Like many of the members of our beloved forum, I indulge in this obsession every chance I get. This hobby/lifestyle puts a smile on my face and gets my day started of right. I've owned a few brushes, mostly boar, and I am beginning to feel the itch to try a better badger brush. I love WSP "Prince" in silvertip and their "Stubby" in best. I've tried both and will defensively purchase them. That being said, I cannot see myself spending over $100 on a brush. Call me cheap but I feel that there are great affordable options that provide great results. Can y'all share your thoughts on why some feel the need to spend the "big bucks" on shave brushes?
Money Matters
- Thread starter RinconUSAF
- Start date
It's the never ending path of chasing the perfect brush. That single mixture of backbone, density, amount of scrub, softness, handle feel, handle weight, handle color/design, and all around look of the brush.
It is an impossible to satiate addiction because as your shave evolves so does what you're looking for.
It is an impossible to satiate addiction because as your shave evolves so does what you're looking for.
The most expensive brush I've used (which is in my possession, on loan at the moment) is a 26mm Morris & Fordran Blonde Badger. Not the most expensive of M&F, but more than other brushes I've used. It is indeed better than other brushes, too. There are "diminishing returns", like with most things -- so it just comes down to how much money you have, how much you value smaller increments in improvement, and what your particular poison is.
Prior to my having the M&F brush, another forum bro lent me a Semogue SOC 2-band, just to show me how much "bang for the buck" he believed this brush to be. Indeed I liked it a whole lot. Maybe a little more than my SImpsons Colonel. But I did not feel the need to spend on one, given the brushes I had already and how little the increment of improvement was. Then... I found one for $25.00 and jumped on it. Biggest brush bargain ever, I think.
So it's all.... whaddaya got to spend, whaddaya wanna spend, and do you like shaving brushes a whole lot?
Prior to my having the M&F brush, another forum bro lent me a Semogue SOC 2-band, just to show me how much "bang for the buck" he believed this brush to be. Indeed I liked it a whole lot. Maybe a little more than my SImpsons Colonel. But I did not feel the need to spend on one, given the brushes I had already and how little the increment of improvement was. Then... I found one for $25.00 and jumped on it. Biggest brush bargain ever, I think.
So it's all.... whaddaya got to spend, whaddaya wanna spend, and do you like shaving brushes a whole lot?
I'm perfectly content with looking for true value, and have found much of it without spending a lot.
One of the best examples is Whipped Dog Silvertips. You would be hard pressed to find a better brush at many time the cost. Another example is an ACE Promotional Silvertip. $30.00 delivered and it measures up to brushes many times its cost. Of the 15 or so times I have loaned this brush to a friend, they have ended up buying one. I received on in the mail today that will be a Christmas gift to a business associate, a member of support staff, that makes my business life much easier. Check it out on ebay with a search of Promotional Silvertip Shaving Brush and it will be one of the first to pop up.
I use to think like this when I first joined B&B. Then I thought to myself that if I was spending $100 + on carts yearly before making the switch why not treat myself to a nice brush? I only own 2 brushes that ran me over $100, a M&F blonde badger and a Simpson M6 Manchurian. I don't regret the investment one bit, these brushes will probably last me a life time since I'm very picky about taking good care of them.
It is indeed a question of diminishing returns. IMHO there are reasonable amounts of returns however. Maybe this write up of mine will shed some light on this: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/416966-Brush-shootout-Shavemac-v-Chubby .
It is a comparison of these brushes:
It is a comparison of these brushes:
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IMightBeWrong
Loves a smelly brush
I might be a bit of a snob... Nah, I definitely have some snobbishness going on... But I can't spend less than a hundred on a badger anymore. I've had "value" badgers and I haven't liked a single one of them.
So far, my favorite badger maker is Shavemac, and I particularly love their new regular 2 Band (non-D01). My newest has been lathered with about 25 times now (both shaves and palm lathers for fun) and hasn't lost a single hair. I've never had a brush that wouldn't shed a single hair before, the rest have all shed at least 1 in the first 3 lathers.
If I'm spending under 100 on a brush, then as soon as I start looking at badgers I have to consider the fact that I can purchase one or two of the absolute finest and best performing boar or synthetic brushes on the market within that same range rather than purchasing a badger that is, in my eyes, a compromise purchase at that price point. YMMV.
So far, my favorite badger maker is Shavemac, and I particularly love their new regular 2 Band (non-D01). My newest has been lathered with about 25 times now (both shaves and palm lathers for fun) and hasn't lost a single hair. I've never had a brush that wouldn't shed a single hair before, the rest have all shed at least 1 in the first 3 lathers.
If I'm spending under 100 on a brush, then as soon as I start looking at badgers I have to consider the fact that I can purchase one or two of the absolute finest and best performing boar or synthetic brushes on the market within that same range rather than purchasing a badger that is, in my eyes, a compromise purchase at that price point. YMMV.
Don't get me wrong. The Whipped Dog brushes are a good value. But I for one would not at all be hard pressed to find a better brush "at many times the cost." I have several $100+ brushes, and each one is substantially better than a Whipped Dog brush (which are pretty much universally considered to be floppy and lacking in density, not to mention the large number that turn out to be "shedders"). Larry offers excellent customer service, and the brushes are indeed well-priced. I have 2 of them, and they're OK, but my experience is that they do not compare favorably to my more expensive brushes. All of this is IMHO, of course; no disrespect intended.
It's a hobby.
Decades ago, shaving brushes were tools. You bought one that did the job respectively and replaced it when it got worn out.
I've owned dozens of brushes now, and the high end brushes are really awesome luxury items. Yes, they are better than the cheap ones, at least for silvertip. The handles are better, the knots are better, the quality is better.
You can get a great boar brush for $10. I could use an Omega 27mm and be happy the rest of my life.
Under $100 for badger brushes, I really like TGN Finest in whichever handle you prefer. Anywhere from $40 self-assembled up to $80 or so from artisans. Some folks like best badger like Simpsons, but I find them scratchy.
But if you want silvertip badger, you'll have to spend to get quality. Silvertip under $100 is often poorly made and lacking density. You need a lot of hair in the knot, and that costs money. Thater, Shavemac, Simpsons Super, Kent, etc are going to be well north of $100.
Decades ago, shaving brushes were tools. You bought one that did the job respectively and replaced it when it got worn out.
I've owned dozens of brushes now, and the high end brushes are really awesome luxury items. Yes, they are better than the cheap ones, at least for silvertip. The handles are better, the knots are better, the quality is better.
You can get a great boar brush for $10. I could use an Omega 27mm and be happy the rest of my life.
Under $100 for badger brushes, I really like TGN Finest in whichever handle you prefer. Anywhere from $40 self-assembled up to $80 or so from artisans. Some folks like best badger like Simpsons, but I find them scratchy.
But if you want silvertip badger, you'll have to spend to get quality. Silvertip under $100 is often poorly made and lacking density. You need a lot of hair in the knot, and that costs money. Thater, Shavemac, Simpsons Super, Kent, etc are going to be well north of $100.
I pinch pennies everywhere I can shave stuff and otherwise.
IMHO, when you cross that $100 line in a badger brush, you're paying more for the handle than you are for the knot. The handle might be made of a special material like ivory or horn, or may have some special carving with an increase in labor costs.
I only own two brushes that are in that price range, both B&B Limited Editions, the 2009 and 2012. Frankly, I never use them. While they are pretty to look at, and they are a valued part of my collection, I get better shaves from my other brushes in the under $40 range.
I think that the best starting point in badger brushes is the EJ Medium in Best. Its around $40 and available everywhere. Its strong point lies in the fact that it is perfectly average. The specs are right in the middle of the bell curve for size, density, softness, splay, and other things that we use to measure a brush. By getting this brush first, you will know if your next brush needs to be a smaller knot, a larger handle, more dense, less scritchy, etc.
When I first got into wet-shaving, the Crabtree & Evelyn Best Badger Brush was touted as THE brush to have. It is OEM by EJ. It was going for around $35 back then, and I picked one up for $28. It disappeared from the market for about 2 years, and came back at $65, which is too much. But I haven't regretted my purchase of this brush at all. It has been replaced in my rotation long ago, but I still hold onto it because it was my first "good" brush. And I still recommend the EJ Medium to anyone who asks "What brush should I buy?"
I only own two brushes that are in that price range, both B&B Limited Editions, the 2009 and 2012. Frankly, I never use them. While they are pretty to look at, and they are a valued part of my collection, I get better shaves from my other brushes in the under $40 range.
I think that the best starting point in badger brushes is the EJ Medium in Best. Its around $40 and available everywhere. Its strong point lies in the fact that it is perfectly average. The specs are right in the middle of the bell curve for size, density, softness, splay, and other things that we use to measure a brush. By getting this brush first, you will know if your next brush needs to be a smaller knot, a larger handle, more dense, less scritchy, etc.
When I first got into wet-shaving, the Crabtree & Evelyn Best Badger Brush was touted as THE brush to have. It is OEM by EJ. It was going for around $35 back then, and I picked one up for $28. It disappeared from the market for about 2 years, and came back at $65, which is too much. But I haven't regretted my purchase of this brush at all. It has been replaced in my rotation long ago, but I still hold onto it because it was my first "good" brush. And I still recommend the EJ Medium to anyone who asks "What brush should I buy?"
Sometimes that's true, and sometimes that's not. Look at the Simpson Chubby brushes. Those brushes are super dense. You're paying for the amount of hair. More hair = more $$$. I do agree that the more expensive brushes generally have nicer handles (as well they should), but the quality and amount of the hair are very large factors in the price of the more expensive brushes.
Yes, that's true. There are some large knots that are worth more than $100 all by themselves, without regard to the handle.
My statement was more about generalities, but of course, there are exceptions to every rule.
A chubby brush is on my wish list. I've never tried one, and the only thing holding me back is the cost. Even a used brush is priced out of reach for me. Someday, I'll get a chance to try one and find out what all the fuss is about.
I'm extremely happy with my Simpsom Commodore X3. It does equally well with both creams and soaps, and holds enough lather for a two pass face and head shave. Best thing is, they're less than $100!
Well, to be clear, I didn't mention the Chubby brushes as an exception to your rule. In fact, I could have listed many others. The Simpsons, Thaters, Shavemacs, M&Fs, Rooneys, and many (if not most) other high-end brushes have higher quality hair and more of it. They also have different grades of hair with different costs (many even using the same handle).
I actually think that your example (the handle being the main driver of the high price) is more of the exception than the rule. I can think of a few brushes where the handle is the driver of high-cost (the Plisson genuine-ivory-handled HMW that someone bought recently that was posted about on this forum, genuine horn-handled brushes, etc.), but those are not the majority of high-end brushes. I think that in most cases it's the quality and amount of hair that justifies the price.
Don't get me wrong. The higher-priced brushes do often accordingly have better handles, but I think that's a secondary consideration to the hair quality and quantity.
I wish you good luck in obtaining your Chubby, sir. I just recently purchased a Chubby 2 (in Best), and it's quite a brush. It's insanely dense. I couldn't believe how much hair was in there when I first unboxed and washed it. It takes a long time to dry, as well. I've only used it a couple of times so far, but I look forward to using it a lot more in the future. It's probably not an everyday brush for me, but it certainly is quite a brush.
Very much disagree with high end brushes being mostly the handle.
Shavemac will sell me a 24mm silvertip knot for $113 or a completed brush with the same knot for $162 (before VAT discount and shipping). The handle then costs about $49 or 30%.
Muhle's 21mm Classic brush in synthetic is $68 vs $110 for silvertip. The upcharge for the silvertip is $42 or 62% higher than the synthetic.
These companies aren't just gluing in some Chinese knots, they make their own knots from loose hair. The quality is much higher.
Shavemac will sell me a 24mm silvertip knot for $113 or a completed brush with the same knot for $162 (before VAT discount and shipping). The handle then costs about $49 or 30%.
Muhle's 21mm Classic brush in synthetic is $68 vs $110 for silvertip. The upcharge for the silvertip is $42 or 62% higher than the synthetic.
These companies aren't just gluing in some Chinese knots, they make their own knots from loose hair. The quality is much higher.
Yugo vs BMW! Both go, one is awesome!
$$$ doesn't necessarily correlate with density. Some M&F brushes aren't particularly dense, and many people don't like a super dense brush to begin with (I'm one of them).
Here's the only thing that $$$ buys you for certain in a brush: security. You know you will get a damn fine brush, and in the off chance that it is a shedder the company will stand by their product and replace it free of charge.
Having tried a couple significantly more expensive brushes on a generous loan, while I enjoyed them maybe ever so marginally more the difference wasnt enough to warrant purchasing one over my Semogue Olivewood LE or TGN Finest brushes. But on the other hand maybe I got the softest TGN knot out there, who knows. That's what $$$ guarantees.
Antique Hoosier
“Aircooled”
Savile Row is an under appreciated below the radar choice. A Classic line IMO. I picked up a Savile Row 2122 in Best Badger and it is an iconic example of a Gentleman's shaving brush. I paid $50 secondhand but the brush retails for under $100 and is quite stellar.
It really is a matter of preference and some of those $100+ brushes are justified after you have tried most if not all of the sub $100 and you start noticing little intricate characteristics that you enjoy in a knot even though they may be subtle, but that really enhance the feel of the knot during your shaves, especially, if you face-lather everyday and do 3-4 passes.
However, as always, YMMV.
However, as always, YMMV.
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