Is this a good 2nd brush?

[Lern2swim]

I started shaving with a DE razor about a month ago. I've been using the Tweezerman brush that my father got me but I'm already feeling like it's the one part of my kit that's holding back the experience for me.

I'm not using anything that's super high end yet:

merkur HD long handle
Col. Conk almond shave soap
Body shop maca root shaving cream
(I'm still trying different things)
derby blades

There's just something about the brush that's not working for me. The handle feels a bit too small, the bristles a bit too... bristley, and it just doesn't seem to want to spread out enough when I'm applying lather(I lather in a mug). I don't want a brush that's so soft that there's not "exfoliation" but the tweezerman brush just feels... uncomfortable and unrefined.

I'm still not looking to spend a large amount of money but from what I've read Omega brushes are supposed to be good and I came across this:

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Stripey...ef=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1265752929&sr=1-3

Seems like a good price for a next step up for me. I'm just looking for some validation before making the purchase. Thanks.

 

[cvac]

I'd hold off. There is nothing wrong with that brush, but it's not going to have less prickly tips that the tweezerman. If you want softer tips, you're going to have to upgrade to a mid-grade brush, or better yet, a silvertip.

Exfoliation is overrated. When you shave, you're removing skin, which exfoliates in itself. And rubbing even the softest brush imaginable on your face is going to exfoliate as well.

If you want an Omega, I believe WCS has a nice selection of different grades.

 

[Loner16]

I've got the same brush... Omega #31064 and I love it! It's a great brush!1

It can be obtained at a better price from West Coast Shaving.... You might want to add a few more goodies also since there's shipping, but I got mine for 24 bucks delivered... Probably the best $24 I ever spent!

http://westcoastshaving.com/

 

[mkevenson]

I also have the pure badger from Omega. Not as refined as my silver tips but a very nice brush with good feel and plenty of back bone.

 

[Blondie]

I started shaving with a DE razor about a month ago. I've been using the Tweezerman brush that my father got me but I'm already feeling like it's the one part of my kit that's holding back the experience for me.

I'm not using anything that's super high end yet:

merkur HD long handle
Col. Conk almond shave soap
Body shop maca root shaving cream
(I'm still trying different things)
derby blades

There's just something about the brush that's not working for me. The handle feels a bit too small, the bristles a bit too... bristley, and it just doesn't seem to want to spread out enough when I'm applying lather(I lather in a mug). I don't want a brush that's so soft that there's not "exfoliation" but the tweezerman brush just feels... uncomfortable and unrefined.

I'm still not looking to spend a large amount of money but from what I've read Omega brushes are supposed to be good and I came across this:

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Stripey...ef=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1265752929&sr=1-3

Seems like a good price for a next step up for me. I'm just looking for some validation before making the purchase. Thanks.

Do a search on amazon for omega stripey and you will find the same brush from another vendor for $10 dollars less than that one. You will have to pay for shipping, but will still save 4-5 bucks. Then is is a pretty low price just to check it out. I have an Omega Pure Badger, and the bristles are not what I would call "prickly".

I've got the same brush... Omega #31064 and I love it! It's a great brush!1

It can be obtained at a better price from West Coast Shaving.... You might want to add a few more goodies also since there's shipping, but I got mine for 24 bucks delivered... Probably the best $24 I ever spent!

http://westcoastshaving.com/

That brush is a pure badger. The 31064 is a boar brush, not the same. Although, once broken in, boar can be as soft or softer at the tips than some badger brushes.

 

[cvac]

This one @ $45 might be worth checking into:

http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28_39_64&products_id=490

 

[Loner16]

Do a search on amazon for omega stripey and you will find the same brush from another vendor for $10 dollars less than that one. You will have to pay for shipping, but will still save 4-5 bucks. Then is is a pretty low price just to check it out. I have an Omega Pure Badger, and the bristles are not what I would call "prickly".



That brush is a pure badger. The 31064 is a boar brush, not the same. Although, once broken in, boar can be as soft or softer at the tips than some badger brushes.

Yes, I'm sorry, I stand corrected!

I looked too fast...

 

[cvac]

Everything will feel prickly once you've tried a silvertip. Omega makes a good boar but I would go for a $10 model if I were you. It will work fine and will let you decide if boar is for you or not. It will soften up but that takes a long time, like a few months of daily use, and the bristles themselves will stay very stiff...they're not going to spread out on your face the same way most badgers will unless you apply quite a bit of force, and then you might be irritating your face.

 

[Frowzy]

I would really, really recommend buying a slightly nicer brush. In your price range, watching the B/S/T for a brush like the B&B essential, Shavemac finest, or the Crabtree & Evelyn (Edwin Jagger) Best Badger Brush will net you a brush that is 5x better for 2x the cost. Trust me: everyday you lather up with that brush, you'll thank the shaving gods that you invested just a little bit more money for an enormous leap in quality.

That being said, boar brushes, after being broken in, are great.

 

[Blondie]

This one @ $45 might be worth checking into:

http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28_39_64&products_id=490

I will be able to comment on that brush in a couple of days, as I just picked one up and am waiting on it now. Couldn't resist that handle, and hey, Silvertip at that price? It's a no brainer.

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

You should listen to those suggesting a boar. After a couple weeks of breaking-in you'll never regret buying a nice boar brush, especially for a fraction of the cost of a comparable badger brush. Might I suggest this brush being discussed in this thread.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Don't blame the tweezerman, it's a very good brush. You should stick with it for at least a couple months before you consider upgrading. Focus on learnig how to lather, find your best blades, razor and soaps, etc., first.