I'm liking my bigger badger brushes

[Big Jim]

I love most big brushes. I used my 30 mm X 69 mm and 30 mm X 70 mm brushes this past week and thoroughly enjoyed them both. They work best with very wide mugs. Now the Frank Shaving 38 mm very dense and not enough loft for is girth isn't fun to shave with. It's like trying to lather with a fuzzy tennis ball.

I like the smaller ones too. After all I can't use the monster brushes with my Old Spice mugs.

 

[Scott0079]

Not for me. I’m 22-26, anything bigger it’s a slopfest, anything smaller I feel like I have to reload and rework too much.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I sometimes like the big badgers for my face lathering.

• Zenith Manchurian 28 mm (my very favorite brush)
• AP Shave Gelousy 28 mm
• MS silvertip 30 mm (actually 33 mm).

The main thing is finding what suits you.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chandu]

I think the copper handles look nice.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

The first brushes I bought were Simpson Chubby 2 and 3 in Super, they were excellent quality but, for me, absurdly large to the point of almost being unusable. I soon realised that I prefer a scrubby brush 20mm to 25mm knot with a loft about double the knot size depending on the backbone and density. The Simpson Chubby 1 and Duke 3 in Manchurian, along with the two band Semogue Foro Afeitado brushes are the best I have tried. In terms of brushes I have found all I will ever want or need. Only a new Semogue Foro Afeitado, a Simpson Jubilee, or another small Simpson Manchurian could tempt me.

 

[Rudy Vey]

For many years my standard brush size was somewhere around 22/24 mm, with a couple smaller ones. But, in the last years I have become quite fond of big brushes. My personal favorite is RV Shaving with a Shavemac two-band silvertip (29 mm with a loft of 50/51 mm) - this is the one I do use mostly, at leats 3 times a week. I also have Shavemac Silvertip in 31 mm.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I used my Vig 24mm badger today. It once again reminded me that I prefer a smaller brush. The big, sloppy brushes are like a friggin' floor mop - great for retaining a large volume of soap that needs to be wrung out to even be usable. Working its' way towards my favorite Badger is the Sagrada Familia 20mm badger & even it is plenty big.

 

[BradSears]

I'm kind of a contrarian - par for the course. I think the loft makes the most difference and how much you splay the brush. A 30mm brush with a 55 mm loft would be much different than a 30 with a 65mm loft.

Traditionally natural hair brushes were much smaller. 20mm was a normal size in badger and maybe a bit bigger in boar. It's only since the cheap synthetics arrived that the bigger is better philosophy has taken hold. Badger brush makers have of course realized there is GOOD money to be made in selling giant brushes so they make them.

I can't help but think the master brush maker creating a 30mm badger knot is doing a virtual face palm and shaking his head.

Some good points! The knot shape and, of course, the hair also have a lot to do with face feel, splay, maneuverability, etc. While I really like the 20-22mm badgers, I find myself reaching most often for the M&F 26-28mm 3-band Super fans and hybrids set ~52mm of loft. At the same time, I know a fellow who leans heavily toward 30mm bulbs set ~52-54mm of loft. So I believe it really comes down to what we like on any given day.

 

[Space_Cadet]

I started with 24mm brushes a few years ago but now I prefer 28mm knots.

 

[Nobeard]

The 28mm and 30mm brushes that I mentioned to start this posting are both 55mm high. Anything taller than that would probably be too floppy for me.

 

[Shavely Manden]

Only a new Semogue Foro Afeitado, a Simpson Jubilee, or another small Simpson Manchurian could tempt me.

Not to be too much of an enabler, but the Simpson Jubilee is absolutely a wonderful brush, if you ever do decide to track one down.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Not to be too much of an enabler, but the Simpson Jubilee is absolutely a wonderful brush, if you ever do decide to track one down.

I have the Chubby 1 and Duke 3 in Manchurian, which have similar if not identical knots, but am considering the Jubilee, or the Classic 1 also in Manchurian. Would you know how the knots compare in terms of density and performance? Thank you.

 

[Shavely Manden]

I have the Chubby 1 and Duke 3 in Manchurian, which have similar if not identical knots, but am considering the Jubilee, or the Classic 1 also in Manchurian. Would you know how the knots compare in terms of density and performance? Thank you.

Unfortunately I really don't know, since the Jubilee is my only Manchurian.

 

[celestino]

My principal brushes are all over 34mm (at the opening of the handle) and I am enjoying them, immensely. I find anything less than 30 mm, I don't enjoy using as much.
This wasn't planned, but once I bought my first large brush on the BST, I was very fortunate to have found all of the other ones on various BSTs, throughout the last few years and they are superb and photograph, so very well.

 

[blexa]

I have the Chubby 1 and Duke 3 in Manchurian, which have similar if not identical knots, but am considering the Jubilee, or the Classic 1 also in Manchurian. Would you know how the knots compare in terms of density and performance? Thank you.

Here is a picture of my Classic1 Manchurian next to the Duke3.
The dimensions of the Classic1 are 21/43 with a handle length of 40mm.
The Classic1 cannot be compared to the Chubby1 Manchurian because it is even smaller.
For me is the Chubby1 Manchurian the best of the small brushes

here a picture from my Manchurian Chubby1 & Classic1 in Best

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Here is a picture of my Classic1 Manchurian next to the Duke3.
The dimensions of the Classic1 are 21/43 with a handle length of 40mm.
The Classic1 cannot be compared to the Chubby1 Manchurian because it is even smaller.
For me is the Chubby1 Manchurian the best of the small brushes

here a picture from my Manchurian Chubby1 & Classic1 in Best

Very nice, thank you. My Duke 3 in Manchurian is also in deep blue and until now it was the only one I had seen in that colour. That is a beautiful Classic Manchurian handle, a lovely colour without being too 'Willy Wonka', really beautiful.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My principal brushes are all over 34mm (at the opening of the handle) and I am enjoying them, immensely. I find anything less than 30 mm, I don't enjoy using as much.
This wasn't planned, but once I bought my first large brush on the BST, I was very fortunate to have found all of the other ones on various BSTs, throughout the last few years and they are superb and photograph, so very well.

What brushes are that large? Over 34 is not a size I've run across (and, yes, I understand how you're measuring them and that the vendor/manufacturer measurements are not the same).

I think the largest knots I have are these MS silvertips. Vendor says they're 30 mm. I measure them at 33 mm. They're very big in my experience, but these knots would be too small for you. I find it amazing and interesting and cool that you know of and use knots over 34 mm.

In this old photo, one is brand new and not yet bloomed.



Really pretty picture and handles, @blexa.

Happy shaves,

Jim