What Makes A Good Brush??

[Mark1977]

I have been wet shaving for a long time, but never really went crazy in terms of buying brushes. I usually can't stop myself from getting blades and soaps.
Off late I started getting more interested in brushes. So I decided to get a Proraso boar brush. The others I have are pretty cheap synthetic and badger brushes from China but seem to work well. Easy to lather, soft but with good backbone.
What makes a good brush? What do you guys look for when purchasing a brush? Why are some brushes a lot more expensive than other that work pretty much just as well? My knowledge is pretty limited in terms of brushes. Any kind of advice would be really appreciated.
My photos below show my Proraso brush, 2 China made synthetic brushes and lastly my pretty cheap badger brush, also from China.
All work well. No issues with building lather. No problem re-lathering for several passes, no issues in terms of losing hairs/bristles. Basically all 4 of my brushes work well and I have no complaints. The cheap China brushes have been with me for quite a while and I use them very often.
Have a good day guys. Stay safe.

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[Tomo]

All I can say is welcome to the rabbit hole.

 

[Mark1977]

All I can say is welcome to the rabbit hole.

Hahaha. Been hearing that a lot. I guess I'm already pretty deep. I have more stuff than my wife, and more than I actually need. How the heck did I get here.

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[Tomo]

The truth is that a new brush will not make your shave any closer. It probably won’t even make lather any better than what you have. It will look and feel different though and that may very well make your shaving experience more enjoyable. I’m a sucker for a good brush. To me they’re the highlight of a good shave.

You have a pretty good cross section of brushes now with different attributes. Which do you like the best and why? What do you like and dislike about each? The answers will guide you on your next step in your journey be it boar, synthetic or badger. There is nothing intrinsically better about any brush (so long as it holds its bristles). It’s more about what you like and value in a brush.

 

[Clay S]

1) How comfortable the handle is. You wont know until you have tried several what you might like. Shape, weight, and balance can affect this.
2) How it feels on your face.
3) How well it lathers.
4) Is it pleasing to look at.

I face lather, so #2, followed closely by #3 are real important to me, but I won't use an uncomfortable brush. Now that I have a good number of brushes that I enjoy, #4 is starting to rise in importance, but I'm not going to ignore the other criteria, I'm just more willing to pay a little more for #4

 

[Mark1977]

The truth is that a new brush will not make you shave any better. It probably won’t even make lather any better than what you have. It will look and feel different though and that may very well make your shaving experience more enjoyable. I’m a sucker for a good brush. To me they’re the highlight of a good shave.

You have a pretty good cross section of brushes now with different attributes. Which do you like the best and why? What do you like and dislike about each? The answers will guide you on your next step in your journey be it boar, synthetic or badger. There is nothing intrinsically better about any brush (so long as it holds its bristles). It’s more about what you like and value in a brush.

Thanks for the response mate.

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[Mark1977]

1) How comfortable the handle is. You wont know until you have tried several what you might like. Shape, weight, and balance can affect this.
2) How it feels on your face.
3) How well it lathers.
4) Is it pleasing to look at.

I face lather, so #2, followed closely by #3 are real important to me, but I won't use an uncomfortable brush. Now that I have a good number of brushes that I enjoy, #4 is starting to rise in importance, but I'm not going to ignore the other criteria, I'm just more willing to pay a little more for #4

Makes sense. Thanks for sharing.

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[EclipseRedRing]

As long as I can shave with it then the actual quality of the lather is of zero importance to me. Using my brushes makes me smile, feel satisfied, and happy with life and with myself. That is what makes a good brush, for me; the qualities that a brush has that achieve that will vary. For me, a scrubby short lofted 2 band brush that is not too big, is a good place to start.

 

[Icebear]

Not taking the YMMV aspect of value into consideration the answer is quite simple:

Handle by Rudy Vey
&
knot by Bernd (shavemac)

There are various other manufacturers out there that might also turn out good brushes and some even more luxurious one but most of them don't do so on a consistent basis.
You might be lucky and score a great Simpson 'best' or you can end up with a dud. I have a couple of old MF & Rooney knots that are my favorites, the newer ones supposedly have a more varied reputation. I also have a few great knots from TGN and some that didn't get a place in my rotation. I am done with experiments. If I do feel the need to reward myself with a new brush, I do know where to get great quality craftsmanship every time. Just my $0.02.

Enjoy the journey, there are rabbit holes for everyone.

 

[Kyle89]

I don't want a brush that will shed hairs throughout the life of it. I'm a bit careful with my Boars but I'm hard on my synthetic, and I've had no issues.

Best of all, none of my brushes will be costly to replace. For my boars I paid a total of $14 , and my synthetic was $10. I like brushes that are good bang for your buck, but still function well.

 

[Mark1977]

I don't want a brush that will shed hairs throughout the life of it. I'm a bit careful with my Boars but I'm hard on my synthetic, and I've had no issues.

Best of all, none of my brushes will be costly to replace. For my boars I paid a total of $14 , and my synthetic was $10. I like brushes that are good bang for your buck, but still function well.

Agreed.

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[BigJ]

Not taking the YMMV aspect of value into consideration the answer is quite simple:

Handle by Rudy Vey
&
knot by Bernd (shavemac)

There are various other manufacturers out there that might also turn out good brushes and some even more luxurious one but most of them don't do so on a consistent basis.
You might be lucky and score a great Simpson 'best' or you can end up with a dud. I have a couple of old MF & Rooney knots that are my favorites, the newer ones supposedly have a more varied reputation. I also have a few great knots from TGN and some that didn't get a place in my rotation. I am done with experiments. If I do feel the need to reward myself with a new brush, I do know where to get great quality craftsmanship every time. Just my $0.02.

Enjoy the journey, there are rabbit holes for everyone.

Great minds think alike! Tough to beat a Rudy Vey Shavemac!

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

Brushes are like people, no two are alike, even the same model.

For me; the brush and razor are the two most important shave tools. A good brush will feel good on the face and in the hand, make lather almost instantly, and hold enough lather for the second pass and touch-ups. I am very picky with brushes and of the 20 or so I’ve tried, I consistently only use a few of them, tops.

I can tell by looking at your brushes that maybe 1 of 4 would be usable to me. But I’m not you so that’s fine! I like shorter/denser brushes and have been really enjoying my badger recently.

Use whatever works for your needs, and forget what anyone else says to the contrary! And have fun!

 

[Owen Bawn]

Brushes are my favorite part of traditional shaving. I've got all sorts.

 

[TinyT]

Apart from a basic level of quality, what makes a brush good depends on what you're looking for and that may change over time. Aesthetics aside, for me it can be found in one word. Backbone.

 

[ivan_101]

Hahaha. Been hearing that a lot. I guess I'm already pretty deep. I have more stuff than my wife, and more than I actually need. How the heck did I get here.

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Simple. There is a bunch of us enablers here on the forum, who will tell you to buy more and more stuff. There is no escape.

The truth is that a new brush will not make your shave any closer. It probably won’t even make lather any better than what you have.

I strongly disagree. I have been using Omega boar brushes for more than 25 years. Many different models, but all boar. Then, 2 years ago I bought an Omega S-brush and I definitely get closer shaves with it.

 

[SterFry]

Certain brushes are better at some things and other brushes are better at other things. My Semogue 1470 boar, for example, loads soaps faster than any brush I've used. Perhaps because it's rather firm and short lofted, however it doesn't hold as much total lather as higher lofted soaps of equivalent density. Synthetics are ultra soft and can take more abuse and badgers have unmatched water retention, to paint with broad strokes.

That said, It's been my experience that any brush can successfully lather any medium, they just do it with different styles. To the point where one must alter their technique to compliment the capabilities of the brush they are using. An example being adding more water to your when using a synthetic as they don't retain as much water as the naturals. Brushes have different personalities and part of the fun is finding out which ones you jive with.

Do not think for one minute, however, that a more expensive brush will necessarily improve the results of your shave, because it will not. Furthermore, if a brush is more expensive it's usually because more material and labor went into the handle or because they are using a rare type of hair. This is why badgers cost more...not because they are better, but because it's simply a less common type of hair.

I feel it's less about having a "good" brush than knowing how to recognize and adapt to the characteristics of any brush you're using.