Travel recommendations please!

[FiveOhNine]

Ok, the prerequisite information:

I don't have SBAD, so all I've got now is a simple Vulfix pure (stiff), and a SR Silvertip (soft) (don't remember the designation, but its fairly large knot ~26mm or so).

What I'm looking for in a travel brush:

smallish, obviously, with soft tips and a nice stiff backbone. I would prefer a turnback or built-in case type rather than a DIY pill bottle setup.

I've looked at the T&H turnback, wee scot and a few others - but haven't really seen any ringing endorsements for the 'soft tip, firm stalk' type that I like.

I would prefer to keep it under $75 or so, though that can be very flexible if its a brush useful for everyday and not just travel.

Thanks!

P.S. If I go opt for a travel brush instead of a normal brush in a tube, will I be giving up a lot for the price?

 

[Uncle Erik]

I've been close to pulling the trigger on a Simpsons "Case" model in best. (Height: 85mm, Loft: 42mm, Base: 43mm, Knot: 19mm.) What's nice is that these run about $50 and you can get a matching Simpsons travel tube for another $5 or $6.

I've been going back and forth between the Case and the Major. The Major is really nice, but the Case sure looks like it would be great.

 

[FiveOhNine]

I was looking at the case as well. Seems like a nice brush.

Something seems to be steering me towards Rooney for my soft and stiff preference though.....has anyone tried the Rooney turnback travel brush?

 

[DESkydiver]

What I'm looking for in a travel brush:

smallish, obviously, with soft tips and a nice stiff backbone. I would prefer a turnback or built-in case type rather than a DIY pill bottle setup.

I've looked at the T&H turnback, wee scot and a few others - but haven't really seen any ringing endorsements for the 'soft tip, firm stalk' type that I like.

I have a Muehle Aluminum that will be part of my first PIF. It's tips are always exposed, unless you tear hairs putting in tips first in the tube. Firm with soft tips.

I use the wee scot in a pill bottle and I have been really contemplating the Simpson Major myself. It looks like it might be a little bigger than the wee, which IMHO is a really performing little brush. I'm hoping to find a really good deal on a new one, but they're double your target price.

I am looking around for some antique type brass or silver tubes to upgrade from the pill bottle.

 

[Blue-EyedSon]

I can't make any comparisons to the Rooney, but the Simpson's Case is an excellent brush. I initially got it hoping to use it as a travel brush. But after the first few tries, it became my daily brush and has been so for a little less than a year. I have the one in Best badger. It has an excellent back bone and the tips are super soft. It really is a great brush and I'd highly recommend it.

 

[Vlad]

Muhle PIF?! Yah, thanks, like I didn't read B&B compulsively as it is.

I have a Muehle Aluminum that will be part of my first PIF. It's tips are always exposed, unless you tear hairs putting in tips first in the tube. Firm with soft tips.

 

[DESkydiver]

I've been close to pulling the trigger on a Simpsons "Case" model in best.

I've been going back and forth between the Case and the Major. The Major is really nice, but the Case sure looks like it would be great.

I just pulled the trigger and ordered the Case with its travel tube ($62 including S&H). Will see how it compares to the Wee.

 

[FiveOhNine]

So, I ended up buying a Rooney stubby from Michael in the the BST. Not exactly what I had in mind at the outset, but so glad that's what I ended up with. It is absurdly dense with a John Wayne backbone and very soft tips. A truly amazing brush! Now I need to find a travel container for it.

 

[beginish]

I don't have one of these, but perhaps the Simpson Wee Scot would fit the bill.

 

[DougK]

I bought a Crabtree and Evelyn travel best badger brush (really a rebranded Edwin Jagger) and it's a great brush for daily use as well as travel. I went to my local store because they constantly are marked "out of stock" on the web site and they had a few left. I paid about $35 for it, as I recall.

Also, I think West Coast Shaving has travel tubes for brushes that you could use for the brush you already have. They're under $10, which is gentle on the wallet but not nearly as much fun as buying a travel brush.

 

[greychamp]

I own a Simpson Major and have used it for several years. Although it is the only travel brush I have used, I like it very much. I get enough lather for a two-pass shave plus touch ups. I heartily recommend it.
BTW, to make sure it dries up-side-down, I drilled two holes through the diameter at the base of the handle when the brush is screwed into it. I then thread a piece of stout string through the holes, and tie it to something in my hotel room or bathroom which will allow the brush to hang up-side-down. It works very well.

 

[DESkydiver]

I received my Simpson Case BBB yesterday and used ambrose’s process to prepare a new brush
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=139297

The Case has a loft slightly more than the Wee Scot, but with a larger handle, which is more comfortable in the hand. The tips are softer than the Wee and the little larger knot makes for a stiffer brush than the Wee.

I used T&H West Indian Limes cream, putting on just enough to cover the tips, and then face lathered. I was pleasantly surprised at how soft the tips were, yet how firm the brush was to help raise the whiskers. After a couple minutes of lathering, the brush stored enough lather for 3 full passes and had a little left over for squeezing out to use for my clean up.

My next tests will be with a soap, and then mixing a lather in a bowl before I make a final decision if I have found my new travel brush. I think the Wee is and has been a great travel brush, but the initial reaction to the Case is quickly gaining ground. I suspect on longer trips I will bring both, so I can alternate between them and allow each to dry well before its next use.

 

[FiveOhNine]

Also, I think West Coast Shaving has travel tubes for brushes that you could use for the brush you already have. They're under $10, which is gentle on the wallet but not nearly as much fun as buying a travel brush.

Cool, thanks!

 

[Dpflaum]

I'm going to have to buy a Case I think. I have a Wee Scot right now, and a Duke 1, and a Rooney 1/1 Super. So I guess I don't *NEED* one, but who cares, right?

 

[dpmtherrien]

I have to Dove stainless steel travel brush. It is a bit on the pricey side, but man is it a great silvertip brush. Its a solid brush that I'm sure will last several lifetimes. Its worth checking out. I got it here: www.classicshaving.com