Best/Finest Badger in Wooden handle

[sextus]

That is a lot of hair , hopefully it will stop shedding for you
Maggard sells a wonderful 2 band badger knot that is really nice and
priced nicely .

Come to think of it, probably 15-20 the first time. We shall see what the second use will bring...

Other than the hair loss, a very positive experience. So far the loss does not affect structurally.

 

[Mick]

Custom. All the way

 

[Graydog]

Custom. All the way

 

[Clay S]

UPDATE: I ended up getting the Chinese Ace silvertip brush. Just used it for the first time.

It lathers much easier and more voluminous than the boars I have. Feels softer than boar. However it must have lost 20+ bristles in the first use. Obviously it's not going bald any time soon, but my questions are:

1. Is losing 20+ hairs the first time typical of (silvertip) badger brushes?
2. Is losing 20+ hairs typical of Chinese made badger brushes?

Losing 20 hairs is a lot, but if it stops is of no consequence. The first hairs are hairs that weren't tamped down all the way so they failed to get glued/tied. If they continue to fall out that means the glue/tying wasn't done well and they will continue until the brush is almost bald.

 

[sextus]

Second time using, 5-7 hair loss. I understand the more established makers try to knock out loose hairs as a final step of manufacturing. Maybe this is skipped by Chinese makers.

 

[benos]

Second time using, 5-7 hair loss. I understand the more established makers try to knock out loose hairs as a final step of manufacturing. Maybe this is skipped by Chinese makers.

It sounds like it is slowing down, which is what it should do. Almost all badger knots will lose hairs to start, so don't worry too much. Some makers say they can continue losing a few hairs even after maybe a dozen shaves, although I don't think I've had it go on that long with any of mine.

Just take decent care of it and your badger should last you many years. I would recommend not pressing down and splaying the brush all the way down. Some say 1/4 of its height, or a 1/3, but just do what feels right and don't mash it. I've also heard some people recommend not using circular motions; I know Simpson recommends back-and-forth "painting" strokes. I do a lot of that, and when I splay and scrub I go back and forth as well, but I can't say whether or not the direction of your strokes actually matters. Ultimately, keep it clean between uses and don't worry about babying it too much.