a real diamond in the rough, knocks spots off all of the rest of my brushes and is by far my favourite brush - and also my cheapest - which is a bit annoying considering the amount of money I spent before and since on all my other brushes !!

Great performance for just €3,75 - cheap at half the price !!

 

[BarSoapShaver]

Many thanks Adam, i'm looking at the badger brushes but i'm also looking at the horse hair which I can make as my GF has horses.

 

[BigJ]

I had to try brushes with different characteristics to see where the sweet spot was for me. This turned out to be badger (9/10 days as I still use an old boar from time to time), generally Simpsons best. YMMV for sure, but you really cannot tell until you try things for yourself.

 

[BarSoapShaver]

Hi Big J,

That's my biggest problem at the moment I can't really afford to buy a load of brushes. My way of thinking is my wilk sword is at the low end of the market. Badger being at the high end so if I get one brush from either end of the market I can't go wrong. Well, one hopes anyway.

 

[Orangeman]

I use that same Wilkinson Sword synthetic quite often. It is a perfectly serviceable brush, imo.