No offense taken. I know that good badger brushes can be had for under $50, but many of the badger brushes in this category are either lower grades of badger hair (pure badger or best badger), small diameter knots (under 24mm), or low density knots that provide little backbone. So you need to do a little research to make sure you will be pleased with the results. I do agree with you that two-band badger brushes are likely to be your best option in that price category.
Can an animal hair brush make that much of a difference?
- Thread starter dk-109
- Start date
No offense taken. I know that good badger brushes can be had for under $50, but many of the badger brushes in this category are either lower grades of badger hair (pure badger or best badger), small diameter knots (under 24mm), or low density knots that provide little backbone. So you need to do a little research to make sure you will be pleased with the results. I do agree with you that two-band badger brushes are likely to be your best option in that price category.
lol. I have one of those too but I appear to have gotten a better one than yours. It's fine. No stink. Feels good on the face. Makes lather. Can't ask any more than that from a six dollar badger-hair shaving brush (I'd never pay the regular retail price for it let alone the $25 list price; that money would go toward something else.) I'm sorry yours didn't work out.
Meanwhile, the Jagger medium best badger I've been using daily since 2011 (and currently retails for around US$40 with its 21mm knot and plain ivory-plastic handle) is a keeper good enough that I have never felt any urge to spend more than pocket change on any other brush of any kind made by anybody.
I've tried only one synthetic knot brush. It worked OK, it took the fun out of my shaving experience. Can't say why. Maybe it was that the knot felt too soft and uniform. You might try a good quality pure badger brush. Mine (a Plisson no. 10 and a shavemac knot in a Rudy Vey handle) are scritchy but in a good way. They make fabulous lather very quickly.
Jim I love your brushes and the straight.
Jim you outta try the Yaqis, I have a couple and love them to death lol.
True there are many lower quality brushes out there that are awful but, like the RR Bruce, IMHO the Yaqi are super value for the quality.
Happy shaves,
Mawashi
This^^.
All synthetics work similarly, and work VERY well.
Natural hairs are all over the map, and I would say, most have inferior performance to modern synthetics, but find the right one that works as well as a synth, and it will hold lather and heat a tad differently, and possibly better.
It just depends what you're chasing or if you just need a tool that works.
I found the RR 24 Barrel finest badger to be perfect for me, and they're around $20.
I prefer badger over any other type of brush. I too use a synthetic when traveling because they dry so quickly, but badgers give me the best overall shave experience, from feel, latherability all the way up to snob appeal.
I would bet a lot depends on what you use first, and then how long you spend with each. I had exclusively used synthetics for my 5 years of wetshaving, the last 3 or so using a Stirling Little Brudder (22x51). I recently decided to get a larger brush, and then thought why not try a boar, for the classic/nostalgia factor.
I got a Mondial and have only used it 5 or so times--it feels very nice but I don't think I've adjusted to boar yet. First of all how much water is in it is not nearly as straightforward as the synthetic, you can't really get all the water out for example. Then it is softer, less springy, and combined with being wetter it takes a long time to load much hard soap. Face lathering, I tend more toward painting strokes because with swirling it can get twisted around itself and doesn't spring back. But it seems like no matter how long I load, I'm not able to build up as voluminous a lather as with the much smaller synthetic. I think it is partly that the synthetic is so small that all the lather comes right out of the brush--with the large boar I find that on the third pass, when it seems like the lather has dissipated considerably, I can squeeze it with my fingers to get more out. This is fine I guess, just not as quick as brushing it right on.
Anyway, since so many people swear by boars I'm sure I just need to get used to it and hit on the appropriate technique. So many people here said they get the same lather results with all brushes just using the right technique. It definitely has a cool feel to it, I'm still intrigued.
I got a Mondial and have only used it 5 or so times--it feels very nice but I don't think I've adjusted to boar yet. First of all how much water is in it is not nearly as straightforward as the synthetic, you can't really get all the water out for example. Then it is softer, less springy, and combined with being wetter it takes a long time to load much hard soap. Face lathering, I tend more toward painting strokes because with swirling it can get twisted around itself and doesn't spring back. But it seems like no matter how long I load, I'm not able to build up as voluminous a lather as with the much smaller synthetic. I think it is partly that the synthetic is so small that all the lather comes right out of the brush--with the large boar I find that on the third pass, when it seems like the lather has dissipated considerably, I can squeeze it with my fingers to get more out. This is fine I guess, just not as quick as brushing it right on.
Anyway, since so many people swear by boars I'm sure I just need to get used to it and hit on the appropriate technique. So many people here said they get the same lather results with all brushes just using the right technique. It definitely has a cool feel to it, I'm still intrigued.
Hi carm10,
It sounds like the tips haven't broken in yet which is why it doesn't lather well.
Try loading and palm lathering to break in the tips.
Don't mash the brush rather just focus on applying the same pressure as you would face lathering on your palm. You should see a difference within a few mins.
I usually break in a boar in 15 mins using the MBBM lol.
I know some may disagree with me but, for me, different soaps work better with different brushes. It makes sense when you consider that soaps may require different water ratios. Animal brushes retain more water than synths. I found some soaps are sensitive to the amount of water in the brush. I can more easily control water with the synths, since they retain less water.
+1. I have various badger, boar, horsehair, and synthetic brushes. I pick my soap for the day and the select the brush that I think will generate the best lather. I do have some brushes that will work with most types of soap, but I try to find the optimal combination. If I am lathering a cream or soft soap, I will pick a floppy badger or synthetic. If I am lathering a hard puck, I will use a boar. Semi-firm soaps will work with most brushes.
I like badger but now that I've acquired a couple one thing Im finding is that the most expensive badger brushes seem to be the most dense and have the best feel, but are downright difficult wrt flow through.
meanwhile you can whip up a lather and paint it on your face with a synth with little thought.
I personally enjoy shaving more than lathering, so I gotta say my preference is still synths even against Paladins though each Paladin is itself a work of art.
meanwhile you can whip up a lather and paint it on your face with a synth with little thought.
I personally enjoy shaving more than lathering, so I gotta say my preference is still synths even against Paladins though each Paladin is itself a work of art.
This is what makes this hobby fun, if everyone likes one brush we would all be boring. Hence fun in finding your holy grail brush or brushes, razors and soaps, not forgetting scents.
To me a synth is ok for travel or a rush shave, when in a hurry yes I do use the odd synth but when I want a good shave I use a boat, horse or badger. The idea is a brush should massage the face to lift the hair.
To me a synth is ok for travel or a rush shave, when in a hurry yes I do use the odd synth but when I want a good shave I use a boat, horse or badger. The idea is a brush should massage the face to lift the hair.
No disagreement that some brushes work easier w some soaps but overall all brushes should be able to produce good lather once broken in.
Boars and badgers can be lather hogs but it's just a matter of pinching the base and squeezing out the lather to the top.
I can't face lather with my Horsey as it has horribly sharp 75% bristles but it bowl lathers like a dream.
Face lathering with my boars, badgers or syns is fun.
Happy shaves,
Mawashi
I face lather with my zenith and vie long in a rubberset 400 both are fantastic to face leather and on par with my badger brushes
Not sure why but my Vie Long 04382 has those hard bristles but it's ok as it tangles when I try to face lather but it bowl lathers great so it'll stay as my bowl lathering brush.
Happy shaves,
Mawashi
I started 2 years ago with an omega synthetic. With nothing to benchmark it with, I thought it was great.
Then a year ago, I switched to omega boars and it's just way better. Makes my synthetic look like a second class citizen.
I've never tried badgers and probably never will because it seems like a waste of money to me to pay so much for a brush.
Then a year ago, I switched to omega boars and it's just way better. Makes my synthetic look like a second class citizen.
I've never tried badgers and probably never will because it seems like a waste of money to me to pay so much for a brush.
Maybe your brush is not broken in yet.
Just soak the bristles in a mug of water and leave it in the fridge for 3 days.
Also, when lathering and loading, start with a drier brush with most of the water shaken out. If it's too dry add a few drops accordingly.
5 uses is hardly enough to break in a boar. The fridge method can help speed things up a lot.
I have been wet shaving for about 63 years. I have had a bunch of badgers and a bunch of boars, but only one horse hair that I remember (my dad's). I currently have and use about 20 synthetics of all descriptions.
My experience has been that which type of brush is best depends on the method and manner of prep.
In particular, I face-soap wash (with hands only), criss-crossing across the mustache, chin and neck, double wipe and soak with a super-hot face cloth, repeat, and then face-lather, criss-crossing the "middle" (again) with the hands, dunk the bush downwardly into super-hot water, re-lather with the thusly re-heated lather, and repeat the dunk and lather. I then rinse and dry the brush -- while the lather "sinks-in". I also usually rinse -off the shaving soap container and dry it, during this "soaking-in" time.
After shaving downwardly WTG with a sharp blade (preferably a SE or a feather DE, or the like), I will have saved enough lather on my neck to re-lather with my hands for an upward ATG pass pass. Then, usually a clean-up with a diagonal XTG pass particularly on the neck hairs -- which unfortunately grow "side-ways". Finally, I shower-off the "complete mess".
All of this takes a lot less time to accomplish, than it does to describe it. I nearly always get an irritation-free, BBS -- which I follow-up with Vaseline Intensive Care diluted with witch hazel, and usually no aftershave.
But, candidly, My Blade-Shaving Buddies, using a badger or boar brush gives no advantage, whatsoever.
My experience has been that which type of brush is best depends on the method and manner of prep.
In particular, I face-soap wash (with hands only), criss-crossing across the mustache, chin and neck, double wipe and soak with a super-hot face cloth, repeat, and then face-lather, criss-crossing the "middle" (again) with the hands, dunk the bush downwardly into super-hot water, re-lather with the thusly re-heated lather, and repeat the dunk and lather. I then rinse and dry the brush -- while the lather "sinks-in". I also usually rinse -off the shaving soap container and dry it, during this "soaking-in" time.
After shaving downwardly WTG with a sharp blade (preferably a SE or a feather DE, or the like), I will have saved enough lather on my neck to re-lather with my hands for an upward ATG pass pass. Then, usually a clean-up with a diagonal XTG pass particularly on the neck hairs -- which unfortunately grow "side-ways". Finally, I shower-off the "complete mess".
All of this takes a lot less time to accomplish, than it does to describe it. I nearly always get an irritation-free, BBS -- which I follow-up with Vaseline Intensive Care diluted with witch hazel, and usually no aftershave.
But, candidly, My Blade-Shaving Buddies, using a badger or boar brush gives no advantage, whatsoever.
That's funny. My first brush was a VDH boar, which I still have and use. When I want a good stiff skritchy brush I use the VDH.
Thanks. No doubt it will get better over time. I soaked it for a couple days first even though people said these require little break-in. Last use, I tried squeezing all water out and loading for 90 seconds. After it still dissipated after only the first pass, I loaded more and palm lathered--I found that really whipping it and slapping around a lot in the hollow of the hand, getting more air into it, did wonders and there was plenty of lather for a couple more passes. Not sure I can replicate that whipping on my convex face (loft is 65mm), but will try it in a bowl. Probably shows what the future holds once it's fully broken in.
