I haven't found the right badger brush yet...

[Tirvine]

I second the Chubby in best, but I, myself, prefer the softness of Kent silvertips.

 

[wimbouman]

Hello all,

During these last years of shaving, I have tried several brushes. The most reliable ones were my 3 boar brushes and 2 synthetic ones. By reliable I mean they were exactly as most described here.

I have tried 4 badger brushes and I do have them still. One was an Alpha silvertip, one is Yaqi moka, one is a 2 band manchurian from oumo and one is a finest vintage.

The most I enjoyed was the Yaqi which had a lovely scrub. However like all of them, apart the vintage one (which has a strong scritch) have lost their scrub after some usage. They take space in my den and I am not using any of them for many months.

I want to give another try but badger brushes are so unique and you never know. I don't know if I should go for a premium knot too.

Any tips? Get a specific badger brush or continue to rely on my mondial, zenith, omega boar brushes?

I love pleasant scrub and good backbone in a brush.

Maybe a Semogue Mistura will provide you with the scrub and backbone you are looking for.

 

[ChriWilson]

I second the Chubby in best, but I, myself, prefer the softness of Kent silvertips.

My Chubby2 took a hot minute to get used to its density and characteristics.

I do love my BLK8

 

[IMightBeWrong]

Sounds like you need a Chubby in Best.

To be fair, everybody should have a Chubby. A few, if possible. But I may be biased as the originator of the Chubby Chasers brotherhood.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

To be fair, everybody should have a Chubby. A few, if possible. But I may be biased as the originator of the Chubby Chasers brotherhood.

I don't know if I've done my part, but every little bit helps.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Lane101]

Nothing wrong with sticking with boars. I like 'em a lot myself.


View attachment 1786736



My boar collection has changed/enlarged since I washed this group and set them out to dry. I like badgers, too, but that doesn't mean you will or should. Finding a great badger is a whole lot harder and more expensive than finding a great boar, unless you get very lucky.

In my opinion, one option, already mentioned, an option you're very likely to enjoy using, would be a Semogue Mistura. The knot is hard to beat as it combines some of the best attributes of boar and badger. You might benefit from this thread if you're considering a mixed knot. The scrub is truly wonderful.

You undoubtedly know that the price of a knot increases as the size of the knot increases. You didn't mention what size knot you're interested in. Also I'm a bit confused. Are you saying you want to purchase a knot and put it in an existing handle you already own or have someone do that for you? Conversely are you looking for a brush?

Rudy Vey made this handle and installed a Shavemac D01 two band. I wouldn't call it soft, but it has huge scrub and enormous backbone. I have used the knot a lot, but sometimes think it may not yet be broken in. These cost far more than $100 though.​

View attachment 1786721

There are a great many possible options including brushes (handle and knot) for $100 or less. I enjoy my Maseto badger brushes and one of the Stirling badgers I purchased years ago all of which were well below $100. Zenith makes quite nice three band silvertips and excellent Manchurians which are less than $100.

View attachment 1786722	My copper handled Zenith Manchurian is very soft, but also has delicious scrub and plenty of it as well as enormous backbone. Breaking it in to this degree required well over a hundred uses, but it was worth the wait. It is a fantastic brush.​
I also favor this olivewood Zenith Manchurian, but it is a much different knot from the one above. This one reminds me of my Simpson Manchurian, but I like this knot better than the Simpson and it cost a whole lot less.​	View attachment 1786724

Don't get me wrong on this. I have a number of high end, expensive brushes. I'm very glad to have them. As much as I like them, it would be incorrect of me to say they're in another world from a lowly Stirling finest or a Yaqi two band or three band.

View attachment 1786718

This Stirling brush is not longer available. It's larger and has a higher loft than their current offerings, but it's one of my favorite brushes. However, you might not like it. Some of this badger preference stuff is a matter of taste.​

View attachment 1786717

Some is a matter of luck and timing.


View attachment 1786741


Some of my very favorite brushes are SV beauties. For a long time I thought they sounded great but were too small. Boy, was I wrong. The knots are plenty big as are the handles. In my opinion, this is perhaps a nearly perfect knot as it has a great balance of qualities including great flow through. The price of these varies a lot by vendor meaning there are relative bargains out there, but none are close to $100.

Had I purchased one of these SV 2.0 brushes years ago I might have saved myself a lot of money. They're that good, according to me and many others, but that doesn't mean one would suit you.

The big problem is finding what you like best without trying a huge number of knots. I've found that I enjoy a wide range of knots, but I've also discovered there are knots I hate. You might love knots I hate and vice versa.

Good luck with this quest.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Hi Jim,

Great collection of Boar brushes, thank you for posting. I have one boar, Razorock Blondie rebranded Zenith 80N, that is excellent.

Curious, when it comes to Badger brushes there is a clearly understood range of know quality from Pure to Silvertip. When it comes to boar knots I've not seen anything similar and have the sense that outside of knot size and length there may not be much difference. When I look at a manufacturers range of boar brushes most of the stated differentiation, beyond size, focuses on the materials and design of the handle.

I realize there are really cheap boar brushes that fall apart (like my initial Van Der Hagen boar). When purchasing from a quality manufacturer like Zenith or Omega are you aware of any different grades of boar brush or are the knots really of similar quality outside of size and length?

Finally have you noticed any significant differences in boar knot quality among the quality manufacturers you purchased from?

Perspectives from others are welcome here.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Hi Jim,

Great collection of Boar brushes, thank you for posting. I have one boar, Razorock Blondie rebranded Zenith 80N, that is excellent.

Curious, when it comes to Badger brushes there is a clearly understood range of know quality from Pure to Silvertip. When it comes to boar knots I've not seen anything similar and have the sense that outside of knot size and length there may not be much difference. When I look at a manufacturers range of boar brushes most of the stated differentiation, beyond size, focuses on the materials and design of the handle.

I realize there are really cheap boar brushes that fall apart (like my initial Van Der Hagen boar). When purchasing from a quality manufacturer like Zenith or Omega are you aware of any different grades of boar brush or are the knots really of similar quality outside of size and length?

Finally have you noticed any significant differences in boar knot quality among the quality manufacturers you purchased from?

Perspectives from others are welcome here.

In my limited experience with boars there are certainly grades of bristles and grades of knots. Certainly I'm incapable of formulating a comprehensive picture of the world of boar grades.


The big two in my mind are bleached and unbleached.

	←This is a fairly new Zenith bleached. Like most bleached boars it broke in some. As it developed split ends it improved a bit, but right out of the box it was a very good boar. I like it.​
However, I like this one more.⇢ In my experience with them, the Semogue limited edition brushes are considerably better than most brushes in the same price range. These days most of the brushes I am willing to buy are limited editions. The problem of course is one has to pull the trigger when these brushes appear.​

There are very clearly some boars which are described by the vendors as bleached and others described as unbleached. They are very clearly different as you find out when you use them. I think unbleached boar knots are generally very good, but the require considerable break in time before they begin to shine. Prior to that they are a bit too much. Too much stiffness. Too much backbone. Too hard feeling.

← Both brushes ↑ are unbleached​

It is very obvious that some knots are bleached. In particular, many Zenith boars are described by the vendors as unbleached. Plus, the knots look different from the whiter, lighter colored bleached knots.
The brushes above are unbleached for sure.

I don't know if Zenith uses different grades of bristle, but Semogue does. There are various published charts describing the way (or ways) Semogue looks at grades. Here's a link to a very interesting compiled chart made by a member.

Then there are boars where the manufacturer does not tell us whether the bristles have been bleached. Perhaps they've been lightly bleached. We really don't know.

This photo doesn't really tell the tale, but I think some of my ⬆︎Omega brushes⬆︎ are unbleached (or maybe lightly bleached). I think that because of the look of the knots, and, more so, because they took forever to break in. Particularly the Proraso Pro, the Connaught Premium Jade (the old model with the medallion), and the Mighty Midget (front right) seem to me to be unbleached.

Then there's the matter of density of the knot. A few boars are less densely packed. One of mine in this category is the SOC. I know loads of gentlemen love their SOC boar, but mine seemed to never fully break in + it seems a bit too low on density.

Perhaps it's the luck of the draw. It is very clear that knots vary even within the same brand and model.

It's not always about the cost either.

← The most expensive boar I've purchased. The knot became a two piece.​

Years ago, I decided it would be impossible for me to acquire a truly premium collection of all the top end badgers. Instead I set out to acquire all the top end premium boars. I've acquired the best Mondial boars, the best Omega boars, the best Semogue boars, and the best Omega boars. In my opinion some are very hard to beat.

• In the very low price range I'd recommend the Omega Proraso Pro and the Omega Mighty Midget. They have to be broken in, and the handles are cheap, but these are very good brushes according to me, judging by how the function once broken in.
• Also, some of the Zenith boars, bleached and unbleached are very inexpensive. I generally check out Your Shaving for their prices and compare them with the prices at the Gentle Shave on eBay.
• I've not tried a bad Zenith boar! In the Zenith line much depends on the handle and the knot's size, but there are boars at various price points.
• I'm not a fan of the lower priced Semogue brushes I've tried. However, the limited edition boars from Semogue have been terrific.
• Initially I loved my Mondial boars, but I don't like them as much as I used to.

I have excluded all the banded boar brushes. (These are boars made to look like three band.) I don't appreciate them and never consider buying another one.

Certainly your questions can't be perfectly answered. Even more certain are the limits of my knowledge and understanding of brushes, but I know what I like and don't like about the boars I've tried.

Misturas - mixed boar and badger - tend to be great brushes, too.

I hope this helps some.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Lane101]

In my limited experience with boars there are certainly grades of bristles and grades of knots. Certainly I'm incapable of formulating a comprehensive picture of the world of boar grades.


The big two in my mind are bleached and unbleached.

View attachment 1789169	←This is a fairly new Zenith bleached. Like most bleached boars it broke in some. As it developed split ends it improved a bit, but right out of the box it was a very good boar. I like it.​
However, I like this one more.⇢ In my experience with them, the Semogue limited edition brushes are considerably better than most brushes in the same price range. These days most of the brushes I am willing to buy are limited editions. The problem of course is one has to pull the trigger when these brushes appear.​	View attachment 1789309

There are very clearly some boars which are described by the vendors as bleached and others described as unbleached. They are very clearly different as you find out when you use them. I think unbleached boar knots are generally very good, but the require considerable break in time before they begin to shine. Prior to that they are a bit too much. Too much stiffness. Too much backbone. Too hard feeling.

View attachment 1789108

View attachment 1789109← Both brushes ↑ are unbleached​

It is very obvious that some knots are bleached. In particular, many Zenith boars are described by the vendors as unbleached. Plus, the knots look different from the whiter, lighter colored bleached knots.
The brushes above are unbleached for sure.

I don't know if Zenith uses different grades of bristle, but Semogue does. There are various published charts describing the way (or ways) Semogue looks at grades. Here's a link to a very interesting compiled chart made by a member.

Then there are boars where the manufacturer does not tell us whether the bristles have been bleached. Perhaps they've been lightly bleached. We really don't know.


View attachment 1789112


This photo doesn't really tell the tale, but I think some of my ⬆︎Omega brushes⬆︎ are unbleached (or maybe lightly bleached). I think that because of the look of the knots, and, more so, because they took forever to break in. Particularly the Proraso Pro, the Connaught Premium Jade (the old model with the medallion), and the Mighty Midget (front right) seem to me to be unbleached.

Then there's the matter of density of the knot. A few boars are less densely packed. One of mine in this category is the SOC. I know loads of gentlemen love their SOC boar, but mine seemed to never fully break in + it seems a bit too low on density.

Perhaps it's the luck of the draw. It is very clear that knots vary even within the same brand and model.

It's not always about the cost either.

View attachment 1789306

← The most expensive boar I've purchased. The knot became a two piece.​

Years ago, I decided it would be impossible for me to acquire a truly premium collection of all the top end badgers. Instead I set out to acquire all the top end premium boars. I've acquired the best Mondial boars, the best Omega boars, the best Semogue boars, and the best Omega boars. In my opinion some are very hard to beat.

• In the very low price range I'd recommend the Omega Proraso Pro and the Omega Mighty Midget. They have to be broken in, and the handles are cheap, but these are very good brushes according to me, judging by how the function once broken in.
• Also, some of the Zenith boars, bleached and unbleached are very inexpensive. I generally check out Your Shaving for their prices and compare them with the prices at the Gentle Shave on eBay.
• I've not tried a bad Zenith boar! In the Zenith line much depends on the handle and the knot's size, but there are boars at various price points.
• I'm not a fan of the lower priced Semogue brushes I've tried. However, the limited edition boars from Semogue have been terrific.
• Initially I loved my Mondial boars, but I don't like them as much as I used to.

I have excluded all the banded boar brushes. (These are boars made to look like three band.) I don't appreciate them and never consider buying another one.

Certainly your questions can't be perfectly answered. Even more certain are the limits of my knowledge and understanding of brushes, but I know what I like and don't like about the boars I've tried.

Misturas - mixed boar and badger - tend to be great brushes, too.

I hope this helps some.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Jim, Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough reply. Very educational. You are right about the bleached vs. unbleached knots. My one current boar is a bleached Zenith 80N knot that is excellent.

It sounds like that beyond bleached/unbleached, size and length there are no industry wide boar grade definitions as there are for badger brushes leaving it up to the individual manufacturers, like Semogue, to apply their own individual classification or not, in the case of Zenith.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Jim, Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough reply. Very educational. You are right about the bleached vs. unbleached knots. My one current boar is a bleached Zenith 80N knot that is excellent.

It sounds like that beyond bleached/unbleached, size and length there are no industry wide boar grade definitions as there are for badger brushes leaving it up to the individual manufacturers, like Semogue, to apply their own individual classification or not, in the case of Zenith.

My pleasure.

I should have also mentioned loft. There are a variety of loft heights. Personally I prefer, for the most part, boars to have a loft of 57 mm or lower. I have some higher than that and enjoy them on occasion.

Maybe I should also mention that the published (nominal) loft height is often incorrect. Frequently the actual loft is a good bit lower than the vendors and manufacturers think it is.

There are no industry wide standards to my knowledge, but some boars are a lot better than others. I like some Stirling brushes a lot, but discarded my Stirling boar or gave it away because it never broke in, and because I liked it less as time went on.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[njpaddy]

Since then, Rudy re-knotted three brushes of mine... ones I loved the handles but hated the knots. He used the ShaveMac Two-band Silvertips for me... 2 26mm and one 28mm.

Rudy lives near me, and has done a couple of brushes over the years. In 2020, I had Rudy replace a Rooney 3-band knot in a 1/2 handle, with a 24mm Shavemac 2-band. I let Rudy choose the knot and loft. Love the result.