Whipped Dog vs. High Dollar Brushes

[dfoulk]

I am currently using a Whipped Dog silvertip badger brush and I do enjoy it very much. For me it is a large improvement over the Semogue boar brush that it replaced.

I've been looking at some high end brushes recently like Rooney, Simpson, Thater, SR etc.
Mostly somewhere in the $100 - $150 range. So my question is...

Putting name brands aside, if I spend the money on one of these high end brushes will it be a substantial improvement over my whipped dog brush? Or am I just chasing that last 5% of improvement that seems to come at the largest expense? I know it's a ymmv thing like everything else, but please share your thoughts if you've actually tried both.

Thank you,
David

 

[The Accountant]

A substantial improvement? I don't know. An improvement? Maybe. I own the following four brushes - A WD silvertip, Kent BK4, SOC Boar and Simpson Colonel XL2. (Disclaimer - Only used the Simpson once; it arrived yesterday). The Simpson is really nice; I was underwhelmed when I looked it over but after the first use this morning I am reconsidering. The BK4 is probably the softest brush I have ever used. The SOC boar I have had maybe a month so it is not fully broken in but it is really nice; a great bowl lathering brush. The WD is a smaller knot in a vintage handle, really soft with more backbone than the BK4; but not as much backbone as the Simpson. The SOC and WD were purchased new; the Kent on the B/S/T and the Simpson on the bay.

IMHO all are great brushes, maybe in a year or so I can say one is better than all the rest for one reason or another. But is one brush substantially better than another? I don't think so, at least from my perspective. If (when) you decide you want a high end brush I strongly suggest you decide what you want and purchase on the B/S/T; a very cost effective way to purchase shaving hardware and software. As always, YMMV.

 

[dfoulk]

I do watch the BST and have tried to make several purchases.
I'm the guy who sends the PM about 3 seconds after the person who purchased the item sent his.

It's a great resource and pricing is always very fair.
I'll keep watching it and trying to support the other members here.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[The Accountant]

I do watch the BST and have tried to make several purchases.
I'm the guy who sends the PM about 3 seconds after the person who purchased the item sent his.

It's a great resource and pricing is always very fair.
I'll keep watching it and trying to support the other members here.

Thanks for the advice.

When I miss a B/S/T item I look at it like this; it is one way to keep the AD's somewhat in check! Otherwise I would really be in trouble...

 

[Big Jim]

I am currently using a Whipped Dog silvertip badger brush and I do enjoy it very much. For me it is a large improvement over the Semogue boar brush that it replaced.

I've been looking at some high end brushes recently like Rooney, Simpson, Thater, SR etc.
Mostly somewhere in the $100 - $150 range. So my question is...

Putting name brands aside, if I spend the money on one of these high end brushes will it be a substantial improvement over my whipped dog brush? Or am I just chasing that last 5% of improvement that seems to come at the largest expense? I know it's a ymmv thing like everything else, but please share your thoughts if you've actually tried both.

Thank you,
David

The only significant difference is that you will get a nicer handle.

 

[brucered]

The only significant difference is that you will get a nicer handle.

That depends on what handle you use.

My WD knot is set in one of the best handles in my den and it's one of my favourites.

 

[tailoredfamcam]

"Substantial improvement", is a fairly subjective term. It's all relative to what you like. I have a Kent BK8 and while floppy, it's wonderfully soft. I also have a 30mm WD silvertip set to about a 42mm loft. Yes the loft is short (shorter than I expected which was ~50mm), but it's wonderful for face lathering while still being soft and spreading product across a decent amount of real estate.
Now the WD compared to other brushes in my rotation (Wiborg manchurian, Rooney 2XL, B&B essential boar, TGN finest super) it's a good value.

 

[ClintO]

That depends on what handle you use.

My WD knot is set in one of the best handles in my den and it's one of my favourites.

I got that same handle! I was getting the knot out and drilled a little too deep... I haven't thought of a good way to fill in the top part so I can still unscrew the bottom. I was actually thinking about putting a WD silver tip in it.

 

[bassopotamus]

I doubt anything will be a clear cut winner. I've only got 5 brushes (and no whipped dog), and while I have preferences, only one stands out by being lousy (a specific Omega boar that has dimensions that are clearly stupid). The other 4 range from a 25 buck semogue boar to a Truefitt and Hill that is probably a rebranded Rooney, and would have retailed for 100 bucks or so. It is my favorite, but not by much, and it is clearly not 4x better than the Semogue.

A further problem is that brushes are so subjective. It is entirely possible that the attributes you like may be absent or present in any brush at any price point. For example, I've got a super soft Vie long that I kind of like, but if you want backbone, it is a poor choice.

 

[Big Jim]

That depends on what handle you use.

My WD knot is set in one of the best handles in my den and it's one of my favorites.

I have a WD 16mm black, 20mm buterscotch, 22mm black marbled, a 30mm Burgundy, and a 30mm Ivory (waiting for a knot). The 30s are perfectly shaped handles. All the others are somewhat mis-shapen. The 16 is slightly oblong. The 20 is crooked and slightly oblong. The 22 is slightly oblong. I don't have a 24 (yet), but one of my badger converts does and his is perfectly shaped.

My real point is that the WD knots are great, but just how much can you expect from a $6.00 handle.

 

[Gissy]

I liked my WD a lot until I got my Simpson 58 best badger. Then I sold the WD, so for me it was a big improvement. I rarely find what I want on BST(everything is sold), but I've gotten some great deals when putting up WTB's.

 

[Kotton]

From a previous discussion, it was pretty much concluded on that the wd's are worth about +/- $160

 

[numerounoo]

I liked my WD a lot until I got my Simpson 58 best badger. Then I sold the WD, so for me it was a big improvement. I rarely find what I want on BST(everything is sold), but I've gotten some great deals when putting up WTB's.

Are you saying that Simpsons Best hair feels better/softer on the face than WD's Silvertip ?

 

[Chadao]

I have a couple of smaller Simpsons for travel (Special Pure Badger and Case), and a passel of Whipped Dogs. I recently bought a 24mm Silvertip in an extra-long Firehouse handle. When I'm home I use this almost every day, and I'm going to order a couple more once I decide on color. I'm also ordering a larger Simpson...Turtle's praise convinced me. You might get more dense brushes for bigger bucks, but I would be happy with Whipped Dogs forever...and Larry in Arlington, Texas is a gentleman who stands by his word.

 

[Gissy]

Are you saying that Simpsons Best hair feels better/softer on the face than WD's Silvertip ?

About as soft, but better yes(for me of course). The Simpson lathers rounds around my Semogue boars and my TGN grade A silvertip too.

 

[brucered]

I think there are a lot more variables when reading and talking about WD and TGN knots, compared to name brands ones like Simpson Best and others. The big guys likely buy more stock/hair/knots at at time and even though they vary from batch to batch, it's probably more consistent then someone like WD who is not brining in or purchasing X number of knots at a time. When they get a sample of a knot/hair from their supplier and say "OK, we'll take it", they don't buy up 30 knots, they likely buy up a schwack of them and are good for a long, long time.

You also have to consider how and who sets the knot in some of these WD and TGN brushes. A lot of WD/TGN brush experience is from people setting them themselves. Set a 24mm knot 2mm too high or low and it may not perform well. Set the knot in an opening that is to tight or too wide by 1 mm and it will perform differently then the next guys. Buy the knot one month and you may love it, the one you buy a couples months later may not be as soft or as dense.

My WD knot was set by me. I played around with height before I set it, got the opening exactly how I wanted it, the knot was 100X better then the first WD I had and it now performs, looks and feels like a $130+ brush. My first WD was so bad, I couldn't even use it but Larry at WD took care of that the moment he found out.

Things to keep in mind when reading some of the claims and discussion on them.

 

[Fatestorm]

YMMV, etc, etc, in saecula saeculorum amen.

My whipped dog silvertip (24 mm, normal loft) was and is a fantastic brush, the first step for me to try a non-intro boar or non-intro (eg Tweezerman) black badger; without sinking a mint into a brush. I got it about two years ago I think.

My badgers are currently: Da Vinci Uomo 290 and 293; Muhle Olivewood Silvertip (21 mm); Art of Shaving in Fine. Of all the brushes, the Whipped Dog is the softest on my face. It also has the least backbone, and is the least dense / sparsest. It also loses between one to three hairs per lather-up, every single time.

I certainly think the brushes are a great value. However, everyone's collective experience seems to be that they are hit or miss. I don't yet have some of the 'iconic' brands that one sees around here--Rooney, Simpson, Thaeter, Kent, etc. So I can't do a direct comparison. But I have to think that those brands would be less 'hit or miss' in terms of consistency of knot.

 

[76GTfan]

That depends on what handle you use.

My WD knot is set in one of the best handles in my den and it's one of my favourites.

what is the loft on that brush?

 

[brucered]

what is the loft on that brush?

Knot Loft: 48.76 mm
Knot Diameter: 25.66 mm

 

[john shea]

I have a TGN Finest xh set in a wooden handle which I think compares very well in backbone and softness to my Simpson Chubby 1 Best. They both have good backbone for soaps, and are scrubby without feeling scratchy. I have a Merkur Vision Silvertip that is powder puff soft, not floppy, but does not have the backbone of the TGN Finest or Chubby 1 Best. The high performance of the TGN Finest but a low price makes it a great bargain IMHO.

Handle shape can be important. I hate beating my fingers on the side of the mug while whipping up lather, getting lather on my fingers, and having my brush slide into the bowl or scuttle of lather because the brush handle slipped off the scuttle rim.