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Travel Brushes

Thanks to B&B I have now a bunch of Synths, but if pressed I would still grab one of these two boars.
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Oooh. Intriguing to think how a brush dusted with meat tenderizer will enhance my shaving experience!

Per the bottle’s description, my face can certainly be included among the more economical cuts of meat.
 
When I traveled extensively on business I used whatever cheap badger brush I could find. In about 2008 I acquired a T&H travel brush. It was made of pure badger and came in a travel tube. I used that brush exclusively for travel for a few years.

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In about 2013 I acquired a Muhle Silvertip Fibre brush (23 mm) and that became my travel brush and still use it today. For me, this knot is ideal for travel. It dries fast and feels like a badger brush.

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garyg

B&B membership has its percs
Some years ago I decided I needed a dedicated travel brush, so I picked up a Wee Scot - too small for my liking. Then went and bought a turnback Muhle. Never got on well with that and sold it off. Then for a while I'd take a Duke 2/Colonel 2XL but had the forgetfulness Rudy speaks of above cause some stinking post trip .. not much traveling the last year, though when I have either flying or driving I take a cheapo synth in a travel tube that I leave right in the Dopp with other basics not because I get called out to run anymore but so I don't forget something
 
I have about 8 or 10 small brushes I use for travel. Most of them I had to make myself. My Wee Scot is too small for my liking. One of the most used is a AOS Temporary reknotted with a TGN Finest. The original knot was a Pure and was very scratchy.
 
I have three travel brushes. For an extended trip or possibly for any trip my Simpson Major in super is my first choice. For in town staying over or if I were to leave a travel kit at someone’s house it would include the Simpson Wee Scot and often also the Simpson Classic 1 synthetic.

I really like the Major and while costly I’m glad I bought it. The Wee Scot is a good little brush for what it is, but it is little and has more scritch than the Major. The synthetic Classic 1 appeared to be ideal because of it quick drying, including a case and small but not tiny size. The Classic 1 is the only one of the three that I regret purchasing. It does not splay the way I would like it to and even though it is very stiff with lots of backbone does not feel good to me. I believe this is a brush that could e described as lacking personality.

Attached are two pictures with the travel brushes cased and uncased. The Wee Scot is at the point, the Classic 1 on the left in row 2 and the Major on the right in row 2. Row 3 or the back row is solely for size comparison purposes. On the left is a Classic 2 (best), in the center a Duke 3 (best) and on the right a Chubby 1 (super) that has not yet finished drying from this morning’s shave.
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I travel extensively, so I take one or two as travel companions:

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Favorite: Commodore X1
Least favorite: Bruce
Most used: Muhle

Mind you, nothing stops me to take any brush I have, regardless of size.
 
I run two dopps, a 1 qt that’s always with me when traveling and a big one that I can work out for months. The small one’s my go to and requires a small brush and travel sized everything else to go through security for a carry on. I run either the Omega 40033, or an heirloom Ever Ready 150L with a TGN silver tip. They pack small, and punch well above their weight. If I run the big dopp, I can take a couple house brushes too, plus the small kit.

I don’t like synths, and live and travel in hot/humid. If I even only open the dopp to breathe when I get to a destination on a shave day, I’ve never had a problem with them drying out.

I’ve tried a Wee Scott (too small), Mixed midget (pure’s too prickly), and
Bambino.

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Do you have a special brush that you use when you travel? What is it? Do you only use it for travel? What makes a brush a travel brush in your opinion?

So let me be the first to answer. I do have a travel brush; in fact, I've been working through several brushes to find just what I wanted. Mine is a PAA Roswell Gray Hybrid knot in a Yaqi Sagrada Familia handle. I had planned to only use it for travel, but I like so much that it gets used fairly often at home as well. For me the attributes I value in a travel brush, besides the ability to generate lather easily, splay naturally and feel comfortable on my face, are a compact handle and a fast drying knot.
Ive got a Simpson Wee Scot. Its a great little brush but it honestly kind of looks like a toy that shouldnt work. Use it with a shave stick though and it lathers like a beast.
 
Enjoying the discussion. Pre-pandemic I used to skip the brush and just use my hand to generate lather on my face. Recently I picked up a Maggard’s 18mm travel and a Wee Scot. I agree that they are like toys, but they do really work. Need to use a few more times to decide which I like better.
 
before i retired and traveled regularly i had an inexpensive Yaqi synth i kept in a case that I think came from Muhle. I lathered from the container and skipped the bowl... Merkur 34c because i was shaving daily on the road. I took whatever soap I was in the mood for when packing. Now... I use a Timeless Ti and have a couple of plates for any occasion... the yaqi is in a rotation with my Omega 637. If I travel again it'll be the same except for the razor.
 
My dedicated travel brush was the Simpson Case.

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Then I found this 18mm Frank Shaving brush a few years ago that fits in the Simpson tube. Now I like to travel with that because the knot is bigger than the Case. The Simpson is now in a Dopp kit I keep in the car in case I was called last minute for an overnight ambulance shift. I’ve never seen these 18mm FS brushes ever since.

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Trips that last longer than a weekend deserve a full size brush in this Muhle tube. I also take a full size soap.
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My dedicated travel brush was the Simpson Case.

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Then I found this 18mm Frank Shaving brush a few years ago that fits in the Simpson tube. Now I like to travel with that because the knot is bigger than the Case. The Simpson is now in a Dopp kit I keep in the car in case I was called last minute for an overnight ambulance shift. I’ve never seen these 18mm FS brushes ever since.

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Trips that last longer than a weekend deserve a full size brush in this Muhle tube. I also take a full size soap.
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What kind of razor/handle is this?
 
When the bug bit me I bought some small synthetics.
these are to short for my deep mortar bowl so I got some longer handled ones.
the shorties are now my travel brushes since they work nice and fit the collapsing travel bowl.
The only observed drawback acrylic handles shatter when dropped on tile floors.
So I might give one a rubberized coating to protect it a bit extra.
 
I have an Omega 50014 that I use for travelling. It works up a great lather with a shave stick and dries out fairly quickly (you can even balance the brush on the cover part for a makeshift brush stand).
 
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