Why Badger....

[ShavefanGP]

Hi-

I have been into wet shaving for almost a year; Was quickly addicted and ended up with 8 silvertip brushes - Rudy Vey, TGN, Shavemac etc with silvertip, super silvertip, Grade A knots and what not !! Everything was fine and worked as a dream.. Until I got my first SOC boar brush, fully broken in, from another B&B member.

This has put all my other brushes to shame.. It was 1/4 of the cost of my least expensive brush, whips up thick creamy super rich lather whether it is soap or cream, delivers it effortlessly and is soft enough. With my badgers, there was always that careful and little extra effort to get good lather. Am I the only one or there are others here wondering why Badger ?

 

[bastimret]

Nope. I've been using a Semogue for 2 months now and just dipped my toes in the Badger pond for the first time this week with a Simpson Duke 2 and a Wee Scot. Was not as blown away by the Simpsons as I had expected. Then again, they are not as well broken in yet either, so I'll reserve final judgement for a while. The main reason though was to get a rotation going. Bowl lather with 1460 and face lather with Duke 2, Wee for travel.

Man was I ticked that I missed that SOC and 620 combo earlier today by just a couple minutes. One hell of a deal!

 

[MrDentini]

I think that the boar lathers more easily, but then the badger is nicer on your face.

 

[shave~extacy]

There is a time and a place for both.. IMO one isnt any better as they both have there quilities we all can appreciate.

 

[lradke]

I used to use the SOC all the time. I would bowl lather, and was a fan of big knots. For christmas I received a Simpson Colonel (best), and loved it. I loved how soft the tips were and how much backbone the brush has. Once I started using it, I didn't stop. I now have a colonel in Manchurian, and haven't looked back to the boars. I had a few kicking around but sold them or PIFed them away.

I guess when it comes down to it, I like the softness of the bristles, the backbone of the brushes (not too much, but not floppy), and honestly - the lack of soap residue that build up in them. I washed my boars like I do my badgers, and there was always soap residue in them. I couldn't stand it. One day I may buy another boar, but for right now I am happy ith the two brushes in my rotation.

 

[SliceOfLife]

They're different. You can't make a boar that feels like a badger on your face and vice versa. Most badger brushes I own are also more effective than any of my boars at face lathering for me by quite a large margin.

 

[Blondie]

Not me. I use the occasional boar, but badger does a better all around job for me. I have over a dozen badger brushes, and about four boars.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Not me. I use the occasional boar, but badger does a better all around job for me. I have over a dozen badger brushes, and about four boars.

Same here... but I'm TRYING to get down to "about four" of each. It's just that the badger trimming is much more difficult. (Which of my five TGN finest would it REALLY hurt to lose... which M&F blond... Which Chubby-style... tough call). Boars are easy. SOC? Keeping it. Everything else? Would cost me more to ship than the damn thing sells for new... so why even worry?

 

[VT_Hokie]

For me, it's all about density.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Semogue's to death.

They're affordable and offer outstanding softness and backbone, but don't hold enough lather for a full 3+ pass shave.

I like how a Badger knot of exactly the same specs as a Boar knot will be denser due to the finer hair and won't clump like a boar when wet.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Honey badger don't care. It just takes what it wants.

 

[Loric]

Same here... but I'm TRYING to get down to "about four" of each. It's just that the badger trimming is much more difficult. (Which of my five TGN finest would it REALLY hurt to lose... which M&F blond... Which Chubby-style... tough call). Boars are easy. SOC? Keeping it. Everything else? Would cost me more to ship than the damn thing sells for new... so why even worry?

+1 but add in kabukis, ~4 three band badgers, ~4 two bands badgers, and now that synthetics are turning the corner....grumble... I'm loosing this fight.

 

[xraygun]

Let's not forget Mr. Ed in this.....

Horse power!

 

[Loric]

Let's not forget Mr. Ed in this.....

Horse power!

Dont remind me.... there are a couple Vie-Longs that look like they would be interesting to try.

 

[Monkeyboy]

I've tried four boars. I keep going back to them after hearing all their praise but they just don't do it for me. I can get a good lather from them but not enough for 3 passes without reloading and I don't like the feel on the face.

I have yet to experience a boar that I would call soft also. The semogue 1305 I had was well broken in and while not uncomfortable I would not call it soft. The 620 I had was my favorite of the boars I tried and it was bordering on being painful to use.

Different tools work for different people, that's part of the fun of this hobby is trying out new gear and finding out what's best for you.

 

[SliceOfLife]

"My favorite"

"Bordering on being painful to use"


We just learned something new about Monkeyboy.

 

[ironfisted]

I was completely unimpressed with my first badger. It was a TGN Silvertip in a restored handle and I found the same things that you're saying. In my case, I had already been using boars and I was wondering why I had bothered with this rodent. However, as I've used it more, I do realize that it also has its merits, and as shave~ectacy said, there is a time and place for both. Once I got the hang of lathering it, I came to like that it holds so much soap that I can do as many passes as I want.

 

[Loric]

Why Badger....

Because Kabuki's have Napolian syndrome... if they had higher lofts, they would be taking over the world.