Shave brush 101?

[drof99]

First a little background. I grew up my whole life pretty much using the Gillete "mach" line of razors. I found this site and quickly moved into something a little more respectable. I currently use a Merkur and bought an old Gillete razor I like to use on "special shave day". I only own one brush and would like to add more. The one I currently is a Vulfix "Old Original". It says super badger on it. So far I've been happy with this brush and use it to lather in a bowl. I have nothing to compare to this brush. Would this brush considered to be a softer brush? Will brushes lather differently by how soft they are? How can I tell how soft a brush is if I'm looking at adding more? My last question is what is the best way to take care of a brush? I have a stand that hangs the brush brisltes down. After shaving I rinse the brush out well, shake most of the water out and just hang it on my stand. Thanks in advance for all the assistance guys!

 

[beginish]

The Vulfix brushes tend to be a bit less densely packed, and can feel softer or floppier. When you buy a badger brush, you tend to pay for the type of hair (generally one of three grades, with each maker using a different naming system), the size of knot, and how dense it is. Oh, and the name . You won't know for sure how it will feel to you until you use it, but a general rule of thumb is that the lowest grade hair will feel prickly, the highest grade soft at the tips and the mid grade in between. Once you're ready to take the plunge, let us know and we'll help you out. As for how to dry your brush, rinse it, shake and squeeze it out, gently wipe the tips on a towel and either hang it up like you do, or stand it up on its handle.

 

[brianw]

What he said