Second Shaving Brush Questions

[ajmanouk]

Hi Gents,

I have been using a Semogue 1305 as my first and only brush for a little over three months now, and while it's been good to me...I have been thinking of getting a second. Right now, I face lather with either croaps or creams, and I have large hands and like the large handle of the 1305. I don't really know what the 1305 is supposed to be good for (i.e. face vs bowl lathering & soaps vs creams), but I'm getting nice lather from it right now!

I want to try a badger brush for around $60 that is versitile, and after a bit of research I'm thinking the Simpson Colonel X2L seems to fit the bill nicely. From what I've read it lathers soaps really well but can also lather creams, and has a nice big handle. It also seems to be pretty readily available used.

I just thought I'd run it by you guys (aka the experts ) for two reasons: (1) I want to make sure my research about the Colonel X2L is correct, and (2) I was wondering if there were any potential alternative brushes that might fit the bill, just for curiosity's sake. Also, since I'm still a student, $50-60 bucks on a brush is a bit of coin, so I'd like to make a sound investment!

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Big Jim]

Try a Whipped Dog 24 mm in the handle of your choice. It is always the answer. It is the best bang for the buck. How's that for an alternative? Really, try it, you'll like it.

 

[rand77]

Good choice, I'd consider the Berkeley of even Duke 1 because you face lather.

Another choice that won't break the bank is a TGN brush from a custom brush maker. Here is my custom Rudy Vey, its an amazing brush for face lathering. It has great backbone for soaps and face lathering, while still having soft tips.

 

[takeshi]

I don't really know what the 1305 is supposed to be good for (i.e. face vs bowl lathering & soaps vs creams)

I've never had a problem using any brush for any purpose. It's really the person that determines what a brush is "supposed to be good for" based on the person's preferences for a particular use. Some people prefer shorter lofts for facelathering but the brush I currently use for facelathering has a 57mm loft. If it works for the way you're using it then it's good for that purpose.

 

[JimmyDFFX]

I'm in a similar boat to ajmanouk. I started out a couple months back with an EJ 181P23 in Best and while it's functional, I've gotten to a point where I have determined that I would prefer something denser and less floppy, maybe a little scrubby, with more backbone, similar or shorter loft (this one is 54mm), bulb shaped rather than fan, that would be better for face lathering creams/croaps/soaps. I'm kind of at a point of having "analysis paralysis" though with all the choices out there. I've looked at the Duke, Chubby, Persian Jar, Thater, Whipped Dog, and Savile Row so far and find that reviews of the Savile Row and Duke APPEAR to be in the neighborhood of what I'm looking for, particularly regarding backbone and flow through. Seems like the reviews of the Chubbies have possible flow through issues due to density. At any rate, I'm looking at $150 or less in terms of budget. I just would like a "gut check" to determine if I'm in the right ballpark with the aforementioned brushes. Does this make sense?