Good beginners brush

[Nick Gentry]

I'm
New to this type of shaving and I have a lower quality badger brush that is on the smaller size. It is losing hairs and is not nearly as soft as the brushes at AOS and doesn't have quite the loft (theirs are more dome shaped and mine is flatter on top).

I would like to use a bowl soap lather typically but have also tried some creams and like those too.

If I am going to spend $50-60, should I get 2 different brushes and get like the tweezerman quality and another or get one nicer brush?

As an aside, what is an economic way to try soaps and creams as samples?

Thanks

Nick

 

[Teppanyaki]

I have only tried synthetic and boar brushes. I love them both, and as such recommend both of them.

On a more detailed note, if you go synthetic, I would definitely spend a little extra and get a Muhle silvertip fiber, version 2.0. Buying from a European site will save money by skipping Muhle's North America distributor fees, even with shipping. I got mine from Connaught Shaving. Shaving.ie is another side, I think. The brush itself is velvety soft, lathers very well, and looks great. Plus, if I forget to soak the brush before I get in the shower, it works great without soaking and dries fast so it travels well, too.

I tried a B&B Essentials boar, and wish I had started out with this. Or the Muhle. The boar has nice soft tips, but has more "backbone" than the Muhle. Lathers well, feels nice on my face (a nice massaging feel but not scratchy). I did soak the bristles for a few hours daily and lather with it and left the lather on the bristles overnight x 2-3 days, which reduced the "boar" smell and helped break it in. Now the tips are splitting and it is great.

I'd get an Omega or Semogue boar (if you want a Semogue SOC, Vintage Scent has a coupon and the cheapest price), or the Muhle although I don't know what the Muhle prices come out to be. A good boar will run you $8-30. B&B Essentials or Semogue SOC should both be less than or around $30.

 

[Teppanyaki]

For trying creams and soaps, Gary's Sample Shop is an option. Joining a PIF or getting samples from vendors are other ways (Stirling and Mike's, among others, sell samples).

Connaught Shaving also has samples that you can order with your Muhle synthetic.

 

[The Accountant]

+ 1 on the sample shop recommendation. I have an SOC boar which I really like although it is not completely broken in yet. Another option would be a silvertip badger from Whipped Dog. Larry sells great brushes at even better prices and is well though of on the forum.

 

[Badger Bill]

Hi Nick,

If you can swing an extra $10 into your price range, I'd highly encourage you to take a look at the Rooney 3/1 in best. This was one of my very first brushes and I love it so much that it still sees regular use in my rotation. I think it's a fabulous beginner's brush as it pretty much does it all. I use it for both bowl and face lathering. This brush is slightly more than you wanted to spend, but I think that it's a terrific value considering what you get.

- Badger Bill

 

[Slash McCoy]

I am rocking my VERY cheap Chinese Virginia Sheng 28mm silvertip. I highly recommend one. If it has even shed a single hair after the first few shaves, I haven't seen it. Larry's brushes are also very inexpensive and pretty good. Tweezerman is just too small for me. Woefully inadequate. Nevertheless they have their fans. A cheap silvertip will probably be just what you are looking for. If you get one from Larry, you can specify a particular loft, or just tell him you want it nice and floppy, or with extra backbone.

 

[KindestCutofAll]

Hi Nick,

If you can swing an extra $10 into your price range, I'd highly encourage you to take a look at the Rooney 3/1 in best. This was one of my very first brushes and I love it so much that it still sees regular use in my rotation. I think it's a fabulous beginner's brush as it pretty much does it all. I use it for both bowl and face lathering. This brush is slightly more than you wanted to spend, but I think that it's a terrific value considering what you get.

- Badger Bill

I am rocking my VERY cheap Chinese Virginia Sheng 28mm silvertip. I highly recommend one. If it has even shed a single hair after the first few shaves, I haven't seen it. Larry's brushes are also very inexpensive and pretty good. Tweezerman is just too small for me. Woefully inadequate. Nevertheless they have their fans. A cheap silvertip will probably be just what you are looking for. If you get one from Larry, you can specify a particular loft, or just tell him you want it nice and floppy, or with extra backbone.

Welcome Nick,
As recommended, try the samples they'll get you started right away and let you sample a lot of different brands.

As Nick recommends Rooney's have a great reputation. I also like the recommendation from Slash. If you decide to pick up a boar brush I highly recommend the Semogue 1305. Boar brushes are great at building a lather with even the more difficult soaps. That being said I am partial to Badger brushes. Try not to spend too much at the beginning. Eventually you'll find your personal preferences, then you can make ore informed purchases.

Enjoy!!!

 

[Senshi]

If you're looking for Badger and your current one is t soft, I wouldn't bother with a tweezerman. They're good but very prickly. I would absolutely recommend a Whipped Dog. I have the pure badger black and it is 10 times better than my tweezerman. Very soft and makes a great lather in bowls or even the face.



Or you could get a whipped dog silver tip( even higher quality badger ) a nice 20 mm handle brush shipped for 30 bucks. Plus Larry, the owner is a class act.

 

[carldamnit]

Omega Boar Brush
http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Boar_c_78.html
Cheap enough to start with.
Awesome quality.

It is the $9 starter brush you will not regret buying.

 

[branford]

+1 on the Whipped Dog. I have two silvertips (with lower than standard lofts) and they easily compare to far more expensive offerings.

 

[Nick Gentry]

Ok stupid questions

How does loft affect a brush?

How does knot diameter affect a brush ?

I like to bowl lather.

Nick

I'm slower than the other kids.

 

[deruitem]

Whipped Dog Silvertip for sure! Try one with a longer handle and set the loft a little low

 

[branford]

Ok stupid questions

How does loft affect a brush?

How does knot diameter affect a brush ?

I like to bowl lather.

Nick

I'm slower than the other kids.

A shorter loft makes a brush firmer. A larger diameter simply makes a larger brush. A fan shaped knot will also likely be less firm than a bulb knot at the same loft. The density of the hair in the knot will also contribute to the firmness of the brush as well its "flow-through" or ability to release lather (higher density = firmer with less flow-through).

There is no magic formula for what is best for face lathering, using a bowl, etc. Preferences are VERY personal. Also, do not forget about handle shape, size and height and hair type (badger, boar, horse and synthetic) and quality. There is also no standardization of badger hair among the various manufacturers, particularly badger hair (pure, grey, best, super, finest, black, two-band, Manchurian, silvertip, etc.)

Many members prefer a smaller, firmer brush for face lathering and a longer "floppier" brush for bowl lathering. YMMV. I, for instance, I most often face lather with soft Italian soaps and generally prefer a medium size knot (22-24mm), and intermediate loft (50-52mm) in a soft silvertip knot (I have no preference for fan or bulb knots). I also definitely have moments where I enjoy my two-band, pure and best badger brushes, as well as my boars, horses and synthetic brushes in varying sizes, densities, lofts, etc.

I previously recommended Whipped Dog because their hair quality is quite good and the silvertip is very soft, the cost is very low, you may choose to customize the loft for a negligible fee, the handles are good quality resin, and Larry, the proprietor is exceptional and will offer sound advice. You can purchase a brush of exceptional value as you learn about your preferences.

Edit: I want to note that brush selection sounds far more complicated than it is in practice. You will very quickly pick-up the lingo, determine your preferences and will proceed accordingly. We all were in your shoes in the beginning. If you are anything like most members of B&B, you knowledge and experience will rapidly expand, you will soon try all manner and type of brushes, and will be
offering advice to other neophytes on B&B.

Edit #2: There are no stupid questions and welcome to B&B!

 

[Moondoggie]

Edit #2: There are no stupid questions and welcome to B&B!

+1 and welcome to B&B!

 

[Nick Gentry]

Anyone have opinions on the following brands of products/ brushes?

True Gentleman

Vulfix - this may be a type of product from omega but not sure

New Standard Products- randomly found on the bay, don't know anything about them

Thanks

Nick

The people on this site are amazing. Generous, knowledgeable and kind. I more welcome ad a new member than any other website or online forum I have ever seen. Thanks!

 

[Terp61]

Simpson Colonel is a great brush!

 

[branford]

Anyone have opinions on the following brands of products/ brushes?

True Gentleman

Vulfix - this may be a type of product from omega but not sure

New Standard Products- randomly found on the bay, don't know anything about them

Thanks

Nick

The people on this site are amazing. Generous, knowledgeable and kind. I more welcome ad a new member than any other website or online forum I have ever seen. Thanks!

Vulfix is the parent company that owns Simpsons. Vulfix brushes are of good quality and they are considered the value line compared to the Simpsons offering. Simpsons is the Lexus, while Vulfix is the Toyota. Vulfix also carries some lower-end boar brushes and their badger offerings generally tend to have higher lofts (slightly softer and "floppier")

Unfortunately, I have not heard of True Gentlemen or New Standard Products. Lesser known brands, particularly those on EBay, are often just re-branded offerings from Chinese manufacturers (ranging in quality from excellent to garbage). However, high-end manufacturers such as Simpsons/Vulfix and shavemac do OEM for some vendors like DR Harris and Truftt & Hill.

I would advise that your focus should remain on the individual brushes rather than the manufacturer.

Do not hesitate to link or reference any brush and ask questions! We will gladly answer your questions and try to steer you right as you learn and develop you own preferences. Remember that any decent brush you intend to purchase will very likely feel exponentially better than the value brush you now use.

You also mention AOS and Tweezerman as potential purchases in your original message. I would avoid both. Some of the AOS brushes are of good quality, but they are extremely overpriced and you can achieve a far better value. The Tweezerman is very poor quality badger and is often the first brush of many a wet shaver, including myself. I only keep mine for sentimental value, but it is unlikely to ever touch my face again.

If your budget is around $50-60, you should easily be able to afford a good quality and attractive brush that is a great improvement over what you now use. Additionally, I would caution against the temptation to increase your budget for a "luxury" brush before you establish your technique and style and determine your ultimate preferences.

Edit: I forgot to comment on Omega brushes. First, they are a well-known Italian manufacturer that is unrelated to Vulfix/Simpsons. They are best known for their boar brushes (the other major boar brush maker is Semogue), although they also manufacture badger and synthetic brushes. Their non-boar offerings are rarely discussed, and since I have not tried either (I do own an inexpensive Omega boar), I am hesitant to offer an opinion.

 

[Ron Scott]

There is no such thing as a beginner brush.

A good Omega or Semogue boar for $6-10 will do the job as good as a $250 Chubby. Unless you find a real dog (hard to do) the brush won't affect the quality of your shave one iota.

 

[Kooze]

I highly recommend the Semogue 1800, which is $20 plus shipping.

Vintage blades in-house brand brush has been very highly rated by many members, and seems like an awful lot of brush for the money.

http://www.vintagebladesllc.com/vshop/xcart/home.php?cat=240

reviews:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-Player-in-the-Brush-Biz-Vintage-Blades-Brand

lastly, I'd suggest trying to pick up a rooney 3/1 in super off the bst, which you should be able to pick up in your price range.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/174242-Brush-Chronicles-3-Rooney-3-1-Super-Silvertip

 

[branford]

There is no such thing as a beginner brush.

A good Omega or Semogue boar for $6-10 will do the job as good as a $250 Chubby. Unless you find a real dog (hard to do) the brush won't affect the quality of your shave one iota.

Respectfully, a high-quality brush, with specs that suit your preferences, can certainly affect the quality of the shaving experience, if not the shave itself.

Just like cars, a Chevy or Subaru will get you from point A to Point B just as well as a Bentley or a Porsche, but the quality of the drive and the overall experience will be far different.

A brush need not cost a fortune to be great. I readily admit that not only are some very high-priced brushes a poor value, but many individuals enjoy brushes that are generally inexpensive, such as boar, horse and some synthetics. However, there are vast differences in the quality of hair and workmanship among various brushes in addition to the effect that various shapes, sizes and other specs have on one's enjoyment of a brush, including the appreciation of the aesthetics of a well-crafted item.

If you personally enjoy your inexpensive boar as much as high-quality, soft silvertip or two-band (or Gen.4 synthetic, etc.), then I, and my credit card. envy you. However, what suits you may not suit others, regardless of cost.