If you had to pick only one badger brush!

[Flyby]

High Mountain White Badger from Sterling Soap. I have this brush, and it is soft with backbone.

High Mountain White Badger Shave Brush - 24mm x 53mm (Black) - https://www.stirlingsoap.com/collections/shave-brushes/products/high-mountain-white-badger-shave-brush-24mm-x-53mm-black

 

[old_school]

For $75C you can learn something about 3-Band and 2-Band. This is a shaving forum - you need both you know!

Looks like inventory is diminishing all over the place so he who snoozes looses...

 

[Kevy]

I've been using an AP Shave Co 22mm Gelousy badger knot recently and it feels fantastic.

 

[Smooth and Sharp]

High Mountain White Badger from Sterling Soap. I have this brush, and it is soft with backbone.

High Mountain White Badger Shave Brush - 24mm x 53mm (Black) - https://www.stirlingsoap.com/collections/shave-brushes/products/high-mountain-white-badger-shave-brush-24mm-x-53mm-black

Interesting and cheap, Thanks

 

[Hooman]

@Smooth and Sharp , I'm looking for the same thing.

I have narrowed down my choices down to Maggard SHD, Shavemac knot from Rudy Vey, and TurnNShave.

I'm waiting to get some quotes from Rudy Vey. His will surely be more expensive than Maggard SHD but I don't know by how much. I'll let you know soon as I hear back from him.

The choice is a hard one! I'll have to pick one brush pretty soon as my daily driver Simpson Duke is at his final days of service.....

 

[Smooth and Sharp]

@Smooth and Sharp , I'm looking for the same thing.

I have narrowed down my choices down to Maggard SHD, Shavemac knot from Rudy Vey, and TurnNShave.

I'm waiting to get some quotes from Rudy Vey. His will surely be more expensive than Maggard SHD but I don't know by how much. I'll let you know soon as I hear back from him.

The choice is a hard one! I'll have to pick one brush pretty soon as my daily driver Simpson Duke is at his final days of service.....

Thanks sure I wanna know your final choice!

 

[old_school]

WCS Beacon SilverTip - $40______WCS -Yaqi Moka - $33

To late to edit post above.

 

[Noodles]

I'd stretch and get this:

H.L. Thater for Fendrihan Fan-Shaped Best Badger Shaving Brush with Black Handle, Size 4

If you prefer a full and slightly stiffer feel when lathering your face, the H.L. Thater for Fendrihan Fan-Shaped Best Badger Shaving Brush with Black Handle makes the perfect choice. FEATURES Glossy handle Bristles are soft with a bit of coarseness to exfoliate skin Fan shaped bulb features...

www.fendrihan.ca

A Duke 2 would be a great choice too (although my two Simpsons shed like crazy, so you want the warranty). It's also a stretch.

I have a great Rudy Vey, but it's small and way over $100 CAD.

 

[dieselfuel79]

After researching the life out of brushes, I would have to say the Colonel X2L. I sold mine off a few years back and have recently stuck to boars and occasionally synthetic. But I really wanted a badger in the arsenal, and for the price, I think the Colonel is a hard one to pass up. So... I ordered another one.

 

[Smooth and Sharp]

WCS Beacon SilverTip - $40______WCS -Yaqi Moka - $33

View attachment 1122469

To late to edit post above.

These are beautiful but im looking for Badger, thanks

 

[old_school]

These are beautiful but im looking for Badger, thanks

Sorry! I see now one is made out of bacon and the other one coffee. I'm so stupid.

 

[bigbrucefan]

Thayer 4670/5 wait for a us ed one. I have paladin, Simpson super, etc and it,s my favorite. In your budget is the razorock zenith chubby which , after breaking in, is nearly equal and my favorite handle. Handle is very important!

 

[allyourbasearebelongtous]

 

[bigbrucefan]

I would jump on the rudy very in the emporium if I were you. Probably half new. All of my expensive brushes were bought used at deep discounts right here.

 

[mattps1]

I'd agree with other folks recommending the Simpsons Duke 2. I started my $ badger brush journey with a Simpsons Classic 1, the specs are very similar (dukes not really available in Australia). I was happy with that for a good 6 months before adding additional brushes

 

[wibbleandstrop23]

I've only ever used a Simpsons wee Scot, and despite its size found it to be a fantastic face latherer when paired with Palmolive or Valobra stick. As an added bonus it dries quickly without the aid of a brush stand.

 

[Journeyman]

If the OP is still searching, then I’ll say something similar, but go with the Duke 3 in best badger on Amazon, which can be had by the reputable seller Alrossa for $94.95 currently. The Duke 2 would be a great choice as well. It just depends on the size brush you like, and the Duke 3 is as small as I go, and at this price just squeezes into your budget.

Regarding badger hair, it has a lot of variance depending on hair type. A lot of people use the term backbone, but I think texture is more accurate an identifier. This is because the desired texture I am after will change the backbone deemed sufficient in the brush. For example, I have a Shavemac pure badger brush I enjoy a lot with a loft of 24mm x 50 mm. There isn’t a lot of backbone, but the texture of the coarser hair is more pronounced, so the lesser backbone works well to give me enough feel of the hair to be enjoyable, while a strong backbone would make the pure hair be too prickly. Conversely a 3-band silvertip badger with the same backbone as my pure badger would be so soft as to hardly have any presence except an overall uniform softness, what some call cloud-like but others define as floppy. This is why some who want that cloud softness but with more presence of the hair on their face with even some scrubbiness will go for a 2-band silvertip badger, since the tips are soft but the hair shafts are thicker leading to easier to craft knots of soft tips with strong backbone. And despite the high cost of some 2-band brushes, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are best. The best is whatever the person’s face likes best.

All that said, my top brush is a Simpsons Chubby 2 in best badger. Coming close behind would be a 27mm Varlet Ranger in Alpine 2-band silvertip. After that I have way too many brushes, but in my main rotation I have the aforementioned Shavemac in pure and the Simpsons Duke 3 in best badger. I consider them all top tier brushes, and never feel I’m compromising using any one of them.

It’s a fun hobby. I hope you find something your face loves.

 

[Ravenonrock]

I only have one badger brush. I picked it up at a knife supply store, what did I know? Today I was at war with a bar of MWF, it looked like half the brush was left on the soap when I was done. Note to self....next purchase will be a quality brush.

 

[RVshave]

I like variety but if only one I could live with my Simpson's Duke 3 in best, go it on Amazon for $80 a year ago.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

A Simpson's Chubby 2 in "SiLVERTiP" or Manchurian. Tough choice between the two now that I've tried both, but probably the Silvertip. I sold a Manchurian before and the Silvertip is a bit softer and more comfortable. Felt the Manchurian was overkill in the Chubby design due to the shorter loft compared to the knot. Felt the Manchurian hair performed better in the M6 LE I had prior to that, hence why with my more recent order I am now also waiting on an M7 Manchurian. Still prefer the Chubby design overall, though, so I'll stick with the Chubby 2 Silvertip answer.

Note that my best performing badger is actually my Paladin El Dorado, however if push came to shove I'd stick with the Chubby. I just like it.