I restored my old Duke 2 handle with a Virginia Sheng Silvertip knot. By any measure this is a great brush. Very soft tips, ample backbone, no shedding. So why am I not satisfied? I'm not entirely sure. My other two brushes are a Vulfix Grosvenor badger/boar mix and a Crabtree & Evelyn best badger. The Vulfix provides the scrubbiness I'm looking for, but it's not dense enough. The C&E is just too floppy. So I don't use the C&E and I mostly use the Duke/Sheng. But I want something scrubbier. I wouldn't mind making another brush, since I believe you can get a lot more for your money, but most of the reviews omit "scrubbiness" and focus too much on softness. I know that I don't want a boar brush, but maybe a higher quality mix know would work for me. Or is there a dense badger know that would give me what I want? Or should I just plunk down the $95 and buy another Duke 2? Any suggestions?