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Suggest favorite boar, badger brushes

No such thing as "the best ....."
My favorite badgers are my Simpsons Colonel X2L and Elite Razors Manchurian.
My favorite boar is my Semogue 610.
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I really enjoy zeniths in boat badger and boar.

For boar, without knowing your ideal characteristics, the zenith B03-A26 is great! (One on the right in the photo below)
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I like the size and performance of the SOC 2band badger but don’t think it warrants the price. There are nicer badgers to be had within $10-15 in either direction. I enjoy the zenith manchurians and have grown to love my 28mm manchurian. If it weren’t for these manchurians I would have nearly written off badgers all together as I much prefer boar.
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I really enjoy zeniths in boat badger and boar.

For boar, without knowing your ideal characteristics, the zenith B03-A26 is great! (One on the right in the photo below)
View attachment 1152682
I like the size and performance of the SOC 2band badger but don’t think it warrants the price. There are nicer badgers to be had within $10-15 in either direction. I enjoy the zenith manchurians and have grown to love my 28mm manchurian. If it weren’t for these manchurians I would have nearly written off badgers all together as I much prefer boar.View attachment 1152681
Frm where in US, can I buy this zenith brush that you recommend?
 
Frm where in US, can I buy this zenith brush that you recommend?
I purchased all but one of my zeniths from Spain, a website called yourshaving.com. Shipping was not at all unreasonable. You could find it from the gentleshave but will pay more. The guy, Jose at yourshaving is excellent to work with if you have any issues with you order. I really like ordering soaps from him as well, as I can get MDC and SV there for a very good price as well. If you buy enough you can get free international shipping. Takes about 2 weeks to arrive.
 
Need more information from you to provide tailored responses. Different brushed are better at different things.
 
There is really no "best", but one of my favorites is the Zenith B03-A26 aluminum boar brush. Don't let people tell you boar brushes are harsh or rough, this one is very soft and comfortable to use. It does take a couple of weeks to break in, but well worth it.
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+1 I definitely recommend this one. This is a wonderful brush, which opened my eyes to how enjoyable boar brushes can be! I use it exclusively for face lathering and it works great for that, but YMMV.
 
@Rustyshackelford , which Zenith brush is the one on the left with the blue handle? How do you like that one compared with the B03-A26?
I love the looks of this brush. I got it from the Spanish site as well. This brush is floppy and splays a lot. It’s not my favorite as it is pictured. It was supposed to be stiffened up by a nickel ring at the base of the knot but this one is not. I’ve had not in rotation for about 3 to 4 months now, and I just did the rubber band/o-ring trick with it. Now it’s more like a copper super scrubby brush that I have from gentleshave, but less dense. If you are a bowl latherer it’s a fine brush, but it’s a little unwieldy for face lathering. I would not recommend it over the B03-A26, as it’s slightly more expensive and not as good as all the other zeniths I own.

I have one of the 64mm lofted 26mm diameter cheaper plastic zeniths that cost me $6ish that I am contemplating harvesting the knot from for this or an WCS PURE badger brush.
 
Badger: Semogue 730 HD silvertip is a great brush (regardless of price, but very reasonably priced for a silvertip)

Boar: The Proraso boar is a great brush. I have also grown to especially enjoy the Omega 10083 (beehive handle), has "pro" feel, but smaller brush, great face latherer
 
Favourites at the moment:

Badger: Savile Row 3824 (superbly performing 24mm silvertip bulb.)

Boar: Semogue 1305... little lather monster.
 
I only have 7 brushes; 1 badger, 3 boars, and 3 synthetics. The badger will be my last one. It feels OK on the face but just refuses to give back the lather unless I squeeze it. Maybe another would work, but compared to the competition I think they are too expensive to bother with.
The boars are two Omegas and one Semogue. My favourite is the Omega Pro 49. Broke in quickly, and is super smooth when painting lather.
Of the synthetics my favourite is the APShaveCo 24mm Synbad. Great backbone, splay, and super smooth on the face. Next is the RR Snowman, really inexpensive but a pleasure to use.
I think its really hard to beat the synthetics today for price / performance.
 
Just one, the Savile Row 3824. Bought it almost 10 years ago because it won the B&B Brush wars at the time:

Still use it daily as my only brush, hasn't lost a hair in all this time, still no complaints or reasons to buy another brush. "Buy once, cry once", as they say
 

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My favourite brush is the Kent BK8 Silvertip, closely followed by the Kent BK4 Silvertip.
I lather anything with these brushes, from hard soaps to cream with ease, and never really understood the floppy, and lack of backbone comments made about these brushes.
My others are a Mason Pearson Super, and Simpson Duke3 Best. I rate them only just below the Kents, and enjoy them equally.
My fifth brush is a Vulfix Pure that I very rarely use now.
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
I have one badger brush, Ice brand, pure bristle. I rarely see this brand around, it’s a wee bit scritchy compared to my boar, but lathers well enough.

I have one as well. It was my first brush, purchased on the day I went to a local cutlery store and picked up the Ice Pure Badger, Merkur 38C, a stand and a pack of Merkur blades. It's on OK brush, but I've been using a Wilkinson Sword boar lately along with a RazoRock Beehive Synthetic.

Looking around at boars right now, thinking...

O.H.
 

Ravenonrock

I shaved the pig
I have one as well. It was my first brush, purchased on the day I went to a local cutlery store and picked up the Ice Pure Badger, Merkur 38C, a stand and a pack of Merkur blades. It's on OK brush, but I've been using a Wilkinson Sword boar lately along with a RazoRock Beehive Synthetic.

Looking around at boars right now, thinking...

O.H.
Is this an alternate reality? I bought a Merkur 38C (first DE razor) Ice badger brush (first) and razor/brush stand at my local knife store. I got some Dovo and Feather blades. I then later got an Omega boar at my local drugstore that I’m very happy with, great value.
 
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I have one as well. It was my first brush, purchased on the day I went to a local cutlery store and picked up the Ice Pure Badger, Merkur 38C, a stand and a pack of Merkur blades. It's on OK brush, but I've been using a Wilkinson Sword boar lately along with a RazoRock Beehive Synthetic.

Looking around at boars right now, thinking...

O.H.
Try a Zenith boar. Very small investment. Great brushes.
 
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