Help me pick a 2 Band

[ayodh]

Hi Folks,

I am looking to acquire a 2 band badger brush (preferably under $100) to add to my limited brush collection. My current badger collection has

- 24 mm WD silvertip
- 22 mm WD silvertip
- WSP HMW

Since all these brushes have a relative soft backbone, I am hoping to acquire a brush with a more backbone, hence the two band. I was currently considering the SOC 2 band.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks.

 

[Mick]

Do you face lather or bowl lather?

 

[ayodh]

Do you face lather or bowl lather?

A bit of both. When I have time - bowl else face.

 

[Mick]

A bit of both. When I have time - bowl else face.

The best all round (one brush does all) brush that I have found is the Da Vinci 293. With their current 30% off coupon the price of this brush is brought down below your target amount ($82 with the 30% discount)

Coupon code is: x30pro12

There is only 1 distributor of this brand of brush in the US: http://www.promakeupbrush.com/shaving.html

Here is the review of this brush I wrote a while ago: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/297253-Da-Vinci-293-Bead-Handle-Brush-Review

 

[German]

DaVinci is not a 2 Band..,

 

[Mick]

DaVinci is not a 2 Band..,

2 band, 3 band, silveretip, super silveretip. All of these terms are not standardized. What is 2 band to one manufacture is super or silvertip or super silver tip to another manufacturer.

Kent brushes say pure badger and they sure ain't pure badger when compared to what Simpsons calls pure badger.

 

[JHP]

If you're considering a 2-band, you need to look at these threads -

[URL]http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/319314-A-New-Player-in-the-Brush-Biz-Vintage-Blades-Brand
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...Comparison-(WSP-VB-Thäter-Rooney-Simpson-TGN)[/URL]
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/322981-VB-22-24mm-Finest-vs-WSP-Monarch

I took German's advice and get the VB in 22mm 2-band. I've been using it a couple of weeks now. It's very nice . . . but I don't have experience with $200 brushes, but your OP said you wanted to stay under $100.

Good luck!

 

[njpaddy]

Go for the VB. The price is right. I have a Thater 2-band (over $150) and I'm still disappointed in the backbone. My favorite brush for backbone is still a Simpson in Best.

 

[German]

There is a distinct difference between 3 band, 2 band and Pure badger brushes. Where it gets foggy is within the different classifications of 3 band brushes...

2 band, 3 band, silveretip, super silveretip. All of these terms are not standardized. What is 2 band to one manufacture is super or silvertip or super silver tip to another manufacturer.

Kent brushes say pure badger and they sure ain't pure badger when compared to what Simpsons calls pure badger.

 

[StuMcB]

I have te 2 band New Forest tubby brush. It's got to be my fave brush. Great backbone but soft tips. A face lathere's dream. Uk price is well under your budget and it includes shipping.

 

[ayodh]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I didn't even know about VB selling their own brand of brushes. And they do look like great value!

Any thoughts on the SOC 2 band? Or is that not liked much?

 

[ayodh]

Also from http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...Comparison-(WSP-VB-Thäter-Rooney-Simpson-TGN) it looks like the VB has no backbone. Which I thought was the point of getting a two band.

 

[JHP]

Any thoughts on the SOC 2 band? Or is that not liked much?

No experience, but here is another thread on 2-band evaluations. ctkelly concluded that the SOC 2-band was the best value of the brushes he evaluated for less than $100. The thread is more than a year old, so the VB didn't exist. I don't think the WSP did either. But the SOC gets good marks for the price.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/199585-2-band-comparison

 

[German]

Depends what you value most: softness, backbone, density, fan vs bulb...
The VBs are very soft fans with medium backbone and density... If you are not sure what you like you can hardly make a mistake with them...

 

[German]

SOC 2 band has some scritch to it... As most fellows here would attest...

 

[JHP]

Also from http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/322245-2-Band-Brush-Comparison-(WSP-VB-Th%C3%A4ter-Rooney-Simpson-TGN) it looks like the VB has no backbone. Which I thought was the point of getting a two band.

It's all relative, right? The VB has a lot of backbone compared to my EJ BBB. The VB might have a lot of backbone compared to the OP's WDs too. Who knows. On the thread you mentioned, it's being compared to brushes 5-7 times the price. That's a tough crowd to hang with.

 

[SEnSE]

Yes, SOC 2-band will have more backbone than any of the others I've seen mentioned here. With that though comes some scratch. I relegated mine to use on 2+ days worth of growth as it was a bit uncomfortable to use daily.

 

[ayodh]

Depends what you value most: softness, backbone, density, fan vs bulb...
The VBs are very soft fans with medium backbone and density... If you are not sure what you like you can hardly make a mistake with them...

Agreed. For the price, it seems worth getting even just to try out.

 

[ayodh]

Yes, SOC 2-band will have more backbone than any of the others I've seen mentioned here. With that though comes some scratch. I relegated mine to use on 2+ days worth of growth as it was a bit uncomfortable to use daily.

Thanks for this info. I dont believe that any of my badgers have scritch, so I haven't experienced it.

 

[novice]

Have you contacted either Rudy Vey or Bob Quinn - for well within your price range you'll get from either of these 2 gentlemen a superb brush they fabricate with your direct input?