Unknown brush

[SuperSilver]

I know it isn't much to go on but this picture is all that is displayed on the site. The sellers claims it is a 100% pure badger brush and that it's made in England. It's not specified who the manufacturer is. I'm wondering if this is a genuine badger brush because I'm considering it since the price is very reasonable(26 euro or ~29$).
Other info: plastic handle, 105mm height(50mm handle) 20mm knot.
Picture:

 

[Scott0079]

Looks like a pure badger to me. I’d doubt the made in England claim if there’s no branding to support it. You can find some equally good deals from actual brands if you shop around.

 

[Demolition]

Is this it? https://frame.goglasi.com/frame?eid=171983078

My Bosnian(?) is a bit rusty, but spending $29 on a mystery brush like that makes no sense. You could get a Yaqi silvertip badger for that.

 

[Atlantic59]

You could get a Yaqi silvertip badger for that.

For example, this two-band badger is $27 at WCS, unfortunately you just missed a 20% off sale which would have made it $22, but they have sales pretty frequently.

If I were you, I would not get a pure badger, just get a two band if you like to face lather. You will be happier with it, I'm pretty sure.

 

[BigJ]

Looks like a pure badger to me. I’d doubt the made in England claim if there’s no branding to support it. You can find some equally good deals from actual brands if you shop around.

+2! It does look like pure badger. Some like them but the pure grade is my least favorite.

 

[SuperSilver]

Shipping to my country is a huge problem for me. Most sites don't offer it at all and Amazon has insane shipping costs(30 something dollar brush had 50+ dollar shipping...). That is why I'm forced to look at shady deals like these. The seller has some branded brushes like Taylor of Old Bond Street but it's very expensive. The tiny one is 50+ euros. I currently have an Omega Boar brush and I'm satisfied with it but I want to try a badger brush. Are there any good ones to be found on AliExpress ? Why is pure badger bad ? I thought they were the best.

 

[Atlantic59]

Shipping to my country is a huge problem for me. Most sites don't offer it at all and Amazon has insane shipping costs(30 something dollar brush had 50+ dollar shipping...). That is why I'm forced to look at shady deals like these. The seller has some branded brushes like Taylor of Old Bond Street but it's very expensive. The tiny one is 50+ euros. I currently have an Omega Boar brush and I'm satisfied with it but I want to try a badger brush. Are there any good ones to be found on AliExpress ? Why is pure badger bad ? I thought they were the best.

The names of the different hair grades are confusing. They are not always uniform across the brush makers, either.

Pure badger is not necessarily bad, but it is the stiffest, least soft grade. So, least expensive.

Two band, softer, more expensive. Some backbone. Good for face lathering.

Silvertip, softer still, more expensive. Less backbone. More suitable for creams than soaps.

More rare types like "high mountain". Supposed to be more luxurious. Some would say too soft.

Yaqi has a store on AliExpress. For example:

Yaqi Factory Store - Amazing products with exclusive discounts on AliExpress

Discover the wide range of from AliExpress Top Seller Yaqi Factory Store.Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return.

yaqibrush.aliexpress.com

One that I like a lot is this one:

27.0US $ |Yaqi 24mm Badger Hair Men Shaving Brush Barber Salon Men Facial Beard Cleaning Appliance Shave Tool - Shaving Brushes - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

also this one is nice:

33.72US $ |Yaqi 24mm Yaqi Mountain Lake Two Band Badger Knot Shaving Brushes - Shaving Brushes - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[SuperSilver]

The names of the different hair grades are confusing. They are not always uniform across the brush makers, either.

Pure badger is not necessarily bad, but it is the stiffest, least soft grade. So, least expensive.

Two band, softer, more expensive. Some backbone. Good for face lathering.

Silvertip, softer still, more expensive. Less backbone. More suitable for creams than soaps.

More rare types like "high mountain". Supposed to be more luxurious. Some would say too soft.

Yaqi has a store on AliExpress. For example:

Yaqi Factory Store - Amazing products with exclusive discounts on AliExpress

Discover the wide range of from AliExpress Top Seller Yaqi Factory Store.Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return.

yaqibrush.aliexpress.com

One that I like a lot is this one:

27.0US $ |Yaqi 24mm Badger Hair Men Shaving Brush Barber Salon Men Facial Beard Cleaning Appliance Shave Tool - Shaving Brushes - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

also this one is nice:

33.72US $ |Yaqi 24mm Yaqi Mountain Lake Two Band Badger Knot Shaving Brushes - Shaving Brushes - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Can AliExpress brushes(Yaqi for example) be trusted ? I'm afraid of ordering a badger brush and getting synthetic or mixed...

 

[Atlantic59]

Can AliExpress brushes(Yaqi for example) be trusted ? I'm afraid of ordering a badger brush and getting synthetic or mixed...

I would say yes for Yaqi, at least. Yaqi sells a huge volume of brushes and many of them are resold under other names such as Maggard and Razorock. Their reputation is quite good.

The main issue people have had buying from them on AliExpress is that shipping can be slow. AliExpress has a dispute system you can get a refund if you do not get what you ordered.

 

[emwolf]

I've got two Yaqi brushes and am very pleased. My biggest complaint is their delivery can be very slow and their knot measurements are a bit generous (they tend to be a bit smaller than advertised). My preference is either 2-band or silvertip. I set a high mountain white knot last night in a handle I just got. Buying handle and knot separately can save a ton of money. I will be using it soon!

 

[Demolition]

Can AliExpress brushes(Yaqi for example) be trusted ? I'm afraid of ordering a badger brush and getting synthetic or mixed...

Ordering on AliExpress is fairly secure because of the escrow system where the seller doesn't get your money until you actually receive your product. If you don't get the product that you ordered (or if it doesn't show up at all), your money is refunded. On B&B, Yaqi is considered a reliable seller and their products are high quality. Check out the reviews; most of them are very positive.

If you're still in doubt, then I'd suggest using a virtual credit card to avoid giving them your actual credit info. That's probably the smart thing to do with any online purchase, anyway.

However, as atlantic59 and emwolf mentioned, shipping can be slow, depending on which service you choose. With the trackable EMS method, I generally receive items within two weeks (they quote 16-26 days) on the west coast of Canada. The only time I've had a delay was with Customs. They held my package for an extra week.

On the other hand, I've had things shipped by the slowest method (China Post Ordinary Small Packet) and the delivery times are all over the place. Also, there's no tracking. One item got here in three weeks without any Customs delays. But, another item shipped at the same time took six weeks, then was held by Customs for two weeks. That's still barely within the delivery window (39-60 days), but it felt like an eternity. I had completely forgotten that I'd ordered it by that time!

So, now I choose the EMS (16-26 days, trackable) option if it's available. Sometimes it's a free option, so it's a no-brainer. Other times, it costs an extra $2-3, but it's definitely worth it to avoid the hassle.

 

[Big Jim]

You really don't want a pure badger. That's the lowest grade. Most of the time the bristles are trimmed to shape making a very rough and scratchy brush.

The earlier poster missed a grade. He missed Best.

Pure (junk)
Best (not bad but tends to be quite scrubby)
Finest (can be excellent - firmer than Silvertip but still a very nice face feel - also known as Two Band)
Silvertip (top of the line - nicest face feel - some think they are too soft but my favorite)

Their are variations but I'm trying to keep in simple.

I would not buy anything less than Best unless you want to punish your face. I would rather use a Boar than a Pure Badger.

 

[Brian C.]

I wouldn't recommend pure either. It is the cheapest. My first one looked similar to that one and it didn't last 6 months and went in the bin. I did try another pure badge from a branded website and it lasted better but I just don't care for it. I do like the handle mine is in so the badger knot will be replaced with a boar knot next month. I wouldn't recommend anything less than best grading.

 

[SuperSilver]

I did some research and noticed that everything that seller was offering was much more expensive than it should be. So a cheap brush like that meant it was dirt cheap where he got it and it's safe to assume the quality matches the price. I have decided to buy a silvertip of finest Yaqi brush from AliExpress since you gentlemen vouch for them and they are reasonably priced. Cheers for the help!

 

[Demolition]

Excellent choice! It might be a bit of wait for shipping, but I think that you'll really like it. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Big Jim]

I did some research and noticed that everything that seller was offering was much more expensive than it should be. So a cheap brush like that meant it was dirt cheap where he got it and it's safe to assume the quality matches the price. I have decided to buy a silvertip of finest Yaqi brush from AliExpress since you gentlemen vouch for them and they are reasonably priced. Cheers for the help!

Please report back when you receive and use the brush. I'm sure you will enjoy your choice.

 

[Ice-Man]

If you have bought a Yagi brush you're going to love it as I do mine, but it has been said shipping is very slow but you will get your brush. I find yagi to be very good sellers I did buy the purple haze, but removed the knot and put a 2 band badger into it as I don't like synthetics....

 

[SuperSilver]

I know It's been ages since I wrote this post, but a promise is a promise. Here is what I have to share:
I finally decides to get a silvertip badger brush from Yaqi on AliExpress months after writing this post. It cost about 27 euros or about $29. Slow shipping wasn't a problem because I had a brush and wasn't in a hurry. It actually arrived quite fast, about 1 month(I usually wait 2-3 months for AliExpress stuff). It arrived in a plain-white box with only one sticker on top(I threw the box away, didn't take a picture). First impression: AMAZING. The brush has a very dense knot, a beautiful and very elegant looking handle(subjective) and it's actually VERY heavy, strengthening the premium feel. The hairs are very very soft to the touch but not at all too soft like some suggest. After about a month of using it, only a few hairs fell off like the description of the brush said. I've tried it with both soaps and creams and it work great with both. But the most impressive thing is the amount of water it absorbs. It's a sponge.
Anyways, I am extremely satisfied with the order and I recommend it. Maybe it's because I don't have much experience with brushes but this feels like a very premium brush to me.
Some photos, sorry for the long post

 

[Demolition]

Thanks for getting back to us with a review of your new brush. It's good to hear that you're enjoying it!

 

[Big Jim]

Your feedback is invaluable to others. Thanks for the follow-up.