Badger all the way for me. I tried a synth and a boar to see what all the fuss was about. They’re not bad but the badger is much better. I still keep a synth in the shower and a boar at our holiday house. There’s no joy in using a synth but a well broken in boar is pretty good.
Badger brushes, are they really that good?
- Thread starter Eastcoast30
- Start date
The CH2 synthetic is excellent but the M7 synth is even better IMO. My two favourite synthetics.I have one synthetic a Simpson’s Chubby 2, I think it is one of the best synthetic’s made, but nothing compares to using my badger, boaror Horse brushes, for making lather, bowl lathering or face lathering.
Sold out. But I will PM you when they are restocked at Simpsons.Well, I am not buying one and you can’t make me
I hated badger knots until I tried a nice one. The Golden nib 26mm Silvertip is my all time favorite knot. Soft, good back bone, luxurious feel, great flow through, great face or bowl lathering.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
I am sure you will, Lol
Likes and dislikes will change with experience (and product development no doubt).
Synthetics whip great lather, but the water/water release is best managed by badgers - for me. Plus, I like organic things. Still want a wooden computer.
AA
Synthetics whip great lather, but the water/water release is best managed by badgers - for me. Plus, I like organic things. Still want a wooden computer.
AA
About a year ago, I decided to get serious in starting my badger journey. At that time my only badger brush was a best badger from Parker, which was an okay performer but not even close to the synths and boars I had. When I did my research, I found out that badger brushes were very confusing because of all the different terms and one term not meaning the same as another term when you think they are, such as pure, best, finest, etc. Once I found out that what I should be trying is either silvertip or Manchurian, I found out that Manchurian had a lot of different meanings and terms such as high mountain, white, etc. Okay, got all that straight and so started my search and found out there was a regular and a SHD and Gel, etc. ALL have slightly different characteristics that some folks like better than others. Short answer to a long explanation is that you really should familiarize yourself with the different badgers and try them out.
With the introduction of the Chinese badgers becoming more available, you can find good badger brushes at a reasonable cost.
With the introduction of the Chinese badgers becoming more available, you can find good badger brushes at a reasonable cost.
I have tried to use a synthetic and was disappointed by the lack of performance, for me there is nothing that compares to a badger brush and the boar is my second most favorite as it will work almost any soap up into a lather. Badger all the way! Sometimes Boar.
p.s. I purchased two Chubby 2 best badgers this weekend as TSS is blowing them out ($88.61 each). The will be gone soon.
p.s. I purchased two Chubby 2 best badgers this weekend as TSS is blowing them out ($88.61 each). The will be gone soon.
Had a CH2 and it didn’t work for me (sold it here and I hope the buyer likes it!). Have tried one or two other synths. Then got an M7 synth and that’s my synthetic keeper. But I always reach for badgers over it. Their feel has more character, for want of a better word. The M7 is my travel brush for when travel recommended for me.
I have 1 Yaqi Tuxedo that I’ve used for about 8 years and it’s now my travel brush.
When BAD hit I confined it to Boar Brushes so I could experience different lofts and densities. So now I have 6 Boar Brushes, 3 each of Omega and Semogue; to include the 011842 and SOC. Great brushes all around and all reasonably priced. Real work horses.
Then I bought my first Badger. I read a lot of posts here and saved to improve my chance to get a great brush...enter the 2020 B&B Rudy Vey Group buy.
My Badger brush is fantastic, it’s different then my boars that I still love, just an amazing brush for face lathering. Love it!
But BAD is only in remission...so I bought 4 more synthetic brushes to try newer knots, or knots I never tried before. I like them, they are impossibly soft and I have learned new lathering techniques to use them without spraying soap everywhere.
But how can I only have 1 Badger, I know they are ornery, but my little guy was outnumbered and surrounded...
So for my upcoming birthday, I bought a Paladin El Dorado...I’m tracking the shipment and expect it this week. Based on our esteemed membershipI have great anticipation and excitement for my new brush.
I rotate all of my boars, synthetic, and Badger (soon to be two) and love their differences and performance.
Just because something is different or a little more time consuming, doesn’t mean it’s bad.
I took more than 9 years to buy a Badger brush and then about another year to buy my second. I read every review I could find, I looked at every “big time” brush maker (Simpson, Paladin, Elite, Brad Sears, M&F, Shavemac, Thayer, Zenith Manchurian, etc) to try to get a sense on what their brushes are about and which one would probably be to my liking.
Maybe next year I’ll add a third Badger...but which one...that’ll be the fun part.
It’s inexpensive to try a bunch of boar or synthetic brushes, but it can get really expensive quickly to buy great Badger brushes to try out. Take your time, the journey is way more than half the fun.
When BAD hit I confined it to Boar Brushes so I could experience different lofts and densities. So now I have 6 Boar Brushes, 3 each of Omega and Semogue; to include the 011842 and SOC. Great brushes all around and all reasonably priced. Real work horses.
Then I bought my first Badger. I read a lot of posts here and saved to improve my chance to get a great brush...enter the 2020 B&B Rudy Vey Group buy.
My Badger brush is fantastic, it’s different then my boars that I still love, just an amazing brush for face lathering. Love it!
But BAD is only in remission...so I bought 4 more synthetic brushes to try newer knots, or knots I never tried before. I like them, they are impossibly soft and I have learned new lathering techniques to use them without spraying soap everywhere.
But how can I only have 1 Badger, I know they are ornery, but my little guy was outnumbered and surrounded...
So for my upcoming birthday, I bought a Paladin El Dorado...I’m tracking the shipment and expect it this week. Based on our esteemed membershipI have great anticipation and excitement for my new brush.
I rotate all of my boars, synthetic, and Badger (soon to be two) and love their differences and performance.
Just because something is different or a little more time consuming, doesn’t mean it’s bad.
I took more than 9 years to buy a Badger brush and then about another year to buy my second. I read every review I could find, I looked at every “big time” brush maker (Simpson, Paladin, Elite, Brad Sears, M&F, Shavemac, Thayer, Zenith Manchurian, etc) to try to get a sense on what their brushes are about and which one would probably be to my liking.
Maybe next year I’ll add a third Badger...but which one...that’ll be the fun part.
It’s inexpensive to try a bunch of boar or synthetic brushes, but it can get really expensive quickly to buy great Badger brushes to try out. Take your time, the journey is way more than half the fun.
The short answer is Yes, they are that good. As much as I love the technical aspects of synthetics, they just don't make lather like a good badger does, for me and my software anyways. Some soaps and creams like certain types of brushes for some goofy reason. It really depends on what you're using and how specific your needs are to call it though.
I'd generically recommend a synthetic to a new user for obvious reasons: sourcing, cost, softness, general lack of maintenance, etc. But this place is called the Badger and Blade for a reason!
I'd generically recommend a synthetic to a new user for obvious reasons: sourcing, cost, softness, general lack of maintenance, etc. But this place is called the Badger and Blade for a reason!
All my brushes are badger. Although I do you like a good broken in boar brush. I’ve been eyeballing a zenith scrubby for a while.
I too have an Edwin Jagger Badger brush, but mine was about $60 on Amazon and was sold as a Super Badger.
My experience was much like yours. I just couldn’t get large volumes of lather, and once I got a decent lather, the brush would not release it. I didn’t realize this was a problem until I bought a Plissoft knot. Suddenly I was getting better lathers and more of it was ending up on my face.
I now use the Plissoft every day and have a second one on the way. The Badger brush will become a cabinet queen and I can’t see ever going back to it.
Messygoon
Abandoned By Gypsies.
Yes, quality badger brushes are really that good. Really. But cheap badger brushes are ”meh” at best.
My favorite is Shavemac, but have yet to try Simpsons, arguably the standard by which all badger brushes are measured. I also recommend Chinese badgers, having recently repaired my dad’s brush with a Maggard’s knot.
My favorite is Shavemac, but have yet to try Simpsons, arguably the standard by which all badger brushes are measured. I also recommend Chinese badgers, having recently repaired my dad’s brush with a Maggard’s knot.
Had a Muhle STF, really nice brush good face feel, good performance. But it was like driving an automatic transmission version of an old air cooled VW. Sure you get the cool form factor but the experience is whitewashed, kind of lifeless. Nowhere near the same level of engagement, refinement (lol) or fun of VW Bug with a 4spd trans. The beauty of syn's is anyone can make lather with one - like driving an automatic. Can't think of a post of of anyone that couldn't?
I'm a broken record here, but Semogue makes a quality product at attractive prices. With some study in selecting brushes a person could learn a lot about knots, soap and lather quality on the cheap with some real keepers. Don't need to spend megabucks on a brush to get a good one.
I'm a broken record here, but Semogue makes a quality product at attractive prices. With some study in selecting brushes a person could learn a lot about knots, soap and lather quality on the cheap with some real keepers. Don't need to spend megabucks on a brush to get a good one.
Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
My first car was a 65 Karmann Ghia. First gear took me from 0 to 6 mph. Then it slowed to 4 mph as I shifted from 1st to 2nd gear. Second got me past 6 mph again and with years of practice I could get the car up to 12 mph in 2nd gear. It slowed back down to 8 mph, however, as I engaged the clutch to move from 2nd to 3rd gear. But third gear was the real power gear on this car, and on a good day I could rapidly accelerate all the way to 20 or even as high as 23 or 24 mph in third gear. Four gear was really special, and was used to move me right past 25 mph and up to the Karmann Ghia's maximum cruising speed of 31 mph.
But it looked like a Porsche.
- Thread starter
- #38
I remember that car - very cool looking.
- Thread starter
- #39
After all these posts, I am willing to try a better badger. I don't mind spending, so what sghould I get? Simpsons? Which one? Where is the best place to buy?
Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
You like 'em big? Or little? Some facial presence or as soft as a pillow? How's your budget? These are all questions only you can answer. The cool thing about Simpsons is that they produce brushes with a million different sizes, shapes, and types of hair. There are still some good deals on a few Simpsons models on Amazon.
