We recently had an Art of Shaving store open up a short drive away. I'm a beginning DE shaver and the brush I'm using is an Escali pure badger that I purchased on Amazon. The brush was cheap, and I now know why- hairs fall out with every lather I make. I would like to use a gift card I have for the AOS store, and was wondering if I could get some feedback on the pure badger and fine badger brushes they sell. I bowl lather for what it's worth.
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- Thread starter FatMike
- Start date
they are OK brushes but you will pay retail and more than a higher quality brush from another manufacturer.
If going to a brick and mortar store is a priority you will get a decent product.
Go first (leave your cash and credit cards at home). Look. Think about it and say what you are considering here on B&B so that you can get some solid input
If going to a brick and mortar store is a priority you will get a decent product.
Go first (leave your cash and credit cards at home). Look. Think about it and say what you are considering here on B&B so that you can get some solid input
Personally, I'd shop elsewhere for a brush. As Mick mentioned, you'll pay a premium for one of the AOS brushes and there are better deals to be had. You might want to use your gift card for some of the other AOS products such as shave soap, cream, and aftershaves, which are generally quite good.
I was introduced to wet shaving via my visit to an AOS store. Bought the sample package and then purchased a pure badger brush. I think that you can do a lot better at that price point with say a Simpson best. I eventually gave my AOS brush to my son and bought a Simpson Special and later a Colonel. Both have found new homes here at B&B and I now use a Thater and Rooney. My story is not dissimilar to many others here. You will find yourself moving "up the ladder" so to speak as you continue to discover the joys of shaving the way we do. IMHO I think that the Brush disorder seems to kick in after the creams, soaps, DE and aftershave does. But...a great brush is an incredible experience. There sandal wood cream is pretty nice stuff.
AoS' hardware, like brushes and razors, are overpriced. If you're looking for a brush, I would look elsewhere. Their creams are very good. If the store near you still has the tallow soap pucks that are made in Italy, then those are good too. The reformulated non-tallow soap is average. It's been a while since I've used their aftershave balm but I do remember it as being very thick. It would be good if you have dry skin.
The guys have given you some good advice. The problem with entrusting your brush choice to the guy (or girl) at AOS, is that they probably know very little. By all means check out their range but I would try to spend your money on software at AOS and pick up a brush elsewhere.
- Thread starter
- #7
To a degree where is going to depend on what brush (manufacturer) you wish to try. I would start by watching the b/s/t here, and also look at Bullgoose and West Coast Shaving in the vendor section, along with other vendors in that section.
What he said
The best bang for the buck would be to visit Whipped Dog Shaving and select a Silvertip brush. Unfortunately, he is out of stock on Silvertip at the moment, but check in every few days to see when he will have it back. His Black badger is good too, much better than most Black or Pure, but for very little more you can get Silvertip.
I'd recommend narrowing down the brushes and then selecting the vendor as not all vendors carry all brands and some only sell directly. Take a look at the brush recommendation thread linked in the sticky at the top of this subforum for advice on getting brush recommendations suited to you.
Agreed - Research the attributes of a brush that you prefer, research various makers and their product, and then locate an appropriate vendor. Something you might want to also do is create a wish list for various things to try/buy in the future as several vendors off "free shipping" deals when you hit a certain price point.
On a related note - In my opinion (and assuming you need software), using your gift card on their shaving cream would bring you the best bang-for-the-buck. The hardware stuff (razors and brushes) are not competitively priced.
Go with a quality boar like a Semogue or Omega. I tried lots of high-end badger brushes before realising I really loved boar brushes. It is a good idea as they will only run you $20. Or you could get the B&B Boar brush which is meant to be good.
I've had good dealings with West Coast, Bullgoose, and Vintage Blades. I'm sure there are others, but all three of these have good prices, and good service
Buying a couple tubs of the cream will last you a few months and you'll be happy using those for awhile no matter what brush you use...except for that terrible Escali, it was my first brush too.... But as others have suggested, you will probably soon be looking for a brush upgrade if you went with an AOS brush.
A Semogue or Omega boar brush is a fantastic way to get a very high quality brush for less than ~$20, or if you're dead-set on badger, and want want to be a little more spendy, the Simpson "Best" brushes are good entry points. Somebody mentioned Whipped Dog...that's another great way to get a quality silvertip w/o breaking the bank.
Have fun spending the gift card!
A Semogue or Omega boar brush is a fantastic way to get a very high quality brush for less than ~$20, or if you're dead-set on badger, and want want to be a little more spendy, the Simpson "Best" brushes are good entry points. Somebody mentioned Whipped Dog...that's another great way to get a quality silvertip w/o breaking the bank.
Have fun spending the gift card!
I just bought an Omega and Semogue 830 to supplement my badger brushes. I've only used the Semogue, and as someone who already has some good brushes, I'm not yet sure how I feel about it (it also needs to be broken in yet), but for 24 bucks, I would absolutely recommend one to someone just starting out.
Insert "Tweezerman" for "Escali" and I have the same story. I purchased a Semogue SOC boar brush off the B/S/T and it is light years beyond what I was using. I can make twice as much lather using the same amount of C.O. Bigelow Cream in half the time with the SOC. You should be able to pick one up off the B/S/T for $25-$30 or get a new one for $30-$35. I paid my dues with the Tweezerman and I appreciate the SOC even more because of it.
As a Semogue fan and an avid face-latherer, I'd be more than happy to take that Semogue 830 off your hands if you find that you don't like it after a few shaves.
Personally I'd get Soap or Cream instead, their brushes are over-priced for the Badger Grades they offer. Check out the B/S/T for Brushes, you'll find a variety of Name Brands, slightly used but well cared for by our fellow members. Your second option is having one Custom Made by one of our Vendors/ Members such as Rudy Vey, deruitem, or Bob Farvour, and you'd probably save a few nickles.
