Badger brush too soft, won't hold lather.

[Asimzb]

Hello friends, I am new to this forum and this is my first post, i need some guidance.
since many years I used a cheap Gillete synthetic brush and it worked fine for long time but lately it became too harsh on my face and bristles was going stiff day by day. So
I decided to buy a decent shaving brush and started searching online-it did not take a long to know that badger is the choice of many, thought I should try it but also didn't want to spend too much so found a best badger hair shaving brush on aliexpress. Best Badger hair

When I received I was expecting a better experience than my old Gillete synthetic (1$ brush) but to my surprise this feels too much soft on face, Yes I wanted a softer brush but not this much soft, to be honest it feels like it doesn't have enough hair on it, may be if it had higher density of hair then wouldn't have this problem or may be badgers are always like this and I am not used to it. It creates lather quickly but all the lather stays on face and brush can't hold it like synthetic did. synthetic had enough lather for 2 passes but this only gives single pass and I have to re apply cream again, but even all of that aside the softer brush feeling is not satisfying, I would want a little stiff brush.

Are they always like such or I have bought the bad quality product or the wrong one? any guidance would help. Now I am thinking about Omega Boar brush 10049. will it ne better choice?

Thanks.
I am sharing some images.


View attachment 1834949

 

[Tha Baron]

You say you wanted a decent brush, but you bought one on Ali Express…

What did you pay for the badger brush?

Not sure where you’re located or your budget, but there’s plenty of decent badger brushes available for not much cost.

 

[Jut]

use more product/load longer. just my 2 cents.

 

[Alex Jr]

Get an omega boar for cheap and enjoy the best massage a brush can offer (once broken in).

 

[Asimzb]

Get an omega boar for cheap and enjoy the best massage a brush can offer (once broken in).

you are right, although i haven't used it but from internet reviews it seems a better choice.

You say you wanted a decent brush, but you bought one on Ali Express…

What did you pay for the badger brush?

Not sure where you’re located or your budget, but there’s plenty of decent badger brushes available for not much cost.

I bought this for 28 dollars with free shipping to Pakistan. at this price from my point of view I was expecting a decent brush but it is total disappointment (to me at least). I could order from other reputable websites with similar price brush but their shipping charges are higher.

 

[Asimzb]

Get an omega boar for cheap and enjoy the best massage a brush can offer (once broken in).

you are right, although i haven't used it but from internet reviews it seems a better choice.

You say you wanted a decent brush, but you bought one on Ali Express…

What did you pay for the badger brush?

Not sure where you’re located or your budget, but there’s plenty of decent badger brushes available for not much cost.

I bought this for 28 dollars with free shipping to Pakistan. at this price from my point of view I was expecting a decent brush but it is total disappointment (to me at least). I could order from other reputable websites with similar price brush but their shipping charges are higher.

use more product/load longer. just my 2 cents.

yeah, but even then the brush feels very thin and soft, Not enough hair density

 

[Asimzb]

Get an omega boar for cheap and enjoy the best massage a brush can offer (once broken in).

you are right, although i haven't used it but from internet reviews it seems a better choice.

You say you wanted a decent brush, but you bought one on Ali Express…

What did you pay for the badger brush?

Not sure where you’re located or your budget, but there’s plenty of decent badger brushes available for not much cost.

I bought this for 28 dollars with free shipping to Pakistan. at this price from my point of view I was expecting a decent brush but it is total disappointment (to me at least). I could order from other reputable websites with similar price brush but their shipping charges are higher.

use more product/load longer. just my 2 cents.

yeah, but even then the brush feels very thin and soft, Not enough hair density

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Check out Yaqi brushes on Ali Express. Their badgers are decent and you can sometimes get a "factory second" brush with a minor flaw for very little money.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Hello friends, I am new to this forum and this is my first post, i need some guidance.
since many years I used a cheap Gillete synthetic brush and it worked fine for long time but lately it became too harsh on my face and bristles was going stiff day by day. So
I decided to buy a decent shaving brush and started searching online-it did not take a long to know that badger is the choice of many, thought I should try it but also didn't want to spend too much so found a best badger hair shaving brush on aliexpress. Best Badger hair

When I received I was expecting a better experience than my old Gillete synthetic (1$ brush) but to my surprise this feels too much soft on face, Yes I wanted a softer brush but not this much soft, to be honest it feels like it doesn't have enough hair on it, may be if it had higher density of hair then wouldn't have this problem or may be badgers are always like this and I am not used to it. It creates lather quickly but all the lather stays on face and brush can't hold it like synthetic did. synthetic had enough lather for 2 passes but this only gives single pass and I have to re apply cream again, but even all of that aside the softer brush feeling is not satisfying, I would want a little stiff brush.

Are they always like such or I have bought the bad quality product or the wrong one? any guidance would help. Now I am thinking about Omega Boar brush 10049. will it ne better choice?

Thanks.
I am sharing some images.


View attachment 1834949View attachment 1834950View attachment 1834951

This looks like a tiny, low quality brush, no wonder it will not hold any lather. You should get something that is at least 22 mm in size - diameter of the knot at exit from handle - or even bigger.

 

[BigJ]

Some great advice above!

My experience is that the ‘price point’ for a ‘good’ (for me at least) badger brush is substantially higher than for other options. For me the difference is worth the $, but that’s my personal preference.

 

[Omega48]

try with one o-ring or two at the base of the knot, with an ID that is one or two millimeters less then the knot size.

 

[DesertIguana]

Try less water to soap ratio. Lather don’t need look like soft serve ice cream.

 

[Asimzb]

Some great advice above!

My experience is that the ‘price point’ for a ‘good’ (for me at least) badger brush is substantially higher than for other options. For me the difference is worth the $, but that’s my personal preference.

what other badger brush would you suggest?

This looks like a tiny, low quality brush, no wonder it will not hold any lather. You should get something that is at least 22 mm in size - diameter of the knot at exit from handle - or even bigger.

So that's it then, it is not about badger but the brush I got is of low quality, wouldn't be issue if it was better quality right? what about the Omega Boar brush 49. is it any good? it would cost me $15 with shipping from ebay.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...it is not about badger but the brush I got is of low quality...

I believe it is more about having wrong expectations than a perceived low quality brush. The link provided took me to a 19mm knot brush. Well... that's about the smallest one could use. In my uneducated opinion it is quite normal for a brush that size not to hold much lather. I have a Simpson Commodore X1 brush that I use for travel. That X1 19mm knot, while being very dense, can hold lather for two passes. Just about.
It is difficult to judge knot density for a wet brush, since hairs clump when wet.

..what about the Omega Boar brush 49. is it any good?...

Just to be aware that you are going from a 19mm badger to a 27mm boar. Having correct expectations will ensure great satisfaction.
I have and use an Omega 10049 brush and it is one of the best boar knots I have. Handle is cheap plastic but the knot is fantastic.

Just make sure you give it several wet/dry cycles for proper break-in and soak it well before using it.

You can still use the small badger brush you have if you change/tweak your technique a bit. Maybe use it for travel only and reload between passes. Not that much trouble and quite common.

Good luck and please let us know how you find your new brush/es. Pictures earn cookie points. Ha.

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

If you've been used to a synthetic brush then perhaps you should stick with that option. Yaqi make some very nice synthetic bristle brushes (as well as badger ones) which somehow combine good quality with low price. As mentioned, boar brushes are another option, but I would just caution that while some people love them, others don't. Also, they usually take a bit of breaking in before they reach peak performance. They're worth trying, but only if you're prepared to be less than delighted.

 

[Asimzb]

I believe it is more about having wrong expectations than a perceived low quality brush. The link provided took me to a 19mm knot brush. Well... that's about the smallest one could use. In my uneducated opinion it is quite normal for a brush that size not to hold much lather. I have a Simpson Commodore X1 brush that I use for travel. That X1 19mm knot, while being very dense, can hold lather for two passes. Just about.
It is difficult to judge knot density for a wet brush, since hairs clump when wet.

yeah it is 19mm and to be honest I had no idea about knot sizes would make differences, I just went with the idea that badger would always be superior no matter what size, i was wrong.

And about the pictures, I actually uploaded 3 pictures one was when brush is dry, but for some reason it did not appear on the post, I am putting it here again.

 

[Asimzb]

I read somewhere that with time when badger brush is old its knot becomes thicker, is that right?

 

[nemo]

use more product/load longer. just my 2 cents.

This. ^
You should be able to make a fine lather with a 19mm Frank brush, heck, the Wee Scot is like 13 or 14mm.
Be patient loading, watch your ratio, don't mash it.

 

[Asimzb]

To add something to my original question where I was trying to explain the unsatisfactory feeling about the brush, I found the better words to explain now:
This brush feels exactly like I am using a paint brush on the wall, its funny but it is totally true, it doesn't feel like a normal shaving brush, its like I am painting the lather on my face.. very odd feeling.

 

[tube_guy]

I have what appears to be the very same Frank Shaving brush, except mine has a gray colored 'FS' label printed on it instead of the black logo that's on yours. It is somewhat soft, and it's not my favorite Frank Shaving badger brush, but it's still a pretty decent badger brush. When I use it, I just use the tips of the brush on my face and I tend to not mash it into my face much at all. I can get a very good lather when I use the brush in this way, no problem at all. It's probably not going to lather just like your synthetic brush did, but it is a pretty decent brush. Badger brushes tend to use more product than synthetics, so I would say, like others have already mentioned, use more product. If you're using a soap, vigorously load the brush from the soap puck for about a minute or so. I usually do 30 seconds and then paint my face a bit to put some soap on my face, then I load the brush from the soap puck for another 30 seconds or so before I begin building my lather. If you're using a cream from a tube, lather-up about a 2 inch squirt of cream from the tube.