Favorite brushes and why - detailed

[JKaboom]

Im relatively new (September 2022) to wet shaving. One of the biggest pieces of advice people give to new wet shavers is to try a variety of products of each type (razors, blades, brushes, etc.). This makes sense. I have (what I think) is a brush in each fiber type:
Boar, badger, synthetic, horse

My questions are:
What type of brush is your favorite and why for:
Hard soaps (tallow based)
Glycerin soaps
Creams
Sticks
Face lathering
Bowl lathering
Overall

Specific brush

Here are my choices in the limited time I've been wet shaving:

Hard soaps (tallow based) - badger:
Good backbone and whips lather pretty well.

Glycerin soaps - synthetic:
I don't know why but it just seems that way.

Creams - badger:
Whips up nice lather

Sticks - boar
Strong backbone for face lathering

Face lathering - boar
Strong backbone to build lather

Bowl lathering - badger
Whips up nice lather overall

Overall - badger
Most versatile

Specific brush:
Vintage Ever - Ready R40 badger - it's the most versatile for me and has a good balance of a strong enough backbone, softness, exfoliating/massaging, builds best overall lather.

The horse hair is ok but feels more like actual hair.

I could just be talking out of my butt but these are my observations and opinions so far.

 

[timetofly]

I say that one will use whatever works best for them.

I used to use boar for the harder triple milled soaps, but now, having purchased a RR 400 (synthetic) brush, that has changed. This particular brush only needs to see ANY soap and will create a great lather.
I have badger brushes, in various qualities, and I continue to reach for the RR 400.

 

[Butterbean]

My personal favorite is the Zenith Pro XL Plastic. I have it in white. I actually bought it to match a white plastic shaving mug I already had, and because it was pretty inexpensive at around $13. It is a very well performing brush. I have some Colgate barber soap, and I bloomed it and added a few drops of glycerin and a drop of Palmolive shaving cream and the lather was ridiculous. I’m talking somewhere between the consistency of whipped cream and yogurt. It was amazing. I’m not saying no other brush can whip up a lather, but this one certainly does not struggle to. I can’t wait to try it next on some Mitchell’s. I used a horsehair brush exclusively for a long time, and it worked pretty good. I think the feel is a combination of personal preference and knot density. My wife has a much softer horsehair brush than mine. She loves it. I am not sure I would like it at all. I think I bought it for myself and gave it to her when I realized just how soft it was. I will also suggest trying different brushes on each type of product. Sometimes we try a few things and rush to analyze, then feel differently later.

 

[Trollky]

I only face lather so there is a limit to how much scritch (prickly-ness) and scrub (backbone) I want from a brush.

My two favourites at each end of the scale are:

Omega 632 Silvertip - no scritch or scrub just luxurious dense softness.

Vulfix Mayfair 403 mixed badger/boar - a bit of scritch and scrub, perfect for hard soaps.

 

[Guido75]

I have to agree with everything @timetofly said about the RR400. You only have to point at any given soap and you have lather to paint your entire den with.

Runners up are the Simpson T3 and Omega Roma Capitolina.

Although I have to say that my Kox Blue Aluminium travel brush can compete with the RR400 for sure.

Guido

 

[rodrigaj]

My favorite is the Stirling 2 band badger (24mm) that I recently picked up in BST from @gdawg55. It has the perfect combination of softness, backbone for face lathering and for my head shaves, bowl lathering. I also love the RR400 as well.

IMO, I think RR and Stirling are the best value / function in the world of shaving. I have never been dissapointed in anything I have tried from them. Very reasonably priced.

 

[gdawg55]

My favorite is the Stirling 2 band badger (24mm) that I recently picked up in BST from @gdawg55. It has the perfect combination of softness, backbone for face lathering and for my head shaves, bowl lathering. I also love the RR400 as well.

IMO, I think RR and Stirling are the best value / function in the world of shaving. I have never been dissapointed in anything I have tried from them. Very reasonably priced.

Glad you like your new brush.

 

[JKaboom]

This is some great feedback, thank you

 

[flask28]

My favorite is the Stirling 2 band badger (24mm) that I recently picked up in BST from @gdawg55. It has the perfect combination of softness, backbone for face lathering and for my head shaves, bowl lathering. I also love the RR400 as well.

IMO, I think RR and Stirling are the best value / function in the world of shaving. I have never been dissapointed in anything I have tried from them. Very reasonably priced.

Funny you say that.

My current favorite brush is the Semogue Mistura that I recently picked up on the BST from @gdawg55!! It has the perfect combination of scrub and backbone for face lathering, bowl lathering, lamp lathering, you name it and this will make a lather on it. But what the Mistura seems to really excel at is flow through. It's a lather hose compared to my (few) other brushes. There's a can of lather hidden in there I swear.

I think there's an argument the Mistura could be the best non synthetic value in the world of shaving. I think @Guido75 needs one. Badly.

 

[Guido75]

Funny you say that.

My current favorite brush is the Semogue Mistura that I recently picked up on the BST from @gdawg55!! It has the perfect combination of scrub and backbone for face lathering, bowl lathering, lamp lathering, you name it and this will make a lather on it. But what the Mistura seems to really excel at is flow through. It's a lather hose compared to my (few) other brushes. There's a can of lather hidden in there I swear.

I think there's an argument the Mistura could be the best non synthetic value in the world of shaving. I think @Guido75 needs one. Badly.

Ok ok, I will check. Although I must say that synthetics have pretty much taken over in my (small) collection.

 

[flask28]

Ok ok, I will check. Although I must say that synthetics have pretty much taken over in my (small) collection.

I know you are a synthetic man. Like R. Daneel Olivaw I'm trying to convert you!

Read this

 

[Guido75]

Read this

That’s 25 page of acquisition danger!! And Jim also loves his SVs. That’s a scratch I definitely will not scratch!

 

[flask28]

That’s 25 page of acquisition danger!! And Jim also loves his SVs. That’s a scratch I definitely will not scratch!

Yeah, definitely don't talk to jim about SV's.

 

[lasta]

I used to be a brush enthusiast...Had everything from cheap Wilkinson branded boars to custom Shavemacs. But nowadays, I find brushes to be the least interesting part of shaving.

What I like:

Medium high stiffness: partially aids in lather consistency, too floppy and lather gets airy fast.

Low density: too much density decreases lathering efficiency (time).

Light weight: too heavy makes bowl lathering more tedious.

So far, Omega boars are as close to perfect as I can ask for. A well broken in boar with strategically plucked hard hairs and paired with a light handle. Boars are the only ones that can reach high stiffness and low density at the same time. Broken in and we'll soaked, soft enough for me.

Modern badgers are either too dense or too floppy. older high lofted low density Ie floppy badgers are great for the occasional face lathering though.

Synthetics have potential, but I never came across one with natural splaying. Either refuses to bend or springs around. Lather quality is excellent though, I might give a high end synths another shot.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I used to be a brush enthusiast...Had everything from cheap Wilkinson branded boars to custom Shavemacs. But nowadays, I find brushes to be the least interesting part of shaving.

What I like:

Medium high stiffness: partially aids in lather consistency, too floppy and lather gets airy fast.

Low density: too much density decreases lathering efficiency (time).

Light weight: too heavy makes bowl lathering more tedious.

So far, Omega boars are as close to perfect as I can ask for. A well broken in boar with strategically plucked hard hairs and paired with a light handle. Boars are the only ones that can reach high stiffness and low density at the same time. Broken in and we'll soaked, soft enough for me.

Modern badgers are either too dense or too floppy. older high lofted low density Ie floppy badgers are great for the occasional face lathering though.

Synthetics have potential, but I never came across one with natural splaying. Either refuses to bend or springs around. Lather quality is excellent though, I might give a high end synths another shot.

I find synthetics only splay properly when they are full of wet lather, so a lot depends on how you use them. They aren’t easy to get going with a shave stick, for example. And even then, only certain synthetics splay reasonably easily. The G5D knots are good splayers. Mühle Silvertip Fibre and the Blackland brush are pretty close behind and overall I like them better. I found the Omega Evo 2.0 to be difficult to splay and it was always fighting to spring back - didn’t enjoy that one. The Wald A1 is very easy to splay - just as easy as any boar or badger - but it’s expensive.

 

[Ron R]

My favorite brushes are Mainly Yaqi & Razorock synthetic , badger and boar bristle brushes.
All these brushes will tackle any soap and creams out there from my findings & experiences.
If all you like just doing lather painting it is hard to beat synthetic & silvertip badger brushes.
When it comes to scrubbing and great painting lather I would choose 2 band badger and boar bristle brushes.
When it comes to travelling and get all the great use out of a brush I will take a synthetic for quick drying preference and it will take some abuse in luggage. I will still take a brush tube to protect the shape of the synthetic hair brush regardless.
Brushes will mildew if not dried properly & even synthetic brushes I have found, towel dry and even hair drier blow the brush if needed if travelling for day or more until you get home or next destination.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I not only talked to Jim about SV 2.0 brushes..... I bought 3 new ones and one used one. I let the used one go this past week because I didn't really need 4 of them... I mean, 3 is overkill but I enjoy each of them.

I also learned about the Zenith Manchurian badgers from Jim.... man, am I glad that was my first badger. I still love that brush. Mine has the 506 copper handle, which I love. M23, if you are chasing one down.

From what I've read, the silver tip badgers might be just a tad too soft for me, overall. I could well be wrong here, but I've read they have a bit less backbone and scrub than a Manchurian knot. The Manchurian knots I have from SV, Zenith and Elite Razor all have a gentle scrub in addition to soft tips. I'm willing to be corrected on my perceptions.

 

[flask28]

I not only talked to Jim about SV 2.0 brushes..... I bought 3 new ones and one used one. I let the used one go this past week because I didn't really need 4 of them... I mean, 3 is overkill but I enjoy each of them.

I also learned about the Zenith Manchurian badgers from Jim.... man, am I glad that was my first badger. I still love that brush. Mine has the 506 copper handle, which I love. M23, if you are chasing one down.

From what I've read, the silver tip badgers might be just a tad too soft for me, overall. I could well be wrong here, but I've read they have a bit less backbone and scrub than a Manchurian knot. The Manchurian knots I have from SV, Zenith and Elite Razor all have a gentle scrub in addition to soft tips. I'm willing to be corrected on my perceptions.

Is three overkill? I think it's just right.

@Chan Eil Whiskers and I have been chatting recently on this very subject and I'm looking hard at a Zenith Manchurian. I just can't decide between the copper 506 like you have (I have the boar in the copper 506, the B33) or to try the longer 507 handle.

I'm going to get a unbleached Zenith boar in an Ivory 507A XSE (Jose at YourShaving just put in the order to Zenith for me) and then I can compare the two handle styles and see which way to go for the Manchurian. I've got a way to go before I start exploring badger brushes, as I'd like to break in my boars this year.

But maybe I can stockpile one or two, right? lol. And the Zenith seems like a go to value choice right now.

 

[BigJ]

Interesting question!

For me if a brush is not a ‘favorite’ then it moves on! KISS!!

 

[Rivers23]

Well, I can't go into detail regarding soaps because I just use ARKO and I don't see any difference in how different kinds of brushes perform with it.

For face lathering I prefer synthetics because they don't eat lather and there's no need to go back to the soap or bowl for 3 passes. For bowl lathering, I prefer my large knot Zenith boar because it creates a lot of lather and is soft and enjoyable to use.