Badger brushes: now I get it

[DonOhio]

Found a nice old Erskine badger brush yesterday. I had been using two more modern ones with bristle (wherever that comes from...beagles for all I know). The Erskine has a faint musk-like odor that remained after soaking and cleaning it up. Also the hairs are much softer and the head poofed out into that fan shape the badger pics here show. Very good grip from the handle, too.

Lathered up with my usual soaps last night and, indeed, the Erskine's lather was much thicker and sudsier than I'd been getting, using the same amount of water and effort in the mug for both brushes. The one thing I'll have to get used to is the softness of the Erskine; it lets the bristles splay out over my face as I lather up instead of them remaining fairly stiff. Still, it sure left a thicker layer for the shave.

The other two are now going to be retired.

 

[Dpflaum]

Yeah, there is a lot to be said for badger brushes. Just for reference, the bristles come from boar. At least in theory.

Now things get tricky. There are some nice firm badger brushes that won't really splay on the face at all (Simpsons 2-Band Super for instance) and brushes that will spread to cover your entire face if you let them (Vulfix Super anyone?).

Have fun!

Drew

 

[michiganlover]

Yeah, there is a lot to be said for badger brushes. Just for reference, the bristles come from boar. At least in theory.

Yes, bristle comes from boar. I wouldn't write off all boar brushes, bashed upon experience with two of unknown origin/ unknown brand.

My Omega #49 Boar brush is every bit as good as my badger brush (an excellent 22mm in finest from Penworks), and only cost about 1/4 as much.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Hehe. My 28mm is fun to lather with. I just made some great MWF lather (face lathered) and it was made by doing baby circles on right cheek (covering entire face from eye to ear to jawline (entire jawline), throat (covering entire neck) and then left cheek. When I was done I wrung out a fistful of lather, and then wrung it again and a tablespoon of water came out.

So wasteful, but just so damn luxurious.

 

[DonOhio]

Erskine on the left, no-name retiree on the right...does the green one look badger or boar to you all?

 

[vitaman]

The green handled one looks like a Van Der Hagen boar.

 

[michiganlover]

The green handled one looks like a Van Der Hagen boar.

I agree. It has simply been dyed to look like a badger brush.

While the VDH Boar does work, it is rather poor quality as boar brushes go. A $10 Omega will fully blow it out of the water!

 

[DonOhio]

I agree. It has simply been dyed to look like a badger brush.

While the VDH Boar does work, it is rather poor quality as boar brushes go. A $10 Omega will fully blow it out of the water!

I had to give $10 for the brush and an old mug I don't need. Now that I've used it, the brush alone would have been worth the price.

 

[Schwert]

Yeah I would not write off a good boar brush based on that green one.

I am sure your vintage Erskine is a remarkable change...but you still need a real boar brush too.

 

[DonOhio]

I have one other...longer wooden handle with a black rubber cap that says Made in Taiwan. Somewhat longer, stiff bristles, too. It's a cheapie, I know, but seemed better than the green one. Sheds something fierce, though, so laid it aside.

I may try carefully dripping low viscosity CA glue down to the base of the bristles to help hold them, at least temporarily.