pure vs best badger

[boreas]

Hello to everyone!
I'm a new in wet shaving and I want to buy a badger brush and I want to ask "older" guys if there is a notable difference between pure badger and best badger? I read the differences on the vendor's site, but I want real opinion of those who used them both.

Thank you!

 

[BRITD]

Welcome to B&B. Be sure to introduce yourself in the Newbie forum. I recommend checking out the Shavewiki tab on shaving brushes. Link enclosed. Shaving brushes vary as much as car models do. A pure Chinese brush off ebay will act and feel much different to a quality top name brand brush in pure. But to answer your specific question, yes there should be a noticeable difference. Personally, I would not recommend a pure brush to anyone. They are always scratchy since the hair is usually trimmed. If a newbie can't afford or does not want to jump in too deep at the start with a more expensive best or higher quality, they should probably start with a $10-15 boar brush from Omega or Semogue.

http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Interactive_Guide_to_the_Shaving_Brushes

 

[bassopotamus]

There is so much variation in grading across brands that I'm not sure the designations mean a whole lot, except when comparing within a brand. Generally speaking, the higher grades are softer, and generally speaking, "pure" brushes aren't all that great. If you are shopping on a budget, I think you are better off with a decent boar (semogue or omega) over a cheap badger.

 

[mdunn]

As above, it really depends on the vendor. Hair grading is pretty fuzzy.

What brushes were you considering?

 

[boreas]

I'm considering pure/best badger from Muhle and Edwin Jagger.

 

[branford]

There is absolutely no standardization of badger (or boar, horse or synthetic) hair. Generally, the higher grades of hair are softer, but other factors may play a significant role. Don't forget knot size, handle shape and size, and loft height also demonstrably effect the feel of a brush. Additionally, many individuals like a firmer or "scrubbier" brush and will choose a brush with "lower" grade hair or even a less expensive boar. As with all things wet shaving, YMMV.

If you're looking for your first good brush, you might want to consider high quality, yet inexpensive, options from vendors such as Whipped Dog in order to get a sense of your brush preferences before spending a fortune on experimentation.

Your journey is just beginning . . .

 

[Chadao]

I enjoy black badger from Whipped Dog, and Simpsons Special Pure Badger. I also like Simpsons Best, and Whipped Dog Silvertip. I've spent plenty of time with boars, but prefer quality badgers.

 

[Dave Colangelo]

In general pure<best

However it all depends on vendor, for example I find my Semogue Owners Club in Silvertip is very similar to my Simpsons in Best. In the end of the day its all relative really. You will find with in a single brand the grade system holds true but from maker to maker there seems to be a lot of variance and no official system to grade them aside from how it feels to the touch.

Regards
Dave

 

[nemo]

As I understand it, pure badger hair is plucked from different parts of the animal than best. It is usually more prickly and gives a better exfoliation than the softer, less scritchy best hair when compared within a top brand's lineup.

From Rooney:

• Best Badger Hair: The hair is picked from the pars costalis of the badger.
• Pure Badger Hair: The hair is picked from the neck, shoulder, abdomen and buttocks of the badger.

• Silvertip: The hair is picked from the back of the badger.

I like my pure badger brushes, some guys don't like the feel.

 

[MrLara]

The difference between Pure, Best, and Silvertip:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...erence-between-Pure-Best-and-Silvertip-Badger