What soap/cream + brush you cannot go wrong with?

[verdict]

Hello all, it's nearly been a year since I started DE shaving, (whoa, already?!) and I have a confession: I've never had a really good experience with any brush. My first brush was a VDH which was average, then I got this scritchy, Pure badger from Vulfix. The VDH is alright and I've stopped using the Vulfix. I want to use a brush, but I've been discouraged by the high prices and all the different choices. Same goes with a cream/soap as well, but I think I might try Proraso.

What is a combination of cream/brush you simply cannot go wrong with? It would help a lot if it doesn't turn out to be costly. I have no preference over cream/soap or grade of hair.

What do you gents suggest?

 

[buyandhold2018]

My current go to is...

Omega boar + P.160 + Cremo Cream for Superlather.

This is the slickest, most moisturizing lather I've come across, to date.

 

[beginish]

A very inexpensive but effective combination is the Body Shop synthetic brush ($11) and CO Bigelow/Proraso cream (~$12 for the big tube). Check out Brush Chronicles #1 on Tuesday for a detailed review of the combination.

My favorite combination, with cost not being a factor is the Simpson 57 ($100 at West Coast Shaving) and AoS Lavender Soap ($25 for a refill puck).

 

[InvictusManeo]

Edwin Jagger best badger medium (38.00 shipped from English shaving co to Texas)
Proraso. I keep trying other things because I like variety, but this stuff just provides wonderful lather every time without even trying.

 

[Saturn]

Tabac + Rooney 1/1

Not exactly a budget combination, on the brush end, but it's cheaper than a lot of high-end brushes, dense, yet soft-tipped, a great face latherer. It's a brush you could conceivably be satisfied with for a long, long time. If I was limited to one combination of brush and soap for the next five years, that's what I'd go with.

 

[Skrymr]

My favorite combo right now is my VDH brush and an Arko shave stick. They work great for face lathering. I like my VDH brush a lot, but because the handle is so small it's a pain to use for bowl lathering. Ever since I got the Arko shave stick and started face lathering I've really gotten to like the brush a lot more.

 

[The Seeker]

Omega 10005 + Cella.

 

[shmeegs]

Any VDH brand and my tweezerman have been a stable in my rotation for years now.

 

[rsaltonstall]

An Omega brush and Cella would get my vote for low cost and efficacy ratio.

 

[ramon]

Vulfix shaving brush good value and quality or Rooney shaving brush is more expensive but is very good to.
DR Harris or taylor old bond soaps
a lots of soap are great is more simple tell what soap are bad ( Herban cowboy is the worst )

 

[BlackBard]

Edwin Jagger best badger medium brush and Edwin Jagger soap or Provence Sante soap. The brush is a "Best Buy" IMHO. The soaps are quality and easily lathered, while being relatively inexpensive. They will last a long time.

 

[Rivguy]

My favorite brush is the Simpson Ehsan and any TOBS cream. Some soaps that are excellent and not very expensive are cella, Tabac and Honeybee's Victorian Rose. While the Ehsam is not a budget brush, it is so excellent, that I think that it is a good value.

I have two Vulfix brushes that I like very much. I know that you did not have a good experience with them but one of mine has been a favorite for fifteen years. Could it be that your Vulfix brush is not fully broken it yet?

Omega makes some fine brushes that are reasonably priced as does Smogue.

Good luck on your quest for your new equipment.

Doug

 

[jmg]

Simpson Milk Churn 2 with GFT coconut cream. Simply...wonderful.

 

[taffy]

My cheap combo is a omega boar and erasmic soap bowl, have to say though that my vulfix was a great brush!

 

[mdevine]

My inexpensive can't fail combo is a Semogue SOC boar with MWF.

 

[Shavely Manden]

Hello all, it's nearly been a year since I started DE shaving, (whoa, already?!) and I have a confession: I've never had a really good experience with any brush. My first brush was a VDH which was average, then I got this scritchy, Pure badger from Vulfix. The VDH is alright and I've stopped using the Vulfix. I want to use a brush, but I've been discouraged by the high prices and all the different choices. Same goes with a cream/soap as well, but I think I might try Proraso.

What is a combination of cream/brush you simply cannot go wrong with? It would help a lot if it doesn't turn out to be costly. I have no preference over cream/soap or grade of hair.

What do you gents suggest?

SOC + MWF. SOC is a wonderful brush at a wonderful price point, and, while MWF does take some work, it's not expensive when ordered from Wingham and now I just can't get a bad lather out of the thing.

 

[chris456]

Proraso SC + Semogue 1305

I think Proraso SC has got to have the best price to performance ratio. It's great stuff!

 

[Bubu]

My go to is an Omega Gold and Green Badger Hair Brush large #6215 from amazon. And Mama Bear's Beau Brummel. Just 10 swirls on the soap and I have enough for 3 passes. Though the brush could be a little softer.

 

[sj184]

Any brush with Cella or Mama Bears. If you don't want to pay too much, then a decent boar will do nicely.

 

[Perished]

My favorite combo right now is my VDH brush and an Arko shave stick. They work great for face lathering. I like my VDH brush a lot, but because the handle is so small it's a pain to use for bowl lathering. Ever since I got the Arko shave stick and started face lathering I've really gotten to like the brush a lot more.

I use a Kent BK8 with Arko. Great combo.