i have just bought a 3 band silvertip of the Mühle traditional series (same handle-design as the r89/r41 handles) that was on sale for about 80 euros (the usual price for this brush, here in europe, is 100 euros.) it's a nice looking brush with the same knot-quality as the rocca series of Mühle silvertip brushes, both of them in fact, even have an interchangeable knot. however, for my liking this brush has still too much backbone and the end of the bristles are a bit scratchy while pressing the tips on the face. even one of my omega pure badger brushes for 20 euros has softer tips, so i'm quite a bit dissatisfied and want to keep searching for something more to my liking. any kind of suggestions?
what is the most soft badger brush under 150 euros/dollars out there?
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A used or new old stock Kent BK8 Silvertip would be my choice. Kent stopping using badger last year, but they are still out there. Super soft bristles. Fantastic brush IME.
Parker Black Chrome Pure Badger "BCPB". I think the price is around $50? It's not top grade Silver Tip, but a very good Pure Badger brush. I've had one for over 12 years and it still looks new. I have a brand new spare in the Linen closet waiting for its turn.
This isn't a great shot of the brush, but you can tell there is plenty of bristle left still, after 12 plus years. It' hold a lot of moisture as well as lather. Also, really soft. Feels great!
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This isn't a great shot of the brush, but you can tell there is plenty of bristle left still, after 12 plus years. It' hold a lot of moisture as well as lather. Also, really soft. Feels great!
b/r
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Just my kind of brush - a luxuriously soft three-band silvertip with high loft and low backbone, not too densely packed, but high quality hair, right?
You can get the best of them all, a Plisson High Mountain White. But for under €150 it would be a small size and in the acrylic or acetate handle. The tortoiseshell colour handle is nice, I think. This is what I would get. Smallest size 8 is €130 and next size 10 is €170.
Otherwise you can get a Mondial silvertip. Also excellent for this sort of badger knot, and nearly all of their silvertip brushes will be less than €150?
If you can find one there is also a Vie-Long silvertip. Well under budget but the handles aren’t as nice quality as Mondial or Plisson.
For this type of brush you don’t want to get too large a diameter of knot because the loft will be high and the brush will be much bigger in use than you expect. A 22mm size 12 or 14 Plisson (56mm or 59mm loft, respectively) is a big brush - like a 28mm badger in a more common short loft. I think you should look at 24mm knot size or less, and a loft height of around 2.5x the diameter.
Alternatively you can get a bigger, denser Zenith silvertip brush, which is still a soft and pliable knot. Not quite as light and easy to splay as the ones above, but still a very nice, soft knot. Will be easily in your budget and their more premium acrylic handles are beautiful.
Good luck. Show us what you get.
You can get the best of them all, a Plisson High Mountain White. But for under €150 it would be a small size and in the acrylic or acetate handle. The tortoiseshell colour handle is nice, I think. This is what I would get. Smallest size 8 is €130 and next size 10 is €170.
Otherwise you can get a Mondial silvertip. Also excellent for this sort of badger knot, and nearly all of their silvertip brushes will be less than €150?
If you can find one there is also a Vie-Long silvertip. Well under budget but the handles aren’t as nice quality as Mondial or Plisson.
For this type of brush you don’t want to get too large a diameter of knot because the loft will be high and the brush will be much bigger in use than you expect. A 22mm size 12 or 14 Plisson (56mm or 59mm loft, respectively) is a big brush - like a 28mm badger in a more common short loft. I think you should look at 24mm knot size or less, and a loft height of around 2.5x the diameter.
Alternatively you can get a bigger, denser Zenith silvertip brush, which is still a soft and pliable knot. Not quite as light and easy to splay as the ones above, but still a very nice, soft knot. Will be easily in your budget and their more premium acrylic handles are beautiful.
Good luck. Show us what you get.
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Agreed. Plisson is the right answer.
But anything they make with a nice handle and a knot over 22mm is super expensive these days!
I have lots of amazing brushes, but a Plisson HMW is definitely on my bucket list.
Best bang for the buck will always be Maseto on eBay.
Looks like their three-band is out of stock. That would
be their softest brush...
www.ebay.com
Looks like their three-band is out of stock. That would
be their softest brush...
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Ask ten guys and you get ten different answers. This is a very subjective choice, what one thinks as soft, might be not so soft for another guy. I believe in your price range the best would be a Shavemac silvertip, the three band standard silvertip. Two-band silvertip and the denser D01 2 and 3 band versions might be too much of a backbone for you to feel comfy enough.
It is funny how different we all are. I have a wonderful Manchurian badger Elite Razor 26mm brush with the prettiest handle I own: A Bloody Basin Jasper real stone handle. It’s a bit too soft for me. Lol
Bob @Elite Razors is one of vendors here, who like Rudy Vey, is friendly and knowledgeable. I have a Rudy Vey STF synth my wife claimed as her own when I offered her any of my synth brushes as she transitioned to ladies wet shaving. It has an amazing burl handle Rudy turned for me.
Bob @Elite Razors is one of vendors here, who like Rudy Vey, is friendly and knowledgeable. I have a Rudy Vey STF synth my wife claimed as her own when I offered her any of my synth brushes as she transitioned to ladies wet shaving. It has an amazing burl handle Rudy turned for me.
I wonder how you'd like Bob's Finest knot. When I asked him what the difference was he told me the Manchurian has slightly softer tips. Which is why I got the Finest. It's still quite soft but it has a little more presence if that makes sense.
I’m really at a loss when it comes to badgers. @Chan Eil Whiskers recommended the SV brushes and I had 4 to them. I sold one of them to help fund my Wolfman which leaves me with a total of 5. I haven’t looked seriously at brushes until this thread started up.
Thäter 3 band is the softest brush I’ve ever had. Not sure if that was a one off or not.
I concur!! I just used my 4125/1 a few days ago.
Probably been said by others already, but you can get a lot of good stuff at your price point! Look at AP Shave bulb or fan 2 band. The RazoRock barrel STB is a steal at $44.99. I think fans “feel” softer though. YMMV.
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Here's a better image of my 12 + year old Parker BCPB. It has served me well. I really can't remember it ever loosing any bristles? 22mm knot. Very soft and creates great lather with excellent coverage.
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Siimpson Super (Silvertip) Badger might be a good place to start. Only had one, a Tulip 1, it was luxurious. Had a Semogue 3 band Silver Tip a while back that was pillow like soft.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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thanks a lot for all the answers guys. after researching for a while, i think i really want to give a Shavemac 3 band a try next.
I have very sensitive skin, so I like brushes with a very soft face feel. In recent years, some knots have been treated to damage the tips of the hairs producing what is known as "gel-tips". I have a couple of Maggard Razor super high density knots with gel tips. Because a lot of hair is packed into the knot, it still has a lot of backbone, yet the face feel is quite soft. There are other gel tip knots that others sell that are not so dense. Because these gel tip knots can be produced from less expensive two-band badger hair, they will normally be well within your price point.
The softest three band silvertip badger brush I have is a Savile Row brush sold in the USA by QED. The face feel is so good that it is one of the few brushes that I could use for face lathering. My skin is so sensitive, that I have to bowl lather with most of my brushes and then paint the lather on my face. The Maggard SHD brushes, the Savile Row and a well-broken in $15 Omega boar are the only brushes soft enough for face lathering.
The softest three band silvertip badger brush I have is a Savile Row brush sold in the USA by QED. The face feel is so good that it is one of the few brushes that I could use for face lathering. My skin is so sensitive, that I have to bowl lather with most of my brushes and then paint the lather on my face. The Maggard SHD brushes, the Savile Row and a well-broken in $15 Omega boar are the only brushes soft enough for face lathering.
Omega silvertips are extremely soft
Best bang for the buck will always be Maseto on eBay.
Looks like their three-band is out of stock. That would
be their softest brush...
Security Measure
I have noticed those before, wonder if any hood. Thx.
