Your Budget brushes

[musicman1951]

Opinions differ, but I find cheap badgers a terrible investment. Synthetics are the best bang for your buck if you want to go cheap.

The Semogue SOC badger is $65 on Amazon. It has good backbone and very pleasant tips and what I consider to be the best handle in the business. It's my favorite face lathering brush. I'm sure you could bowl lather with it (or any brush), but it's considerably smaller than your SOC boar.

My favorite bowl lathering badger is the Kent BK8, but I suspect you won't like the price.

If you want to go cheaper for heat I'd suggest a synthetic and a scuttle. Nothing provides warm lather like a scuttle.

 

[RayClem]

Opinions differ, but I find cheap badgers a terrible investment. Synthetics are the best bang for your buck if you want to go cheap.

The Semogue SOC badger is $65 on Amazon. It has good backbone and very pleasant tips and what I consider to be the best handle in the business. It's my favorite face lathering brush. I'm sure you could bowl lather with it (or any brush), but it's considerably smaller than your SOC boar.

My favorite bowl lathering badger is the Kent BK8, but I suspect you won't like the price.

If you want to go cheaper for heat I'd suggest a synthetic and a scuttle. Nothing provides warm lather like a scuttle.

I have never found a decent badger brush for under $30, but great boar, synthetic, and even horsehair brushes can be had for less than that amount. To make an inexpensive badger brush, they either use low grade badger hair or make the diameter and density of the knot so low that it is floppy.

I love warm lather. My method is unusual. I use a flat bottomed mortar bowl from a mortar and pestle set. Since it is designed for grinding, the inside surface of the bowl is rough which is ideal for providing the shear necessary to develop a great lather quickly.

To heat my lather, I place the bowl on top of a electric candle warmer. Of course, since using electric appliances near a shaving sink can be hazardous, I have it plugged into a GFCI and I tied the cord such that the device cannot fall into the sink. My candle warmer keeps the lather around 115 degrees F which is comfortably warm.

 

[JerseyMike]

I have zero issues with my WCS brush that I purchased.

 

[Chumango]

I have several "budget" silvertips. Delong, West Coast Shaving, Yaqi, DS Cosmetic. I'm pleased with them all but they pale in comparison to Shavemac.

In what way(s) do they pale in comparison? Personal preference plays a significant role in desired density, softness, backbone - how do you find your Shavemac to be better than the other brushes you listed? What size and loft do you have on the Shavemac?

For reference, my only "real" badger is a WCS silvertip 26 mm with 52 mm loft (my measurement). This particular brush has plenty of backbone for me, though it does have a noticeable glue bump that reduces the free loft, and after blooming it is a little larger than I prefer. The knot seems pretty dense to me, with far more hair than a similarly sized Omega boar. If anything I would like a bit softer tips. I was thinking of getting something from Whipped Dog, with a loft adjusted to what I might like, but I am also considering Shavemac.

 

[emwolf]

In what way(s) do they pale in comparison? Personal preference plays a significant role in desired density, softness, backbone - how do you find your Shavemac to be better than the other brushes you listed? What size and loft do you have on the Shavemac?

For reference, my only "real" badger is a WCS silvertip 26 mm with 52 mm loft (my measurement). This particular brush has plenty of backbone for me, though it does have a noticeable glue bump that reduces the free loft, and after blooming it is a little larger than I prefer. The knot seems pretty dense to me, with far more hair than a similarly sized Omega boar. If anything I would like a bit softer tips. I was thinking of getting something from Whipped Dog, with a loft adjusted to what I might like, but I am also considering Shavemac.

Not able to measure but the knot size was listed as 24mm. It has great backbone, ultra soft face feeling, doesn't hog the lather. The fan shape doesn't bloom out as much as a bulb.

 

[deadcruiser]

If you haven't pitched it feel free to mail me your toilet brush, lol

 

[JerseyMike]

If you haven't pitched it feel free to mail me your toilet brush, lol

It’s long gone.

 

[cryhavoc]

I have zero issues with my WCS brush that I purchased.

Glad you are enjoying the brush!

 

[JerseyMike]

Glad you are enjoying the brush!

Thanks! I also think the handle is one of the most ergonomic handles I had , second was the Semogue OC.

 

[Fukushima Daiichi]

Lol I had the same thing happen with a Parker pure badger. Fell off my cabinet that is attached to a wall directly over my toilet. Fortunately the toilet was waste free so I washed it for a week with dial antibacterial hand soap and air dried it near a window with plenty sun light. Since then I keep my brushes in my room on my dresser.

My favorite budget brush is my Omega S-brush.

 

[jaro 101969]

It’s just the thought of waste going into that bowl and putting it on my face.

I appreciate the synthetic options but I wanted silvertip Badger in an effort to retain heat better than a boar brush.

get some barbicide and clean the one that fell in the toilet very well and you should be able to keep it to use as a backup or travel brush and still get a new brush too.. we all like new brushes even if we already have one....if you need a real quick backup brush I bought my wife a Barbury's brush from sallys for less than 8 dollars.

 

[nemo]

Semogue 1470, when I bought mine ten years ago it was under 10 Euro. High quality bristles (un-dyed 90% tops), wood handle, scrubby, and it's still under 10 at Gifts and Care and VintageScent.

Vintage Scent – The Vintage Scent Shop

vintagescent.com

The 1438 is another of my budget faves. A wee bit more pricey.

Vintage Scent – The Vintage Scent Shop

vintagescent.com

 

[steveclarkus]

Lol I had the same thing happen with a Parker pure badger. Fell off my cabinet that is attached to a wall directly over my toilet. Fortunately the toilet was waste free so I washed it for a week with dial antibacterial hand soap and air dried it near a window with plenty sun light. Since then I keep my brushes in my room on my dresser.

My favorite budget brush is my Omega S-brush.

View attachment 1064662

Can an Omega be beat? I don’t think so.

 

[Shavely Manden]

The Semogue SOC badger is $65 on Amazon. It has good backbone and very pleasant tips and what I consider to be the best handle in the business. It's my favorite face lathering brush. I'm sure you could bowl lather with it (or any brush), but it's considerably smaller than your SOC boar.

If we're going all the way up to $65, I'd say the Simpson's Colonel X2L is worth a look. It's about $65, and definitely a great brush...Simpson's Best hair is one of my absolute favorites (perfect softness-to-scrub balance), not too dense but not too sparse, short-ish loft so good with soaps, and an absolutely lovely handle. Got one when I was pretty new to shaving, and it's a valued part of my rotation to this day. But I'd call that a mid-range brush, not really a budget brush...I do agree, budget badgers are generally a pretty terrible investment.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

If we're going all the way up to $65, I'd say the Simpson's Colonel X2L is worth a look. It's about $65, and definitely a great brush...Simpson's Best hair is one of my absolute favorites (perfect softness-to-scrub balance), not too dense but not too sparse, short-ish loft so good with soaps, and an absolutely lovely handle. Got one when I was pretty new to shaving, and it's a valued part of my rotation to this day. But I'd call that a mid-range brush, not really a budget brush...I do agree, budget badgers are generally a pretty terrible investment.

I'm curious. How do you define budget badgers?

I would agree that there are bad badgers and that some of the very cheap badgers are, well, worse than worthless perhaps.

However, I'm not sure where you'd put brushes like the Yaqi badgers and the Stirling badgers. To me, those are budget badgers, but they're also quite good brushes.

Going down a level from there I have a Vig Shaving badger which I bought on sale for something like $20 (maybe a little less). It's useable, but barely. On the other hand, I have an Art of Shaving badger which someone gave me. I know it cost a hundred dollars or more new, and it's about as good (or bad) as the Vig Shaving brush.

Do you think of the Yaqi and Stirling badgers as worthless? Do you think of them as budget brushes?

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[musicman1951]

I'm curious. How do you define budget badgers?

I would agree that there are bad badgers and that some of the very cheap badgers are, well, worse than worthless perhaps.

I think the problem for me is the concept of a "budget" badger. Synthetic knots of excellent quality are cheap, so you can get a really nice synthetic for not much money.

Boar knots are also pretty reasonable and you can get a great boar brush for under $30, and the top of the line (as far as I know) don't reach $100.

Badger hair, on the other hand, comes in a range of quality from delightful to please don't make me use that again. The great badgers are over $100, and in some cases considerably over.

While you might find a perfectly serviceable badger for $25, you can get a great boar for just a few dollars more. The cheapest badger I will recommend is $65. That doesn't mean you can't find one cheaper that will make you happy, just my experience to date.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I think the problem for me is the concept of a "budget" badger. Synthetic knots of excellent quality are cheap, so you can get a really nice synthetic for not much money.

Boar knots are also pretty reasonable and you can get a great boar brush for under $30, and the top of the line (as far as I know) don't reach $100.

Badger hair, on the other hand, comes in a range of quality from delightful to please don't make me use that again. The great badgers are over $100, and in some cases considerably over.

While you might find a perfectly serviceable badger for $25, you can get a great boar for just a few dollars more. The cheapest badger I will recommend is $65. That doesn't mean you can't find one cheaper that will make you happy, just my experience to date.

Assuming you've used the Yaqi two bands or silvertips, and the Stirling finest, and perhaps the Maseto badgers, all of which cost less than $65 (some, a lot less), why would you not recommend them?

I'm not saying you should recommend them. I'm just asking.

Obviously I find them both subjectively and objectively pleasing. I'm find if you don't but why not?

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[musicman1951]

Assuming you've used the Yaqi two bands or silvertips, and the Stirling finest, and perhaps the Maseto badgers, all of which cost less than $65 (some, a lot less), why would you not recommend them?

I'm not saying you should recommend them. I'm just asking.

Obviously I find them both subjectively and objectively pleasing. I'm find if you don't but why not?

Happy shaves,

Jim

I own less than 20 brushes, so there are a great many brushes I have not experienced - including the ones you listed. I seem to find that in the same price range synthetics and boars are higher quality.

But whatever makes you happy. I have a $195 badger that has never made me happy. Really high quality brush, but way too much backbore and scritch for my tastes.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I'm curious. How do you define budget badgers?

I would agree that there are bad badgers and that some of the very cheap badgers are, well, worse than worthless perhaps.

However, I'm not sure where you'd put brushes like the Yaqi badgers and the Stirling badgers. To me, those are budget badgers, but they're also quite good brushes.

View attachment 1065694

Going down a level from there I have a Vig Shaving badger which I bought on sale for something like $20 (maybe a little less). It's useable, but barely. On the other hand, I have an Art of Shaving badger which someone gave me. I know it cost a hundred dollars or more new, and it's about as good (or bad) as the Vig Shaving brush.

Do you think of the Yaqi and Stirling badgers as worthless? Do you think of them as budget brushes?

Happy shaves,

Jim

I've got both a Vig 24mm badger and a 20mm Yaqi Sagrada Familia. Both work fine, but they both require an excessive amount of lather just to load the brush to apply for a shave. I used the Vig yesterday & had more lather leftover than I generate with a favorite 19mm synthetic that easily covers 4 passes as needed.
I want to proclaim the Yaqi my favorite brush, but it takes more work and maintenance to produce the same excellent quality suds that one of my much cheaper synthetics does.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I own less than 20 brushes, so there are a great many brushes I have not experienced - including the ones you listed. I seem to find that in the same price range synthetics and boars are higher quality.

Yes, I agree.