The obligatory cry for a brush

[Haber Dashing]

Friends and confidants,

I come to you a man burning with desire for a brush. Alas, my wallet is lame and limping around the epic universe of fail, where any financial encounter that passes by could kick the last leg out from under it. So no super duper wammy special brush will do. No, I need a modest companion of a brush. A hero of price and value who will save the day, from the bleak dreary experience of lathering with the god awful brushes my wallet till now has left me with. The Burma brush and the VDH brush that I currently use, are the mules of maligned misfortune with which I have been forced to reap the fields with. To their credit they have not stopped working, and I am grateful for them, as the alternative would be an even bleaker diatribe.

My path has lead me to an impasse. To go with a cheap badger of questionable value or a fine boar brush. For $30-50 USD I do not hold much faith in a brush of the badger variety. For all intended purposes, I prefer to face lather as opposed to bowl lathering. Nice soft bristles would be nice, firm yet not bristly a plus. I do like to use both creams and soaps. In badger, I was looking at "The Wee Scott" or the Edwin Jagger best badger and in boar I was looking at perhaps a Semogue or some other fine boar brush.

At the end of the day, I defer to you, the B & B community and your vast collective knowledge. Thank you so much in advance.

Humbly Yours,
Haber Dashing

 

[andrew98]

How about having someone make you a handle, then install a Golden Nib knot? Or set a golden nib knot in a large socket (think Craftsman or something cheaper)? You can choose your loft height that way and get a good badger.

See the bottom of this page.

-Andy

 

[wilsondude]

Just ordered a Semogue 1305 boar brush last night; my last brush order was for a Wee Scott, which is awesome. I was going to order a matching EJ silvertip (Chatsworth) to match my razor, but decided to give this highly regarded brush a try. I like trying new stuff, what can I say? I'm anxious to see how it performs.

 

[talibeard]

Alas, my wallet is lame and limping around the epic universe of fail........

For all intended purposes, I prefer to face lather as opposed to bowl lathering. Nice soft bristles would be nice, firm yet not bristly a plus.

This is a combination of facts that might make you better off with a good boar. You could take a look at Vulfix boars; a little softer than the Omegas but with enough backbone. They do a very good job on my face. They also have a nice badger/boar mixture but in the end I prefer the pure boars on my face. Semogue is getting good reviews too but I haven't tried those. And good ol' Omega is fine too but the Vulfix handles give much more a quality feel.

Andy's idea is nice too, just more work.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I have both Super Duper Whammy Brushes and not-so Super Duper Whammy. The Semagoue 1305 Boar is a great way to go for a cost effective, yet great boar brush.

It may sound like heresy...but you dont need a Silvertip to get a fantastic shave!

I suggest Leon at Vintage Scent here on this forum...got mine in less than a week for 20+ bucks!

 

[andrew98]

Or for a non-wood handle (acrylic), take a look at the Semogue 830. Way under $50, and it should have soft tips with lots of backbone. The acrylic handles are just great.

-Andy

 

[fishops]

I have an Omega 13109 that I think would be right up your alley. Nice big springy soft brush with the backbone to eat up soap and the softness to whip up cream. I believe it's the same handle as the very popular 10066 Boar, which is also a fantastic brush.

 

[Dpflaum]

A Rooney in Best is $55 and Pure is even cheaper. Or I think the low end Simpsons are around $50. But for the budget, you could consider having Rudy make you one. There are also some cheap badgers made by Omega and the ever popular Vulfix Super around the $50

 

[cvac]

You can get a Simpson Special in Best Badger for under $40 here:

http://www.penworks.us//index.php?m...id=283&zenid=133a72bb522017b83887f70efa9ae4c1

Doubt you'll find a better deal on that for a decent badger. I wouldn't bother with a "pure" grade badger as they are very scratchy.

I'd go for that since you've already got a couple boar brushes. Then when you get a little more $ to spend, buy a nice $10 Omega boar brush. Very well made brushes for the money if you like boar. No need to spend a lot of $ if you want a decent boar brush that is way better than a VDH

See here:

http://westcoastshaving.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=28_39_63&products_id=475

 

[Haber Dashing]

Thank you all so much for all of your input. I opted for an EJ BBB. As cvac said, I can always get another boar brush, but I really did want a cheap yet significant upgrade. For around $40 + shipping, and all the reviews I've seen about this brush, I believe I made a good choice. Wish me luck. I'm still probably going to pull the trigger on that Semogue maybe next month, but I'm going to bite the bullet and get my first badger now. Much obliged everyone.

Regards,

Haber Dashing

 

[cvac]

Sounds like you made a good choice. Enjoy your new brush.

 

[oscarbowman]

Friends and confidants,

no super duper wammy special brush will do.

Nothing super, duper or wammy but Special?
A Simpsons Special Best Badger?
A lot of bang for your buck.

Anyhoo! Choosing is half the fun.....

__________________
Oscar.

Damn it!! I'll read all the thread before I jump in next time...promise.
Nice brush and enjoy.

 

[moonshine44]

When the SBAD's set it, you might want to drop Miguel Martinez at Martinez Customs a line and get yourself a nice small diameter, short loft Silvertip! He gives a B&B discount, works fast, and does really nice work...

I love mine. Soft tips, lots of backbone, does a fantastic face-lather...

 

[TheRedlines]

Heres a nice choice of vulfix Supers from small to large from 36-45 bucks
Vulfix 660 small medium and large

 

[huntmol]

I recommend an Edwin Jagger (medium) in Best: