Pitch me a new brush!

[steelwindmachine]

i’ve knot bought a new brush in ten years or thereabouts. given the overwhelming volume of options I’m looking to you folks to assist me in whittling down a winner.

i have moved from face to bowl lathering to reduce facial irritation and improve the control of the lather development without said face irritation.

i have a Frank Shaving 28mm pur-tech synthetic that has been nice for face lathering, but at the expense of irritation. The knot is set in a stubby handle and like my next brush is voluminous enough to over produce lather that i don’t use. im done in two passes and only loading soaps for 5-8 seconds.

my other go to is an Omega 10049 that works a bit better physically for the bowl, but again eats up a lot of soap that goes down the drain.

I build my lather in a Timeless bowl and then do some minimal swirling on my face, sometimes not at all and just paint with the brush sides.

I shave at most every 2-3 days, so while a quick drying synthetic would be nice, im not against a natural hair option.

i do think i need a longer handle, like that of the Razorock 400, but am unsure of what diameter to drop down to.

I’m not interested in blowing my cash for pricey brands or boutique, artisan handles.

Function is primary, form is secondary and costing less than $35 USD would be optimal.

what do you all think?

 

[Multum in parvo]

Omega 10098 Pro gives you a 400 kind of handle and a big boar knot for small money. The preferred choice of Italian professional barbers.

 

[sdemi44]

anything (almost) from Razorock or Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements. They have never done my wrong.

 

[Wgg2017]

I say spend a few extra bucks and get something that will last you for the next ten years. My recommendation would be a Muhle STF (Silvertip Fiber) brush in either 21, 23, or 25 mm depending on your preferences.

It's the best synthetic I've used in terms of providing a bit of scrub and it also creates lather so much faster than any natural hair brush. It doesn't hog lather and it dries quickly.

I also use a Timeless bowl and my primary brush is the STF 21mm. The 23mm also works well in the Timeless bowl.

 

[deafficianado]

The Simpson Trafalgar line is within your budget. I like my T3 when I use it.

 

[lasta]

Get yourself a smaller boar, Omega 10005 is perfect. Timeless design, light-ish handle for fast bowl swirling.

 

[Roy]

You'll get loads of suggestions! I've chubby2 synthetic and really nice. Soft in face and makes wonderful lather, probably best using a bowl.

 

[jaro 101969]

Murphy and McNeil mm-400 is a nice brush and not expensive and has the removable ferrule just like the rubber set 400 and comes with a synthetic knot...

 

[jaro 101969]

Here is a link to the brush i mentioned from M&M website.....

MM-400 Black Shaving Brush (24mm Synthetic Knot) - by Murphy and McNeil

Product Details This 400 style shaving brush features a 24mm synthetic knot, a matte black finish and the Murphy and McNeil logo on the bottom. The removable ferrule should provide some interesting options in the future! Specifications Knot: SyntheticKnot Size: 24mmKnot Loft: 60mmTotal Brush...

murphyandmcneil.com

 

[Big Jim]

May I suggest Whipped Dog? His tall handle in a 24mm brush probably meets your expectation for a handle. He has some very nice synthetic knots if that is what you are after, but I would highly recommend his High Mountain Badger (two band finest).

For that matter, he also sells handles by themselves, so you could buy this handle and go shopping for a knot elsewhere.

 

[Calyshaver]

Phoenix and Yaqi both have nice selections of synthetics, with their handles being the main differentiator, and with their products being in the $15 to $20 range you could get a couple to try on your budget.

The Timberwolf and tuxedo knots are a nice balance of soft tips and medium backbone. I really enjoy the soft tips of the Yaqi mew brown knot found on their Purple Haze and Moka brushes.

I face lather and all the aforementioned knots quickly and easily work up a nice lather with my Proraso soap.

 

[Vulcan Bubbles]

I’ve been very happy with all my AP Shave Co. brushes

 

[TheBurgh]

I’ve been very happy with all my AP Shave Co. brushes

And the owner will help you choose a brush if you ask for assistance. I did.

 

[SgtCrppls]

Have Rudy Vey make you a custom handle, then get a B15 knot from Declaration Grooming

 

[jaro 101969]

BTW the brush I mentioned a few post back is 23.99 USD

Here is a picture of it....

I compared it to my rubberset 400 and they are about the same size as each other....So it would be great for bowl OR for face lathering , so it might be worth a shot as its less than the price you said...

 

[steelwindmachine]

BTW the brush I mentioned a few post back is 23.99 USD

I saw that. thanks, but the removable ferrule is nice but seems unsupported.

i reached out to Andy at APShave Co. and may reach out to Rudy since he’s local in my state.

 

[JoWolf]

i’ve knot bought a new brush in ten years or thereabouts. given the overwhelming volume of options I’m looking to you folks to assist me in whittling down a winner.

i have moved from face to bowl lathering to reduce facial irritation and improve the control of the lather development without said face irritation.

i have a Frank Shaving 28mm pur-tech synthetic that has been nice for face lathering, but at the expense of irritation. The knot is set in a stubby handle and like my next brush is voluminous enough to over produce lather that i don’t use. im done in two passes and only loading soaps for 5-8 seconds.

my other go to is an Omega 10049 that works a bit better physically for the bowl, but again eats up a lot of soap that goes down the drain.

I build my lather in a Timeless bowl and then do some minimal swirling on my face, sometimes not at all and just paint with the brush sides.

I shave at most every 2-3 days, so while a quick drying synthetic would be nice, im not against a natural hair option.

i do think i need a longer handle, like that of the Razorock 400, but am unsure of what diameter to drop down to.

I’m not interested in blowing my cash for pricey brands or boutique, artisan handles.

Function is primary, form is secondary and costing less than $35 USD would be optimal.

what do you all think?

 

[JoWolf]

i have moved from face to bowl lathering to reduce facial irritation and improve the control of the lather development without said face irritation

Bowl lathering is nice especially when you want to control annd adjust lather temperature. I used a Badger Plisson silver tip exclusively for over a few decades with carts before joining B&B. Synthetics, boar and horse hair brushes were all new to me. I have very sensitive skin. My first mistake was trying to breaking in boar hair brushes on my face. That’s how I found out about brush burn. Getting away from my silver tip, trying all the different brush hairs. I fell out of use and practice of good brush dynamics and habits. Mostly I splayed and over splayed way to much. I was in the middle of lathering and thought why not try just using the tips like I do with the silver tip. My brushing mechanics all fell into place and my lathering dramatically increased in comfort. I do have a shave scuttle and now it wasn’t what way to lather, but more of pick my favourite. Face lathering now exclusively used for face & head shaves. I exclusively use a Zenith Big Boar. It has exceeded both of the two band badgers I own for softness. It is very close to silver tip softness I think it will get there in time. The beauty of a good boar, continually becoming softer. So I do not agree with face lathering being a cause of skin irritation. Unless it isn’t broke in enough or your leaning on it. It is nice to have a soft controllable scrub on demand when liked or required.

My suggestion get a good boar.

Boars may not look as soft dry. They do lather luxuriously.

 

[SwamperWI]

For that price range my recommendation would be a 24mm Synbad in your handle color of choice from AP Shave Co. I enjoy using mine in a Timeless bowl. It joined me on my last vacation with a bunch of sample soaps.

 

[NorthernSoul]

This one has been on my radar for awhile, Zenith boar model 507U XSE with olive wood handle. It's also available with a resin handle in black, white and red. I really like the Zenith boar B03-A26 I've had for a few years now, but it's similar in size and shape to the Omega 49 you already have.

There's also a shorter handle version of this brush, which is model 506U.