Larry at Whipped Dog-best value and great service!
Looking for a budget Silvertip
- Thread starter Daredevil
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+1! This is your best bet!
The best value ‘budget’ brushes is boar or synthetic. The price point for quality in badgers is higher IME.
I have several silvertip brushes that I've spent anywhere from $25 to $125 for. Delong makes a very soft silvertip, but might lack backbone for some. West Coast Shaving's silvertip is not as soft, but has great backbone and either can be had fairly cheaply. I only have 2 band from Yaqi, but I'm really liking what I see from them.
In your price range the Yaqi you have is and excellent brush. While $50 will get you a top of the line synthetic or boar it's more entry level brush for a silvertip brush. I'm not sure that you'll be able to better what you already have without spending more than you've budgeted. If you have a spare handle around and were willing to spend $60 on a loose Elite Shaving Manchurian Fan knot I'd definitely recommend that as a knot that performs well above it's price point and something that would be a noticeable improvement over what you have now.
Other than that you could wait for a used Shavemac 2 band silvertip to appear on the BST at or around the $80 to $100 mark. It could be a while but it happens from time to time.
My highest recommendation would be for a Declaration Brushworks brush but that's several times your budgeted amount.
I wouldn't recommend collecting a lot of lower priced brushes as you'd be better off spending a bit more on one really nice brush and enjoying it everyday for the next ten plus years.
Other than that you could wait for a used Shavemac 2 band silvertip to appear on the BST at or around the $80 to $100 mark. It could be a while but it happens from time to time.
My highest recommendation would be for a Declaration Brushworks brush but that's several times your budgeted amount.
I wouldn't recommend collecting a lot of lower priced brushes as you'd be better off spending a bit more on one really nice brush and enjoying it everyday for the next ten plus years.
@Badlander13, the above regarding customer service is my experience as well. I was very pleased with the service I received from Whipped Dog, & the quality of the brush. Larry will talk to you & help you in your selection.
Respectfully, I could not disagree more.
I bought this brush together with a Yaqi Moka two band. The Moka is an outstanding brush.
The Sagrada I bought because it was cheap and i liked the handle.
I still do like the handle but I couldn't recommend it as a shaving tool, and this is after I took it with me on a week trip and trying to like it... luckily I also took another brush with me.
The knot is not dense at all, no meaningful backbone to speak of and the splay is not even important at that point.
Everything is relative to a reference, my reference are maggard 30mm synthetic (awesome), muhle cosmo (sold) and an old frank shaving. I will probably remove the knot because that handle is indeed nice.
Yaqi makes beautiful handles and I think this is why their synthetic brushes became so popular. Almost any synthetic brush can lather up quickly and effectively and they are soft on the face, but they are floppy (a friend of mine owns their 30mm... same deal). They get a ton of praise but mostly from newbies that don't have anything else for a reference.
Face feel is really a matter of opinion because, if you enjoy synthetics more thsn other fibres - great. I don't in particular, their are super fine and I really prefer the feel of badger hair.
Now the original ask here was about badger on a budget.
My recent experience is with Maseto and Yaqi two band. I have the following:
Yaqi 2 band Makineta Moka (that handle is massive and I like it, might not be for everyone).
Maseto 30mm silvertip fan
Maseto 30mm 2 band
Masero 26mm silvertip "Memphis"
The maseto 2 band as a very strong backbone the tips however feel to me almost the same as the silverip. The silverip backbone for me is more than adequate and is on par with the Yaqi 2 band, because it has a higher loft.
It is remarkable what quality today you get for what would have set you black at least $100-$150 five years ago.
My favorites are the 30mm silvertip and yaqi. They are dense, soft on the tips and fun to use.
The memphis knot is great but the part of the handle that actually sits in the hand is small.
To be honest, I like the above two as much as my newly acquired Simpsom 58 Manchurian. I was curious what great things a higher end brush would yield compared to the above... I am still looking to be enlighted.
There might cheaper offerings but at that price/quality is really at a very sweet spot and is well worth it. Maybe a smaller badger bursh by yaqi would fit the budget betters, but I haven't tried any of the smaller so I cannot give a first hand recommendation.
And to add to the fun and to support the omnipresent YMMV, i will add my impression of the 24mm Sagrada Familia: Excessive backbone, makes my boars cower in fear and my badgers run for their lives. I have 2 other models of Yaqi tuxedos and the Sagrada is by far, the stiffest, hardest to splay model.
I suspect, someone got the wrong glue bump in the Sagrada. I am not sure who.
If there is that much variance in the above 3 knots maybe there is a QC issue at Yaqi. I guess I was lucky to receive a very nice one.
Happy Shaves!
Happy Shaves!
For what little it's worth, i also find the 2 other tuxedo models, having a bit too much backbone. But the Sagrada gets where it becomes borderline annoying. I still use it, but i prefer the Yaqi plissofts. The Sagrada is the only Yaqi, that i find myself more often using with more painting motions instead of swirling. This way it becomes more enjoyable.
jackgoldman123
Boring and predictable
Omega 599
Larry at Whipped Dog will help you select the brush that best suites your needs even with setting the knot deeper if that is your wish. When I buy a brush from Larry I ask him to not install the knot in the handle and determine for myself how deep I want it. I usually end up spacing it up for even more loft than if you glued it in at normal height. Larry has always treated me well. The only two knots of his I would consider is the Silvertip or the High Mountain. As you should know the Silvertip is softer and has reasonable backbone while the High Mountain has much more backbone but still has a reasonable face feel. I like them both but I feel an addiction to Silvertip.
With about 50 brushes currently in use, not all have come from Larry. I have found three vendors on ebay that I really like and you can find a 24 mm Silvertip for $30.00 that is really exceptional from ACE. Less for a Finest (keep in mind that High Mountain is in the Finest family). You can often find close to the same pricing from Virginia Sheng. The last one is Maseto. Maseto tends to be a bit higher priced but the quality is exceptional. Maseto brushes tend to have less loft and if you like a short lofted brush it might be the best choice.
My opinion is the best bang for the buck is the ACE Promotional 24 mm Silvertip for $29.95, right in your original price range. Over the last five years or so I have given away about a dozen of them to family and friends and have one in my rotation.
With about 50 brushes currently in use, not all have come from Larry. I have found three vendors on ebay that I really like and you can find a 24 mm Silvertip for $30.00 that is really exceptional from ACE. Less for a Finest (keep in mind that High Mountain is in the Finest family). You can often find close to the same pricing from Virginia Sheng. The last one is Maseto. Maseto tends to be a bit higher priced but the quality is exceptional. Maseto brushes tend to have less loft and if you like a short lofted brush it might be the best choice.
My opinion is the best bang for the buck is the ACE Promotional 24 mm Silvertip for $29.95, right in your original price range. Over the last five years or so I have given away about a dozen of them to family and friends and have one in my rotation.
- Thread starter
- #32
Gentlemen Thank you for all your suggestions and input. I have decide to wait a while on making the brush purchase, I will work with my Synthetics from now and decided later what to purchase. Inreally like the Yaqi Mocha in badger but we will see down the line. I will make sure to come back and re read this thread as it has pretty good info.
I would second the idea of Vigshaving or ACE, I've bought knots from both of them and they are very nice, don't shed, and the higher priced ones are very full. The budget "grey" knots are OK, but a little thin. Good value all of them.
Both will sell you a plastic handle quite reasonably too.
Peter
Both will sell you a plastic handle quite reasonably too.
Peter
While you are waiting, check out the Maseto brushes(classicshop2012)on the bay. You will find one in your price range(41.99 + 6.99 s/h). They are an excellent value.
marty
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I also recommend the Maseto silvertip. Actually, for me, it's the best silvertip brush available, regardless of price.
