Where to buy higher-end shaving brushes?

[Mr_Spiffy]

I'm starting to think that there's a lot more out there than just the two less expensive brushes that I currently have. (A Simpson Berkeley and an unknown silvertip.) But, as I'm looking around to find the best places to purchase a new brush of higher quality, I'm having trouble finding places that sell brands like Thater, Rooney, Shavemac, M&F, Muhle, and so on, as well as these brands in two-band badger hair.

I enjoy both face-lathering soaps and bowl-lathering creams. But without the experience, I can only imagine what I'm looking for is a dense knot, cloud-like tips, and good backbone. Probably a bulb, but certainly won't complain about a fan shape, either. About the only thing I'm fairly certain of is that I want to try a brand other than Simpson. I love my Berkeley, but I want to try the other brands out there.

So, I'm asking you, fellow B&B'ers, what vendors would you recommend for buying these higher-end brushes? And, without breaking the bank too badly (maybe $150 - $200, maximum), which brushes would you recommend to break into the ranks of these beauties? Silvertip? Two-band? Help a newbie to this world discover what he's missing!

 

[CJames]

Just looking at the brushes you have and what you stated you might enjoy, I would recommend two brushes.

WSP Superfine Stubby 2-band $120 @ Amazon

or

Thater 4125/1 2-band in fan or bulb $150 @ RoyalShave

Either of these brushes would serve you extremely well.

 

[kiwichris]

You should check out the huge M&F thread - all of Lee's brushes are top quality and the more you individualise it the more 'special' it will be...

 

[Jlb2287]

I will recommend the Savile Row 3824 from QED. I believe it's $125 and worth every penny. For what it's worth, some say shavemac makes their knots so you could go that way as well. I personally feel the bulb shape more closely resembles that of a thater but it's all just speculation. What really matters is the brush's performance.

It whips up a crazy amount of lather and, unlike much denser knots, releases it very easily. You can bowl lather or face lather, use hard soaps or soft creams it does not matter one bit. If you prefer a fan shape, you may want to look at shavemac or thater. But if a bulb is what you're after go for the Savile Row.

 

[ArnoldLayne]

Amazon has a good selection of brushes from the various vendors. You can find almost anything on Amazon these days from the marketplace sellers.

Royal Shave has a decent selection of brushes as well. I haven't ordered brushes from them but I have ordered other shaving supplies and if you can find a discount code ( I think there is currently one for 10% off everything thru 12/31/2013) and buy enough to avail free shipping (I think it is $40 or $50), they can be a good deal as well.

Try that Connaught shaving as well and their prices on Muhle synthetics are some of the lowest I've found (look at their ex VAT prices for non UK customers) and they have a couple of other brands, Omega I believe but I wouldn't call that high end.

 

[takisg]

I'm starting to think that there's a lot more out there than just the two less expensive brushes that I currently have. (A Simpson Berkeley and an unknown silvertip.) But, as I'm looking around to find the best places to purchase a new brush of higher quality, I'm having trouble finding places that sell brands like Thater, Rooney, Shavemac, M&F, Muhle, and so on, as well as these brands in two-band badger hair.

I enjoy both face-lathering soaps and bowl-lathering creams. But without the experience, I can only imagine what I'm looking for is a dense knot, cloud-like tips, and good backbone. Probably a bulb, but certainly won't complain about a fan shape, either. About the only thing I'm fairly certain of is that I want to try a brand other than Simpson. I love my Berkeley, but I want to try the other brands out there.

So, I'm asking you, fellow B&B'ers, what vendors would you recommend for buying these higher-end brushes? And, without breaking the bank too badly (maybe $150 - $200, maximum), which brushes would you recommend to break into the ranks of these beauties? Silvertip? Two-band? Help a newbie to this world discover what he's missing!

You have a PM.

 

[CanonSterVa]

You should check out the huge M&F thread - all of Lee's brushes are top quality and the more you individualise it the more 'special' it will be...

Lee makes a great brush and cannot wait for my new order to arrive.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Thanks for all of the suggestions, guys! I'm looking forward to doing some research around the brands and brushes mentioned to see what might be a good fit. I didn't even remember to look at the Savile Row brushes, thanks for that suggestion. And I'll see if I can find that M&F thread, too.

I swear, the community here at B&B never seems to fail at helping and sharing knowledge and experience with others! You guys rock!

 

[Icebear]

I recommend to check out the B/S/T section.
From time to time there are rare brushes popping up there with a pretty good mark down vs. original sales price. Some would be hard or nearly impossible to get, some just present good savings because the owner for whatever reason doesn't like it as much or needs cash or SWMBO complains about too many brushes in the stable .

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

I recommend to check out the B/S/T section.

Big +1 to this. I have gotten to try so many great brushes thanks to B&B's B/S/T

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Big +1 to this. I have gotten to try so many great brushes thanks to B&B's B/S/T

I definitely agree that this would be the ideal way to get one of these brushes. But I want to do as much research as possible before I pick one. So, knowing where to get them, as well as any information that these vendors have on the knot and handle sizes can be helpful. I'm an engineer, so I tend to go a little overboard gathering data before I make a decision on anything.

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

I definitely agree that this would be the ideal way to get one of these brushes. But I want to do as much research as possible before I pick one. So, knowing where to get them, as well as any information that these vendors have on the knot and handle sizes can be helpful. I'm an engineer, so I tend to go a little overboard gathering data before I make a decision on anything.

What are you looking for in a brush?

 

[NSmalls]

Find out what it is you want and post a WTB in the BST when you can. You'd be surprised!

 

[lmill999]

I will recommend the Savile Row 3824 from QED. I believe it's $125 and worth every penny. For what it's worth, some say shavemac makes their knots so you could go that way as well. I personally feel the bulb shape more closely resembles that of a thater but it's all just speculation. What really matters is the brush's performance.

It whips up a crazy amount of lather and, unlike much denser knots, releases it very easily. You can bowl lather or face lather, use hard soaps or soft creams it does not matter one bit. If you prefer a fan shape, you may want to look at shavemac or thater. But if a bulb is what you're after go for the Savile Row.

What he said.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

What are you looking for in a brush?

To be honest, I don't have any idea how higher-end brushes behave relative to the ones that I have. And I don't really have much experience testing brushes of different lofts or knot sizes. So being specific about what I want is more difficult.

I have no idea how to identify if a brush has good flow-through, or which types of hair suit me best. My only brushes have been a Tweezerman (scratchy!), the Berkeley, the unnamed silvertip, a Simpson Persian Jar 1 in silvertip or super (I can't remember which, but it had a scritch to it that I really didn't care for.), and an Omega boar. That's it.

However, what I do know that I like in a brush is this:

• I like my bristles soft. Very soft. I've heard of some brushes described as little clouds kissing your face. That sounds delightful! That kind of quality may be out of my league, but it's worth inquiring about.
• I want the brush to have the backbone or stiffness to lather up a soap, not just creams.
• I don't really have a need for a huge brush. My Berkeley is a bit on the small side for me, so I want a knot larger than 20mm. But I have a larger brush that has a wide spread, and it seems a bit too large and floppy to lather a soap well. Without knowing the loft, my guess is that the higher loft gives it the spread and floppiness that work for creams, but not soaps.
• A larger/longer handle might be nice to keep my fingers dry, since I do bowl-lather creams and soft soaps.
• I prefer performance over looks. I know some guys like buying pretty brushes. But that's not my top priority.

Here's a shot of my current two brushes side-by side; my Berkeley and my unnamed silvertip. These are all I own right now. If the Berkeley is a 20mm knot and 45mm loft, any ideas as to the size and loft of the other brush? My best guess using the photo for reference is 22mm x 55mm..?

 

[CFSoto]

I'm starting to think that there's a lot more out there than just the two less expensive brushes that I currently have. (A Simpson Berkeley and an unknown silvertip.) But, as I'm looking around to find the best places to purchase a new brush of higher quality, I'm having trouble finding places that sell brands like Thater, Rooney, Shavemac, M&F, Muhle, and so on, as well as these brands in two-band badger hair.

I enjoy both face-lathering soaps and bowl-lathering creams. But without the experience, I can only imagine what I'm looking for is a dense knot, cloud-like tips, and good backbone. Probably a bulb, but certainly won't complain about a fan shape, either. About the only thing I'm fairly certain of is that I want to try a brand other than Simpson. I love my Berkeley, but I want to try the other brands out there.

So, I'm asking you, fellow B&B'ers, what vendors would you recommend for buying these higher-end brushes? And, without breaking the bank too badly (maybe $150 - $200, maximum), which brushes would you recommend to break into the ranks of these beauties? Silvertip? Two-band? Help a newbie to this world discover what he's missing!

You used to be able to find a lot of very high end Simpson Chubby brushes at Superior Shave(excellent cust. service),and the Truefitt&Hill website here in the US. The high end Rooney Heritage Stubbies,etc. are very tough to buy now. Classic Shaving has some Rooney Stubby 3XL if you like big brushes. Another very good vendor is Lee's Razors.

Craig

 

[MaxP]

You should check out the huge M&F thread - all of Lee's brushes are top quality and the more you individualise it the more 'special' it will be...

Lee's M&F brushes are indeed top shelf quality. I would caution that the buying experience is not for the impatient or faint of heart. Lack of a website, published pricing, ordering tracking are just a few of the aspects that aren't part of Lee's operation.

I strongly recommend the other avenues that have been suggested.

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

To be honest, I don't have any idea how higher-end brushes behave relative to the ones that I have. And I don't really have much experience testing brushes of different lofts or knot sizes. So being specific about what I want is more difficult.

I have no idea how to identify if a brush has good flow-through, or which types of hair suit me best. My only brushes have been a Tweezerman (scratchy!), the Berkeley, the unnamed silvertip, a Simpson Persian Jar 1 in silvertip or super (I can't remember which, but it had a scritch to it that I really didn't care for.), and an Omega boar. That's it.

However, what I do know that I like in a brush is this:

• I like my bristles soft. Very soft. I've heard of some brushes described as little clouds kissing your face. That sounds delightful! That kind of quality may be out of my league, but it's worth inquiring about.
• I want the brush to have the backbone or stiffness to lather up a soap, not just creams.
• I don't really have a need for a huge brush. My Berkeley is a bit on the small side for me, so I want a knot larger than 20mm. But I have a larger brush that has a wide spread, and it seems a bit too large and floppy to lather a soap well. Without knowing the loft, my guess is that the higher loft gives it the spread and floppiness that work for creams, but not soaps.
• A larger/longer handle might be nice to keep my fingers dry, since I do bowl-lather creams and soft soaps.
• I prefer performance over looks. I know some guys like buying pretty brushes. But that's not my top priority.

Here's a shot of my current two brushes side-by side; my Berkeley and my unnamed silvertip. These are all I own right now. If the Berkeley is a 20mm knot and 45mm loft, any ideas as to the size and loft of the other brush? My best guess using the photo for reference is 22mm x 55mm..?

What about something like this?



The brush will run you about $120 I think, but it might take a while to reach Lee.
It is soft (but not little clouds kissing your face soft), has great backbone, is not a lather hog. It is just a beast of a brush and very nice to hold.

Alternatively look at the Rooney Heritage brushes, they are more expensive but they definitely are softer.
If you are happy to give up some backbone, the Thäter brushes are incredibly soft, and I mean wow.

Hope this helps you out mate.

 

[Mr_Spiffy]

Thanks for the additional recommendations, guys! And, Max, that's great information to know. I've heard good things about M&F brushes, but perhaps those might be best saved for when I already have a few others that can hold me over until one from Lee might arrive. Are we talking several months for a brush to arrive after ordering?

And Professor, that M&F looks gorgeous! The white tips with the butterscotch looks awesome. I'm not going to rule M&F out, just yet. I still have a lot to go over, including learning more about Rooney brushes

I'm a little hesitant to give up backbone, since my no-name silvertip is pretty soft but too floppy. It sounds like Thäter brushes might be best saved for creams..?

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

Thanks for the additional recommendations, guys! And, Max, that's great information to know. I've heard good things about M&F brushes, but perhaps those might be best saved for when I already have a few others that can hold me over until one from Lee might arrive. Are we talking several months for a brush to arrive after ordering?

And Professor, that M&F looks gorgeous! The white tips with the butterscotch looks awesome. I'm not going to rule M&F out, just yet. I still have a lot to go over, including learning more about Rooney brushes

I'm a little hesitant to give up backbone, since my no-name silvertip is pretty soft but too floppy. It sounds like Thäter brushes might be best saved for creams..?

It is the ordering process that is difficult, once you manage to place an order it generally takes a month or so. However the entire process can take 6months.
I used to have a Rooney Beehive 1, it was an incredible brush. Sadly I sold it off, it is the only sale I regret to this day.

From my experience a Thäter works fine with soaps.
I have never had a brush that was only suited to creams or soaps. All of mine have worked on both.

Cheers for the compliments on the brush.

I would recommend you look at getting a Semogue Owners Club boar brush, they are fantastic.

Personally I have not been that impressed by Simpson brushes, have tried lots and always sold them off.