Just one high end brush...

[Space_Cadet]

One of the high-end Simpsons or Paladin. Definitely two of my favorites.

 

[Demaratus]

Email Simpson and get an M7 in two band. The Manchurian is nice, but two band would be even nicer.


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[Chan Eil Whiskers]

So as my wet shaving journey has reached a couple year's old I have come to some definite conclusions. One, my rad is pretty much dead and because of that I am going to have some spare change to spend. However my sbrad is quite alive. My question to you all is if money was no object (up to $400) what brush would you purchase? I am asking because thats what I am going to do. I almost face lather exclusively and I love some backbone with a soft feel. No scritchy please. I figure instead of having tons of brushes I will have one that is absolutely amazing. Unfortunately there are so many brushes and I do not know all of them so I am counting on B&B's extensive experience to help me out. Thanks

Have you decided on anything?

In my opinion yours is an impossible question and quest. I could also say it's exceeding easy to accomplish with a little luck.

I have a few brushes that are generally considered to be very good. My most expensive brush is, out of that group, the one I like the least. One of my brushes which costs about $70 is one of my favorites, and the absolute favorite of some gentlemen who have extensive and expensive collections.

In my opinion most of us are collectors and hobbyists. Many of us have a good many brushes any civilian, and most of us, would be extremely happy to use were it the only brush in the shave den. There are excellent brushes with great backbone and soft tips available for less than $20 and at any other price point you might name. You can spend hundreds and hundreds to get a brush you won't like but that doesn't mean someone else wouldn't love it.

I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor and will look forward to hearing what you think of the brush you buy. Please don't think I'm trying to talk you out of buying a $400 brush; plenty of them are very very good brushes. Just don't expect that spending more money on a brush guarantees you'll love it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[SgtCrppls]

As others are saying, Simpsons Manchurians are just excellent in the backbone and ever-so-slightly scritchy category. Alternatives in the same category are Morris & Forndran (as far as I know, now available new only through Brad Sears) and shavemac 2-band silvertip (available new, of course, from shavemac but also from Rudy Vey).

If you want a softer knot, Simpsons in Super, or even in Best, Paladin, and shavemac 2-band silvertip (especially DO-1) are excellent.
Even softer are the Plisson brushes in High Mountain White. Some folks find them floppy, but I say they're unique and hard to describe. The smaller ones may be within your price range.

I agree completely with @Chaucer Morris & Forndran Finest would be exactly what you are looking for.

 

[P@tsfan6484]

Have you decided on anything?

In my opinion yours is an impossible question and quest. I could also say it's exceeding easy to accomplish with a little luck.

I have a few brushes that are generally considered to be very good. My most expensive brush is, out of that group, the one I like the least. One of my brushes which costs about $70 is one of my favorites, and the absolute favorite of some gentlemen who have extensive and expensive collections.

In my opinion most of us are collectors and hobbyists. Many of us have a good many brushes any civilian, and most of us, would be extremely happy to use were it the only brush in the shave den. There are excellent brushes with great backbone and soft tips available for less than $20 and at any other price point you might name. You can spend hundreds and hundreds to get a brush you won't like but that doesn't mean someone else wouldn't love it.

I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor and will look forward to hearing what you think of the brush you buy. Please don't think I'm trying to talk you out of buying a $400 brush; plenty of them are very very good brushes. Just don't expect that spending more money on a brush guarantees you'll love it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I have given it much thought and I am not going to buy an expensive brush. Many comments in this thread have said what you said and I am going to use the advice wisely. My next brush will be a Zenith Manchurian in olive wood. I thank every one for their advice.
If I was going to buy I would have purchased a The Varlet in the Ranger handle.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have given it much thought and I am not going to buy an expensive brush. Many comments in this thread have said what you said and I am going to use the advice wisely. My next brush will be a Zenith Manchurian in olive wood. I thank every one for their advice.
If I was going to buy I would have purchased a The Varlet in the Ranger handle.

An excellent choice.

I have the brush. Mine came to me as an out of the blue surprise gift from a B&B friend. It was third hand and well broken in. I don't know what it was like brand new, but now it's very much like what you describe wanting.

My copper Manchurian was purchased new. It had the backbone of a a dinosaur. I was warned about it (fortunately) in much the same way folks are warned about the Shavemac D01 two band. It took some getting used to. I've used the copper Manchurian many many times now. It's changed considerably over time. All its changes have been good. At present it has a very very strong backbone and is also very soft but it's retained significant scrub. It has zero bad scritch.

To begin with it had the scrub of a Brillo pad, but that sounds like it was too harsh or scritchy and it wasn't.

The Zenith Manchurians (both of mine) are great, under-appreciated brushes. I've read several places that the knots are hand tied. In my experience with Zenith handles, and I have a lot of them, they tend to be very excellent in their ergonomics. You'll like the ergonomics of either of the olive wood handles; both the short handle and the tall handle are wonderful in the hand.

I'll be interested in how how like your brush, and also interested in what it's like brand new (as mine wasn't). I'd say that my olive wood Manchurian is one of my very favorite brushes. I always liked it but now I like it more than I used to; even though mine was broken in when I got it, it's changed over time as brushes tend to do. It very much reminds me of my Shavemac non-DO1 two bands.

Happy shaves and congratulations on a great choice.

I've also (once again) been reading the Varlet website and indulging in lust. I'm not sure whether my lust is for a Varlet brush or for the marketing genius and skills of the shop owner.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[P@tsfan6484]

I have the olive handle like yours in boar and its great. It is my favorite handle of my 7 brushes. I also have the copper handle that you have in boar. Dont use it though as I really do not like that handle. I hope the manchurian fits my desires!! We will see.

 

[Tirvine]

I like smaller brushes, and to me the Kent BK4 is pretty much it.

 

[Marco]

Simpson Chubby 1 Super. My #1 pick.

 

[Sukeroku]

Rooney 2XL Super...they are out there if you look hard enough and are patient.

 

[BrianP]

I wouldn't go down that path (but this is me and my questionable life choices). I have only one "high end" brush, a Plisson High Mountain White in size 8. I have had other badgers (not up to this quality), but this one I kept. That being said, I don't use it all that often because I prefer boar brushes. If something happened to it, I'd be sad but I wouldn't replace it. If I had that $400 budget and was directed to spend on a brush, that's what I'd get.

What I like about the Plisson HMW, is that it's small, reasonable backbone and not scritchy. I face lather exclusively. The tips feel rounded which is why I keep it. The only badgers I have left are this and a Wee Scot.