Can an animal hair brush make that much of a difference?

[BigD]

I'd be lying if I told you I get better lather with X more than Y or Z. It comes down to face feel for me. I like the feel of boar over badger, and I like the feel of badger over synthetic. With that said, I like synthetic over horse.

I really wanted to love horse hair. Horse hair brushes do such a great job on my boots and shoes. It was not to be so. I have a Cremo brush just hanging around that I keep to remind myself that not all is gold on this mountain.

I do love my synthetic brush, which is a West Coast Shaving Synthetic, for travel. You cannot beat a good synthetic brush for travel. It dries so quickly, don't need to hydrate it before use, and performs well.

 

[Rudy Vey]

I am still a big fan of badger brushes. Own a few synthetics, but badger gives me a much better face feel. I do, however, use a synthetic quite often when I travel and in travel a lot. This one is a Muhle 19 mm knot in a handle I made for myself. It is a great little brush. Never enjoyed boar brushes.

 

[dk-109]

I am still a big fan of badger brushes. Own a few synthetics, but badger gives me a much better face feel. I do, however, use a synthetic quite often when I travel and in travel a lot. This one is a Muhle 19 mm knot in a handle I made for myself. It is a great little brush. Never enjoyed boar brushes.

Why would you ever move the knot from one handle to another?

I'm kidding you're a legend!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'd be lying if I told you I get better lather with X more than Y or Z. It comes down to face feel for me. I like the feel of boar over badger, and I like the feel of badger over synthetic. With that said, I like synthetic over horse.

I really wanted to love horse hair. Horse hair brushes do such a great job on my boots and shoes. It was not to be so. I have a Cremo brush just hanging around that I keep to remind myself that not all is gold on this mountain.

I do love my synthetic brush, which is a West Coast Shaving Synthetic, for travel. You cannot beat a good synthetic brush for travel. It dries so quickly, don't need to hydrate it before use, and performs well.

The only horse brush I've used is my newest brush.

I've only used it a couple of times because I just got it. It is definitely not a badger nor a boar. It also is nothing like what most people say their horsehair brushes are like. My guess is there are some really bad horse brushes available, probably really cheaply made. This Zenith extra soft horse is quite the opposite. Really nice brush it is.

I bought this brush because of a really good review. That review was right. Just don't expect a boar or a badger. This is a horse!

For the record, I face lather. I greatly enjoy everything - the feel of the brush on my skin and all that stuff - associated with lathering my face and neck.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[musicman1951]

I mostly bowl lather and find no difference in the lather between synthetic, bore and badger. Certainly each brush requires a little different technique - but it's not golf, anyone can make great lather with any brush. You could easily prefer one over the other (it's generally bore for me), some take longer, but great lather is not brush dependent.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Why would you ever move the knot from one handle to another?

I'm kidding you're a legend!

you got me there for a second.....but, I have moved many knots from one handle into another...a lot of my customers like a knot, but not the handle; but it also goes the other way: a crappy knot in a nice handle...

 

[BigD]

The only horse brush I've used is my newest brush.

View attachment 985944

I've only used it a couple of times because I just got it. It is definitely not a badger nor a boar. It also is nothing like what most people say their horsehair brushes are like. My guess is there are some really bad horse brushes available, probably really cheaply made. This Zenith extra soft horse is quite the opposite. Really nice brush it is.

View attachment 985943

I bought this brush because of a really good review. That review was right. Just don't expect a boar or a badger. This is a horse!

Happy shaves,

Jim

Thanks for the info.

 

[BigJ]

I simply prefer natural hair!! Because it works best for me!

 

[TioFabi]

I have this brushes: Omega 10048 (boar), a Anbbas 107 (badger) and a Yaqi 24mm timberwolf (synthetic)
i like all of them, they have a different function, i use the Omega for hard soaps, the Anbbas for face lathering creams, and the Yaqi it's so soft i can use it for anything any time, cream or soaps, bowl or face lather, i'm only missing a small travel brush, I see a yaqi sagrada familia in my future

 

[azwetshaver]

I am not sure if the brush type affects the lather quality.

I prefer the feeling of a natural brush over a synthetic. They give me a more luxurious feeling.

Perhaps this is true for you as well. If you are experiencing a more luxurious feeling, and enjoying your shaves more; you might be taking a little extra time and using better technique.

 

[Badgerstate36]

I dont think it makes THAT much of a difference, its all in what you like. I can get a great shave with synth, badger or boar. I personally prefer synthetic or boar because I find most badger brushes to be floppy but its all what you like.

 

[mawashi]

I am still a big fan of badger brushes. Own a few synthetics, but badger gives me a much better face feel. I do, however, use a synthetic quite often when I travel and in travel a lot. This one is a Muhle 19 mm knot in a handle I made for myself. It is a great little brush. Never enjoyed boar brushes.

Rudy Vey,

No one will ever doubt the knowledge and experience you have w brushes and I'm only just discovering badgers, they are pretty awesome but I do prefer them much shorter say 42 mm tall so they don't flop over.

The only horse brush I've used is my newest brush.

View attachment 985944

I've only used it a couple of times because I just got it. It is definitely not a badger nor a boar. It also is nothing like what most people say their horsehair brushes are like. My guess is there are some really bad horse brushes available, probably really cheaply made. This Zenith extra soft horse is quite the opposite. Really nice brush it is.

View attachment 985943

I bought this brush because of a really good review. That review was right. Just don't expect a boar or a badger. This is a horse!

For the record, I face lather. I greatly enjoy everything - the feel of the brush on my skin and all that stuff - associated with lathering my face and neck.

Happy shaves,

Jim

That's an awesome looking brush Jim. I was really wondering why my Vie Long was so painfully skirtchy so I went digging into the brush. Apparently there is a buch of super sharp and hard hairs scattered here n there. I'll be getting rid of them or cutting them close to the base so they'll stop scratching me.

I have this brushes: Omega 10048 (boar), a Anbbas 107 (badger) and a Yaqi 24mm timberwolf (synthetic)
i like all of them, they have a different function, i use the Omega for hard soaps, the Anbbas for face lathering creams, and the Yaqi it's so soft i can use it for anything any time, cream or soaps, bowl or face lather, i'm only missing a small travel brush, I see a yaqi sagrada familia in my future

Same here I'm looking for a stubby although, I'm puzzled by the name as the sagrada familia is a monster of a building or holy family lol.

 

[MM879]

The result from my experiment with a cheap VDH badger is: I will never, never put a filthy animal hair brush on my face again. I refer to badger brushes as handle donors.

 

[cryhavoc]

My synth is a great brush that works wonderfully, but I prefer boar and horse based on face feel.

 

[cryhavoc]

The result from my experiment with a cheap VDH badger is: I will never, never put a filthy animal hair brush on my face again. I refer to badger brushes as handle donors.

If you base your animal hair experience based on VDH badgers or boars then I understand your experience! A better brush, not an expensive brush may give you a better idea of what animal hair can do.

 

[naughtilus]

I will never, never put a filthy animal hair brush on my face again.

Ha! You got a stinky. I have one boar brush that's still funky 2 years since I got it. But most brushes I got had no or almost no smell at all.

 

[BigJ]

If you base your animal hair experience based on VDH badgers or boars then I understand your experience! A better brush, not an expensive brush may give you a better idea of what animal hair can do.

+1! Definitely mirrors my experience!

The ‘price point’ varies for me depending on the product category: synthetic<boar<badger.

 

[RayClem]

I have a collection that includes badger, boar, horsehair and synthetic brushes. I enjoy using all of them, except for a couple of cheap pure badger brushes that are floppy and scritchy. Thus, if you are on a budget, stick with boar, horsehair and synthetic brushes. Finding a great badger brush for under $50 can be a challenge. Although boar brushes are rather harsh when new, once broken in properly, they can be wonderful brushes.

I have an extensive collection of soaps and creams ranging from very hard to very soft. Some soaps seem to work better with certain brushes. Thus, I pick my soap for the day and then pick out a brush that I think will complement it. Every now and then I will pick a poor match and have to change brushes to get the ideal lather.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have a collection that includes badger, boar, horsehair and synthetic brushes. I enjoy using all of them, except for a couple of cheap pure badger brushes that are floppy and scritchy. Thus, if you are on a budget, stick with boar, horsehair and synthetic brushes. Finding a great badger brush for under $50 can be a challenge. Although boar brushes are rather harsh when new, once broken in properly, they can be wonderful brushes.

I have an extensive collection of soaps and creams ranging from very hard to very soft. Some soaps seem to work better with certain brushes. Thus, I pick my soap for the day and then pick out a brush that I think will complement it. Every now and then I will pick a poor match and have to change brushes to get the ideal lather.

Not to be disagreeable, but I have a number of badger brushes I think of as quite good, brushes which cost less than $50. I'm not sure anyone would call these great brushes, but great is subjective. These are certainly good badgers.

Here are a few links to brushes I own, all of which I like.

• Yaqi two band.
• Stirling finest badger (which I think is the same as two band).
• Maseto silvertip (I have the 30mm, but they're out of that size).

I would call this Zenith copper handled Manchurian a great brush, but it cost almost $100. However, to be perfectly honest, and admitting this Zenith is my very favorite brush, the other brushes I mentioned are almost as good as this one.

In general I agree with what you said.

In my opinion this jade boar from Connaught is the best boar made. It cost much less than $50. Most boars are way less than most badgers, of course, including the premium boars I buy.

My new extra soft Zenith horse is fairly much blowing my mind. It's a super great brush. Not cheap but under $50. It has rapidly grabbed a top spot in the rotation.

I will acknowledge I've not tried most of the expensive badgers people often describe as great brushes. The one I have tried, an expensive Thater, was not to my liking at all. I traded it immediately. Perhaps you're right in saying there aren't any great badgers below $50 but there surely are a number of good ones.

The Yagi silvertips are not brushes I've tried, but I know lots of gentlemen who like them.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[sarimento1]

my Plisson synth brush is nice, a slight bit on the floppy side.
love all my badgers.
seems to me as if natural hair absorbs and holds water a little better than synth.
may be because natural hairs are actually hollow.