This brush is amazing. Lathered like a beast. It was super soft and I could get a great lather with only painting motions. It is a shame these have been discontinued. I cannot believe these were not more popular.
Kent Bk8 is Fantastic
- Thread starter Miketorrge
- Start date
As a kent fan, you're 100% correct, great brushes. Smooth as silk imho. I think some folk were put off by the flop-a-bility of you bigger kent, that and price, but you did get a cool case. Their later synths ain't bad either really, but agin the price is silly.
I’m not sure they weren’t popular. They were incredibly high quality brushes for the price. Even though the fashion in forums has shifted toward higher backbone two-band brushes in the last few years, I doubt the general shaving market changed. Kent stopped making badger brushes for ideological reasons, not due to any shortage of demand. They are very much missed.
I’m glad you’re enjoying your BK8. It’s exactly the kind of shaving brush I like.
If you want to find something similar today the Omega 6619 silvertip is a close match. Plisson High Mountain White brushes are even better than the Kent (in my opinion), but very expensive. Mondial make a good three-band silvertip too. Unfortunately we lost Vie-Long this year, who also made very nice silvertip brushes.
I’m glad you’re enjoying your BK8. It’s exactly the kind of shaving brush I like.
If you want to find something similar today the Omega 6619 silvertip is a close match. Plisson High Mountain White brushes are even better than the Kent (in my opinion), but very expensive. Mondial make a good three-band silvertip too. Unfortunately we lost Vie-Long this year, who also made very nice silvertip brushes.
They were fairly popular, but the list price of $200 limited their reach for many. It's too big and soft for face-lathing in my book - but some would disagree. I've had one for over a decade and I think it has lost 3 hairs over that span. It's a spectacular scuttle brush, and the tips are the softest, most luxurious tips on the planet.
Congratulations! They are handsome brushes for sure!
Look up the VP Leonhardy 700050. You'll have a brush in between those two in terms of size, and with better hair than before Kent stopped production. I had 3 BLK12s and never should've sold the first, but I was just getting started and thought it was too big. The brush I mentioned is much closer to how I remembered it. A bigger loft, but denser, and possibly softer. I prefer to focus on 3-band Silvertip, but grudgingly still pick up some 2-bands here and there because of bad influences from you all.I'm still kicking myself. I didn't score a badger BK8 or 12 when they were available!
Omega has some good options too, but the one that was recommended wouldn't be my pick. Go for anything in the silvertip badger line up. I have the 6551, and it's not bad, but should've been a bit softer in my opinion. I had a 6551 that was gorgeously packed, better density than a Chubby 1 Super, and the only downside was the irregular handle and slickness of the deer horn. A 643, 634 or a 639 is excellent for my tastes. Larger brushes. Those don't have special handles, but they're larger, and the knots are wonderful. Vie-long would've been good, and still would be if you can find some specials. It is it's own unique flavor though.
If you really must go for a Kent brush, ask the person to take a picture of the bottom of the brush or to look on it and tell you what the numbers are. I never realized it but they put the month and year on it, and even under the sticker I believe it is engraved. I never asked them to confirm this, but I'm certain I'm correct as I had a number of Kents and when I looked they had times that matched a month/year numbering scheme. Try to aim for anything under 2010 and you should get something exceptionally soft. Probably could go a few years up to 2012, but the one I remembered so well was definitely 2009.
It was towards the end that they engraved it into the handle. I swear I had a sticker on it before. I could be mistaken. I did peel back the one on my BLK8 and there is no engraving on the handle. A shame for those that lost their sticker. The BLK8 states 02/09 while my BLK12 has 201903 on it. My BLk12 does have a good softness to it. Better than my second purchase, but not as good as the first. Still not as excellent as the 700500 from VP I mentioned.
Attachments
I bought a collection with half a dozen NOS Kent's still in the shrink wrap. Sadly only 2 of them had sticky labels on the bottom to identify them, so I had to open them...all size 8 and 12, 3 were b&b anniversary brushes. Sold some, kept some. The size 12 is a wonderful knot! The seller knew nothing about any of the collection...sad. Some b&b member is rolling in their grave.I'm still kicking myself. I didn't score a badger BK8 or 12 when they were available!
This is an awesome reply. Thank you for the info! I'll be taking a look at all those brushes you mentionedLook up the VP Leonhardy 700050. You'll have a brush in between those two in terms of size, and with better hair than before Kent stopped production. I had 3 BLK12s and never should've sold the first, but I was just getting started and thought it was too big. The brush I mentioned is much closer to how I remembered it. A bigger loft, but denser, and possibly softer. I prefer to focus on 3-band Silvertip, but grudgingly still pick up some 2-bands here and there because of bad influences from you all.
Omega has some good options too, but the one that was recommended wouldn't be my pick. Go for anything in the silvertip badger line up. I have the 6551, and it's not bad, but should've been a bit softer in my opinion. I had a 6551 that was gorgeously packed, better density than a Chubby 1 Super, and the only downside was the irregular handle and slickness of the deer horn. A 643, 634 or a 639 is excellent for my tastes. Larger brushes. Those don't have special handles, but they're larger, and the knots are wonderful. Vie-long would've been good, and still would be if you can find some specials. It is it's own unique flavor though.
If you really must go for a Kent brush, ask the person to take a picture of the bottom of the brush or to look on it and tell you what the numbers are. I never realized it but they put the month and year on it, and even under the sticker I believe it is engraved. I never asked them to confirm this, but I'm certain I'm correct as I had a number of Kents and when I looked they had times that matched a month/year numbering scheme. Try to aim for anything under 2010 and you should get something exceptionally soft. Probably could go a few years up to 2012, but the one I remembered so well was definitely 2009.
- Thread starter
- #11
Oh man I don’t realize that. The sticker was bubbling so I removed it. I thought it was a covering over an engraving, I was wrong.
While they were before my time here (joined in 2014), all those Kent B&B Limited brushes looked great. I especially like the 2008 version.
I liked the 2008 LE as well. I had just joined the forum and missed it. A lingering regret.
Lets not forget the H series. The H8 is / was a particular favorite of mine.
