What's new

Newb needs brush picking advice please!

wildcard

wildcard

Hello Everyone,

I'm several months into my wet shaving adventure and loving every minute of it. This site has been such a great resource and I'm here in the shaving brushes forum to try and get some more advice from more experienced members.

So I'd like to buy a new shaving brush but there are so many options out there I'm a bit lost. Currently I've been using a very cheap synthetic brush that I bought at a local organic grocery store. The brush is not very dense and is actually starting to fall apart (I lose 3-5 bristles every time I use it). Needless to say its time to upgrade.

I'm open to any and all suggestions but as a starting point I was thinking of going with an introductory badger hair brush. Ideally it will be a good beginners brush that will last me for at least a year before I dive into the higher end brushes. Currently I'm shaving with proraso cream and bowl lathering but I want a brush that can handle both soaps and creams and can also face lather when I learn how to do it. I'm not a huge fan of the larger brushes and was thinking something in the medium size range (that's not to say I wouldn't buy a large brush if thats what everyone recommends).

So basically to summarize all of that rambling, I'm looking for a good beginners brush that is versatile and has some longevity.

Thanks in advance.

One last quick note: I'll probably order some new soap/cream with the brush so any recommendations on that are welcome as well!
 
vitaman

vitaman

Hello wildcard,

A good starter badger is a Tweezerman. This brush can be had for approx. $15. Amazon is a good source for this brush.

I would also recommend looking on the BST here on B&B and try to find a badger hair brush in your price range.

Good luck and Welcome to B&B!!
 
Greglam

Greglam

neilt said:
vulfix, think under 40 bucks
Click to expand...
+1

Under $40 will do you fine and last you well more than the year you are looking for. Personally I started out with about a $25 Col. Conk brush that I was more than satisfied with for about a year and then moved up to a Simpson Duke 1 in Best that ran me about $65. This brush, for me, is nearly lathering nirvana. That being said, Bullgoose shaving has a combo boar/badger hair brush for, I believe, about $25 that I have my eye on and has gotten great feedback/reviews. I would look long and hard at that were I you.

However, perhaps more than any other element in one's wet shaving set-up, brushes are truly an individual choice.

Cheers!

-Greg
 
wildcard

wildcard

Thanks for the responses guys :biggrin1:

I received a PM from a member recommending that I contact a manager at Vulfix. I did contact him and he recommended this brush to me:

http://www.vulfixoldoriginal.com/products-detail.asp?CatID=1&SubCatID=3&ProductID=31

This brush seems to be medium sized so will handle both soaps and creams. It also says its a "super" brush. Is this the same as a "best" badger brush meaning that its the middle of the road in terms of bristle quality?

I've looked at the tweezerman brush on amazon and read some of the reviews since two of you mentioned it in this thread.

The reviews for the tweezerman seem to be split between people that love the brush and people that have it fall apart very quickly. A few reviews also said that the poeple who have it fall apart are improperly using and taking care of it. At the same time its hard to believe that a badger brush at this price won't show signs of wear and tear.

If a tweezerman brush will work just as well as and last as long (assuming I take care of it) as the $40 vulfix super badger then I don't see any reason not to buy the $15 brush over the $40 version.

Comments/thoughts appreciated!
 
huntmol

huntmol

wildcard said:
I received a PM from a member recommending that I contact a manager at Vulfix. I did contact him and he recommended this brush to me:
http://www.vulfixoldoriginal.com/products-detail.asp?CatID=1&SubCatID=3&ProductID=31
This brush seems to be medium sized so will handle both soaps and creams. It also says its a "super" brush. Is this the same as a "best" badger brush meaning that its the middle of the road in terms of bristle quality?
I've looked at the tweezerman brush on amazon and read some of the reviews since two of you mentioned it in this thread.
The reviews for the tweezerman seem to be split between people that love the brush and people that have it fall apart very quickly. A few reviews also said that the poeple who have it fall apart are improperly using and taking care of it. At the same time its hard to believe that a badger brush at this price won't show signs of wear and tear.
If a tweezerman brush will work just as well as and last as long (assuming I take care of it) as the $40 vulfix super badger then I don't see any reason not to buy the $15 brush over the $40 version.
Comments/thoughts appreciated!
Click to expand...

I would really not recommend that brush.
For $70, you can get so many other good brushes.
Plus I've never really heard great things about that Vulfix model.
Here are my recommendations based on relative price:

$12 - Tweezerman
http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-28...47Y8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289972377&sr=8-1

$32 - Edwin Jagger Medium in Best
http://theenglishshavingcompany.com...ger Best badger shaving brushes@b|0|user||30|

$78 - Simpsons Duke 2 in Best
http://thesuperiorshave.com/Simpsons_Brushes.html

All three of these brushes come highly recommended by many of the members here.
 
S

SubmarinerLV

huntmol said:
I would really not recommend that brush.
For $70, you can get so many other good brushes.
Plus I've never really heard great things about that Vulfix model.
Here are my recommendations based on relative price:

$12 - Tweezerman
http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-28...47Y8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289972377&sr=8-1

$32 - Edwin Jagger Medium in Best
http://theenglishshavingcompany.com...ger Best badger shaving brushes@b|0|user||30|

$78 - Simpsons Duke 2 in Best
http://thesuperiorshave.com/Simpsons_Brushes.html

All three of these brushes come highly recommended by many of the members here.
Click to expand...

+1 to everything here, if it were me I'd look at the EJ and the Simpsons!

Regards Grant
 
wildcard

wildcard

40 and change euro is not 40 bucks. I assume your in the US.

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Vulf...ush_p_431.html
Click to expand...

I'm a US citizen living in Colombia currently but didn't notice that the price on the vulfix was in euro's.


I'm really considering the EJ that huntmol recommended as I like the way it looks, good price, and members here like it.

The simpsons is probably too expensive for me right now. Remember, this is my first brush (not counting the crappy one I have now) so I don't need to overdo it. I'll definitely consider getting a brush like this in the future but I want to wait until I have my technique perfected and have gained more knowledge. The tweezerman isn't out of the running yet but probably leaning towards the EJ.

Is this brush from amazon the same?

http://www.amazon.com/Edwin-Jagger-1ej946sds-Traditional-English/dp/B002QHYYR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1290030480&sr=8-1


When I switched the price to dollars in huntmol's link here it came to about $40, so the deal on amazon is better because it also comes with the stand, which I will need.
http://theenglishshavingcompany.com/...@b|0|user||30|


love this forum :thumbup:
 
Go West Young Man

Go West Young Man

The tweezerman brush is.... OK. For the price. People use it because they're proud of getting the job done cheaply. The handle is as cheap as you can get and NOT be made of driftwood. The lacquer will crack sooner or later. Odds are the glue will fail and you'll have to pick the knot up off the floor and glue it back in yourself.

Since you're going to pay for foreign shipping anyways, upgrade to a $25 brush from someone like westcoastshaving.com, the difference will be noticeable.
 
mcmulvaney

mcmulvaney

Most of the recommendations you've seen above are decent brushes. If you want to stay with a badger brush, WestCoastShaving.com offers a number of Simpsons models in the $50-ish price range that use their Best grade of badger hair. Typically any of these will do as an all-around brush and will last you a lifetime rather than just a year.

I am a little surprised that no one has recommended a boar brush. Good boar brushes are still quite inexpensive. They behave somewhat differently than badger, and require a bit more patience to break in but can be just about as soft. Common recommendations include almost any Omega (See Shoeboxshaving.com's extensive collection) or Semogues like the 620, 830, 1305, SOC, etc. (See VintageScent.com). Decent boars can be had for as little as $10 (sometimes even a little less) and typically for no more than about $25 or so. (The enablers in our number would suggest that you buy several :w00t:)

Personally, I have Rooney 3/1 in Silvertip and an Omega 21047 boar. I like them both and though they each have their strengths, they both can pretty much do it all and do it well.

Enjoy the journey!
 
huntmol

huntmol

edwinguz

edwinguz

I started with an Omega pure badger brush that included it's own stand. It works well and also came in a tube that I could use for travel. The stand and brush fit into the plastic tube.

You may want to try this http://www.shaving.ie/products/Omega-63162-Pure-Badger-Shaving-Brush-with-Stand.html

I just recently placed an order with them because they have the best price I've found for Mitchels Wool Fat. This has become my favorite soap for protection. They also have a good selection of boar brushes if you wanted to go that route. I picked up a couple to try out. I've heard great things about boar but have not tried any yet.
 
S

Sharpie McGee

Not sure if you're in the same boat as I was. I wanted to take a stab at brush application but didn't want to spend a lot of jack on it. I found this brush on Amazon for $14 with free shipping for Prime members. It does the job - lathers well and holds the water you want while applying. In the 2-3 weeks I've used it, I've only noticed 3 hairs fall from it. Handle is ok, I think it's some sort of wood and the hair is Pure Badger. It's not an Edwin Jagger, Omega, or any of those name brands, so it most likely will not give you a lifetime of happiness, but it does do the trick and will last long enough for you to decide if you want to stick with it and upgrade or realize if you are just going through a phase. Personally, I like it as I'm a no-frills kinda guy that just wants to lather up and shave in no time and get to work.

Escali Pure Badger Brush - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WR3QSG/ref=oss_product
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

O
Another new guy looking for brush advice
Replies
14
Views
984
WThomas0814
WThomas0814
S
Anyone else not get along too well with stiffer brushes?
2 3
Replies
44
Views
4K
awk_m4
awk_m4
MBD
Brushes loft correct measure theory
Replies
8
Views
1K
helicopter
helicopter
D
My first badger - recommendations? (I know, I know, difficult topic...)
2
Replies
28
Views
3K
Phoenixkh
Phoenixkh
Ferannia
Seeking advice from Simpsons followers, Rooney veterans, and all silvertip experts
Replies
11
Views
2K
DesertIguana
D
Top Bottom