I've been on a binge looking at different shaving brushes, and I'm having a bit of a hard time understanding pricing. From what I understand a good portion of the price can come from the knot (if it's included). But what about the handles? Why are shavemac, M&F / Brad Sears, Plisson, Paladin, etc. handles so expensive... is it just the craftsmanship? Is it something else...? I can understand if the handle has expensive wood or horn... but what about the typical resins? The only brush I own currently is the Omega 48, and I'm looking at expanding the brush collection.
"Luxury" brushes... why are they worth it?
- Thread starter taiga
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EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
The price of brushes is defined the same as anything else, i.e. cost of production - materials, labour, marketing etc. which can vary hugely depending on location. The perceived value of the product, history, brand status, heritage, and so on. The levels of supply and demand, and finally the cost is usually as high as the market will bear. It is self evident that any non essential product that sells out, cannot be overpriced. Are they worth it? That is up to you but if you are asking the question then I would not be surprised if the answer is no 
Every time I use my Proraso brush I wonder why I bother with anything else.
That about sums it up, I'd say. Pricing for most luxury goods has little to do with actual cost to produce them. If you are only interested in functional utility, there are usually other goods that cost less that will do a good job.
I'm a fan of brushes like the Omega Jade boar, Zenith B03-A26 boar, Semogue SOC Finest & MIstura for this reason. They are a little more expensive, but not high-end.
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You are asking a question only you can answer, and you can’t answer that until you have more experience with the variety of brushes available. I will assume by the brushes you named you are looking a badger knots.
With experience you will begin to find what you like and don’t like in a brush. As you continue you will be able to put in order the most to least important in your likes and don’t likes. The only way I know how to do this is to buy a brush. Use it for a while and see what you like and don’t like about it. Now you can buy another brush through your reading that gives more to your likes than your dislikes.
Down the rabbit hole you go.
With experience you will begin to find what you like and don’t like in a brush. As you continue you will be able to put in order the most to least important in your likes and don’t likes. The only way I know how to do this is to buy a brush. Use it for a while and see what you like and don’t like about it. Now you can buy another brush through your reading that gives more to your likes than your dislikes.
Down the rabbit hole you go.
Many thing effect price, advertising & hype are two no one mentioned. If you're using cheap brush, and happy why change. I see brushes selling over $200.00 USD and say why? Or what does this do the the SUB $30.00 brush don't?
All depends on you. Some buy a cheap car, others an expensive - both take you from A to B. I found over the years that expensive brushes are normally much better made. Like the knots have been tied carefully with no dark tips showing, it takes a lot of time to remove all the upside down hairs.
For me, much of the value of a shaving brush has to do with how light interacts with the handle. This is separate and apart from the quality of the knot. I will pay more for a brush handle that glows or otherwise shows well in the light. As an example, here is my Declaration Grooming B15 with a Blood of Kings handle and my Morris & Forndran Emilion:
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Or, for that matter, my Paladin Lemon Drop:
Why does a stainless steel Wolfman razors cost $800 and a Razorock razor, made from the same material and capable of giving the same shave, cost $65?
Because somebody is buying $800 Wolfman razors, for their own reasons.
IMO, after a certain point it seems to become pride of ownership (or bragging rights).
I use low to mid-level brushes ($10-150) and they work fine for me. I owned a Paladin once and, while it was an absolutely beautiful brush, I didn't love the performance and quickly flipped it.
Because somebody is buying $800 Wolfman razors, for their own reasons.
IMO, after a certain point it seems to become pride of ownership (or bragging rights).
I use low to mid-level brushes ($10-150) and they work fine for me. I owned a Paladin once and, while it was an absolutely beautiful brush, I didn't love the performance and quickly flipped it.
If all you want are focused on is functional quality then there is no reason to spend more than $10-$15 on either boar or synthetic brushes. I use two synthetics (Razorock Monster and Big Bruce both with the same 26mm plissoft knot) and a boar (Razorock Blondie 26mm knot, rebranded Zenith 80N) that let me easily whip up great lather from all my soaps an creams. All purchased for sale prices below $10 each. Omega has plenty of quality boar brushes at similar price points. These have resin (my synthetics) or plastic handles (my boar) and hold up very well. Most likely that the handles, while of good quality, are mass produced.
The key is to rely on proven brands/retailers with solid reviews. At these price points there is a lot of poor quality product out there that falls apart or turns out to be very different from what was advertised (e.g. brush much smaller than what was a magnified picture).
The pricing of higher end knots covers different (sometimes scarce) materials and customized, often collectable, designs that are preferred by many here on B&B as illustrated by @Southsider above. Additionally in some cases there are limited edition brushes where scarcity in relation to demand drives increased prices. Let's not forget that sometimes we are also seeing a brand premium. Well known preferred brands can charge more than generics.
In the area of materials natural badger knots at different quality levels will warrant a significant jump in price. From a customized design perspective, such as the well regarded custom brushes from @Rudy Vey, many members here view having a unique, often collectable brush, as worth the price premium. Recall Rudy offering brushes made with 5,000+ year old bog wood recently. Have a look at the $500 brushes on the Varlet, preferred by @CJB3 and others here, web site for a good example of brushes near the highest end with collectable designs and implied scarcity by all the sold out listings. I've seen many of Rudy's brushes listed in the $100 -$200 range. Good value for a bespoke product.
Note that many premium manufacturers will tout features such as "hand tied" knots. Guess what, the knots in the inexpensive $10 - $15 synthetic knots from China are also hand tied. I posted a thread on this with a how they are made video link a while back. From my research what differentiates the knot is what is being tied, how tied and glued, type of fiber and,as Rudy pointed out above, details such as making sure the hairs on a natural hair brush are facing the same way.
While my preferences are towards the functional quality end it's enjoyable so see what fellow B&Bers are using and displaying in their collections. As others have noted above you need to decide what your preferences are and if a luxury brush is worth it for your use.
As I see it there are a couple of issues here. If you're a math guy (if the price is twice as high the quality should be twice as good) you're going to be seriously disappointed. After you pass the median standard additional quality comes at a very steep price. My favorite brush is the SOC Barbear Portugues 2023, a badger than ran about $180. It's pretty, but how often do you find an ugly brush? But the backbone is perfect for me, the quality is top notch and I don't regret one dollar of the price. My second favorite brush is the SOC 2-band badger for around $60. It's almost as good and obviously a much better bargain, but it's not my favorite. If you're happy with any brush that gets the soap to turn into lather you'd be crazy to buy either one.
But here's the other issue: you might get my favorite brush and think the backbone is ridiculous and hate it. It's not as easy as paying a lot of money, you need to access your needs and find a brush that provides those needs. The less fussy you are the more jealous I will be of your good fortune - nothing's too good for me.
But here's the other issue: you might get my favorite brush and think the backbone is ridiculous and hate it. It's not as easy as paying a lot of money, you need to access your needs and find a brush that provides those needs. The less fussy you are the more jealous I will be of your good fortune - nothing's too good for me.
This is solely base on my own personal limited experience and has nothing against our brothers who collects nice expensive brushes.
Honestly I don’t own very expensive brush. My most expensive brush would be Simpson Trafalgar T3.
However, bought another brush The Goodfellas Smile which is half the price but as good if not better.
I also bought a Parker 3 band pure badger which I found a little prickly compared to the cheap half the price softer DScosmetic badger brush.
Only you can decide for yourself but regardless just like razors all could deliver and do its job.
By next day you will have 5 o’clock shadow and may need to shave again.
So it’s all about its aesthetics and how great you feel after you shave which last in the span of 18 hours maybe?
Honestly I don’t own very expensive brush. My most expensive brush would be Simpson Trafalgar T3.
However, bought another brush The Goodfellas Smile which is half the price but as good if not better.
I also bought a Parker 3 band pure badger which I found a little prickly compared to the cheap half the price softer DScosmetic badger brush.
Only you can decide for yourself but regardless just like razors all could deliver and do its job.
By next day you will have 5 o’clock shadow and may need to shave again.
So it’s all about its aesthetics and how great you feel after you shave which last in the span of 18 hours maybe?
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Mr. Shavington
Knows Hot Turkish Toilets
With higher priced artisan brushes you are paying for the time and skill of the artisan. Certain things make manufacturing inefficient, like customized / one-off handle materials and designs, handle polishing, selection of hair, careful assembly of the knot including density and evenness of packing, uniform orientation of hair. If these things are important to you they require a lot of skilled labour so they cost money.
More subjectively, I would also say there is a definite ‘type’ of artisan brush which is expensive, and this may or may not be to your taste. They tend to be densely packed, chemically treated, thick two-band hair. You might not like that but it seems to be the kind of specification that most brush collectors demand and therefore the artisans are all producing. If the artisans produced a different kind of brush to the same quality it seems that it would not sell as well to this customer segment and might even be judged inferior, even though the criteria being applied are completely subjective. My own taste, for example, is for softer brushes with fine three-band hair and less density / backbone. So, while I can appreciate the qualities of the expensive brushes, the best brushes for me tend to be less expensive, and consequently the high priced brushes are not really worth the money (for me). Why pay more for something I don’t really like, simply because it is the common fashion?
More subjectively, I would also say there is a definite ‘type’ of artisan brush which is expensive, and this may or may not be to your taste. They tend to be densely packed, chemically treated, thick two-band hair. You might not like that but it seems to be the kind of specification that most brush collectors demand and therefore the artisans are all producing. If the artisans produced a different kind of brush to the same quality it seems that it would not sell as well to this customer segment and might even be judged inferior, even though the criteria being applied are completely subjective. My own taste, for example, is for softer brushes with fine three-band hair and less density / backbone. So, while I can appreciate the qualities of the expensive brushes, the best brushes for me tend to be less expensive, and consequently the high priced brushes are not really worth the money (for me). Why pay more for something I don’t really like, simply because it is the common fashion?
There is a certain face feel that some brushes have. For me, that contributes to the luxurious nature of my shaves. I firmly believe that for a utility shaver, there are endless brushes under $30 that will do the job. Many in the $10 range. But for the hobbyist, collector, or seeker of the luxury shave experience, the higher end brushes make a difference. I will never forget the first time I lathered up with a Paladin. I had quite a few badger brushes prior. Including a couple decent mid-range entries. But when I lathered up for the first time with a Paladin, I knew immediately that I found my special shave brush sweet spot. The feeling of the bristles on my face was mind blowing at that time. So for me, yes, I find a big difference with a higher end brush. Plus I do like nice things, so the attention to detail and workmanship in the handle and assembly are held in high regard in my den as well.
I had an interesting, to me, at least, brush journey. I showed up on B&B with one brush and zero knowledge about the varieties or what I liked.
I started with the same brush I saw Brian Mulreany use in most of his videos: the ESC Ultimate G4. I thought it was the pinnacle of synth brushes and was afraid the G4 would disappear and was worried I wouldn't find a knot I liked as much. I bought many of the synths recommended here and disliked the face feel of almost every one of them. I don't use any synths now.
It took a while for me to find the brush-feel I like. I don't have any of the very top end artisan brushes, though perhaps, my Mozingo with Persian handle Rudy turned for me almost qualifies. That said, my SV brushes are still my favorites. I don't regret a dime I've spent on them.
I started with the same brush I saw Brian Mulreany use in most of his videos: the ESC Ultimate G4. I thought it was the pinnacle of synth brushes and was afraid the G4 would disappear and was worried I wouldn't find a knot I liked as much. I bought many of the synths recommended here and disliked the face feel of almost every one of them. I don't use any synths now.
It took a while for me to find the brush-feel I like. I don't have any of the very top end artisan brushes, though perhaps, my Mozingo with Persian handle Rudy turned for me almost qualifies. That said, my SV brushes are still my favorites. I don't regret a dime I've spent on them.
I would not use the word “luxury” for a $150 brush.
Let’s say that you spend $1000 for two “luxury” brushes, one “luxury” razor, excellent soaps, blades and after shaves and you use it every day over a period of three years. That makes it less than $1 per day. Shaving is not expensive even if you buy “luxury” hardware. Let’s make it $3000, plenty of “luxury” brushes, razors and software. That still makes it less than $3 per day, some people spend more in tobacco every day.
Let’s say that you spend $1000 for two “luxury” brushes, one “luxury” razor, excellent soaps, blades and after shaves and you use it every day over a period of three years. That makes it less than $1 per day. Shaving is not expensive even if you buy “luxury” hardware. Let’s make it $3000, plenty of “luxury” brushes, razors and software. That still makes it less than $3 per day, some people spend more in tobacco every day.
Above in the comments, some factors were mentioned that determine the price. However, in my opinion, the most important thing is the search.
If you make the demand greater than the supply, you can sell brushes for $300-$500, even though their actual cost is many times less.
For example, an A1 knot brush sells for $300, but in essence, it's just a nylon brush. Yes, better made than the ones for $30, but not 10 times better what is the price difference the price.
The manufacturer has made it so that the demand is greater than the supply and manages to sell its items for the price of a decent computer. Whether the supply is deliberately understated (in my opinion - yes) to generate more interest is another topic.
If you make the demand greater than the supply, you can sell brushes for $300-$500, even though their actual cost is many times less.
For example, an A1 knot brush sells for $300, but in essence, it's just a nylon brush. Yes, better made than the ones for $30, but not 10 times better what is the price difference the price.
The manufacturer has made it so that the demand is greater than the supply and manages to sell its items for the price of a decent computer. Whether the supply is deliberately understated (in my opinion - yes) to generate more interest is another topic.
Mr. Shavington
Knows Hot Turkish Toilets
It wouldn’t make sense to reduce production to try and inflate prices. The prices are anyway mostly dictated by what competitors charge for comparable products. You have to remember pretty much none of these artisans do this full time. They have jobs and they do this in the evening or on weekends. I’m sure they make as many brushes as they can, considering they also need to spend time with their families, eat, sleep, take vacations, etc. And they aren’t building Ferraris - if they make 100 brushes a year (most do less) and they sell for $400 each, less costs for machinery, energy, materials, that’s hardly making anybody rich. I’m grateful that they do it at all.
Of course, everybody will have a different answer to this question because it's all about personal preference. I prefer pricier custom handles because I can get exactly the shape and color that I want. And if I use an excellent craftsman like Rudy Vey, I know I'll be happy with the result.
When it comes to knots, I do like high-end badger hair, but I actually prefer using a synthetic Mother Lode knot. It costs less than $10.
When it comes to knots, I do like high-end badger hair, but I actually prefer using a synthetic Mother Lode knot. It costs less than $10.
