Saw a badger brush for the first time

[ChaosSix]

I went to a Solingen store today and they had a couple of badgers. They're Austrian made brushes and they say Reine Dachs on them which I think means Pure Badger. One of them was 18 euro and had darker hair. The others were around 25-35 euro and they had one for 130. I liked the darker hair brush which is also the cheapest. Should I save money for it or get an Omega boar brush? I squeezed the head of the brushes a little and they were all a little stiff ... being brand new and all Will I make a mistake if I buy the cheapest brush?

 

[foinse]

i'm not an experienced wet shaver, but i do know that badger brushes are better than boar brushes, you are definately better off forking out that little bit extra for the badger hair. the silvertip badger hair is supposed to be the best but i've only had the darker haired brush and i find it a marked improvement over the boar brush i had before it.

 

[DavidB]

The dark-haired pure badger brushes are often trimmed to shape, which means the tips could be a little bit prickly, compared to the more expensive brushes that have better hair and are not trimmed. Many guys like the "scrubbiness" of pure badger, but I think you're better off paying a little bit more for a higher grade brush (though you don't have to buy the top of the line).

Dave

 

[82R100]

I just got an Omega boar brush as a gift (after providing some guidance to the giftor ). This is the model:

Model 10049.

I am amazed and the size and density of this brush. I think I'd recommend it over an entry level badger.

- Chris

 

[theperfectstorm]

Better is a relative term. Boar is cheaper and seemingly more plentiful, grinds hell out of hard soaps and will break-in to become pretty soft on the face. Badger is more expensive, and quite frankly, more complicated, given the dizzying number of brands, the myriad types of badger hair, the supposed qualities--and often ridiculous hype--surrounding each, and the perceived exclusivity and general ego-stroking surrounding each type of hair and brand of brush.

It is however generally accepted as the sine qua non of shaving media, given its softness and ability to absorb and retain water. Both have their partisans, and both are regularly used by many more experienced members.

The darker badger will be the pure/puro/gray badger. It will, except in the case of mixed badger/boar brushes, be the cheapest. It will also feel the most prickly against the skin. It will however, perform its assigned task of mixing soap and water and applying it to your face as well as any other type of badger. "Higher" grades of badger hair will be softer on the face, but it is always up to the individual shaver to decide how much that extra softness is worth in monetary terms.

Short story long--get the pure badger for 18 Euro and enjoy. If it gets good to you, plump for a more expensive brush with a higher grade of badger later on. If it does not catch on with you, you can always get a boar brush, they will always be cheaper and readily available.