Well, I've been using the boar brush that comes with the Van Der Hagen set (the cheaper one with bowl) and I've decided I'd like to at least try another one. I was wondering what others would recommend? I am very willing to try anything, including synthetics, but don't want to go overboard with the crazy expensive ones that are over $100 or something (I bet they are nice, but just not in the cards). Any recommendations that I should research?
I really enjoy my semogue 620 and 830 both are great brushes, but i would recommend any of the semogue brushes if you want a boar. The semogue owners club boar brush it highly recommend. The Semogue owners club is around $45 and i would also recommend looking at whipped dog brushes for badger brushes they are a great value. You could get the Semogue owners club and a whipped dog together for around $65-80 shipped depending on which brush you pick.
I have a Whipped Dog Badger brush that cost about $20 including shipping. I got a Semogue 830 for $25 including shipping.
I started off with a Burma Shave boar and worked my way through the gamut and am realizing that boar is my preferred brush material. I recently got the Semogue Owners Club boar brush. It is a beautiful thing. I highly recommend it. If you don't want to shell out the extra cash for the extra mm in size and the premium bristles, you can have a standard Semogue (which I'm confident they are great too) for about half of the SOC. If you don't mind a few week's wait, vintagescent.com is the cheapest on the net and is where I got mine. Really though, no matter what you choose, you're gonna be floored by the difference over your VDH brush, so choose whatever you wish with confidence. Make sure you let us know which direction you took.
There are some really fine best badger brushes from Frank Shaving that will come in at around $30. Frank's Shaving brushes are an amazing value.
This fan-shaped finest badger brush from Frank Shaving is an absolute gem. I love mine, and it is great at everything! Love it!! I really think you would be hard pressed to find a better badger brush for less money. Oh, and welcome to the SBAD club!!
If you want to customize, at a reasonable price, go to TheGoldenNib.com. You can pick the handle & knot you like.
Semogue Brushes for any of your boar needs. Franks Shaving brushes for badger on a budget. I'm VERY quickly becoming a Semogue fanboy. Loving it too.
I have many recommendations in affordable brushes. Frank's in finest, Semogue, Omega boar ( my favorite is the Mighty Midget) , Vie Long in Natural Brown, or any brush with the name Simpson's on it will be sure to impress. AS for Synthetic HIS is the tops but the Franks Synth is very good and well worth the 12 bucks.
Well, I picked a brush out. I found an Omega Synthetic that is made in Italy for $12 with a stand. I was iffy about it, but it had good reviews and I'm into synthetics if I can. Here is a picture of some lather with it: It's actually difficult to see the lather build up because the bristles are white, but WOW. This thing works SO good. The stand is a basic acrylic or something, but it's a very nice thing to have. The handle is a plastic handle or something, but it is a see-through emerald green (my favorite color). It may not be a badger with silver tips, but this thing is seriously awesome. I'm still kind of new to this, but it made more than enough lather from my Van Der Hagen soap. How does it compare to their boar? I am going from memory, but this thing seems like it makes lather much quicker and thicker. One review on Amazon.com said the lather explodes. Here is the brush: http://www.omegabrush.com/english/dabarba/oggetto.php?id=125 Would I recommend it for you guys? Definitely, but if you have a high-end badger this would probably be a good brush for travel. I like it!
Semogue are the best (IMO) and you'll get amazing service from both Vintage scent and the Semogue company if you have any issues! I don't own one anymore, but if I were to get a boar again, it would be a Semogue.
Thanks guys! It's definitely a keeper! My VDH boar isn't too bad, though, so I may break that one out every once in awhile, too
I only use two, a Simpson Colonel in best badger (gift from my parent last Christmas), and a Colonel in Manchurian badger (custom ordered from my wife for my birthday in March). They're soft, amazing backbone that rivals any boar, and they lather anything from Proraso to MWF with no problem. I may have a 3rd up and running too. I found a Simpson-made Coates EJ3 that Mark (Watterson) said he'd restore and reknot for me, and my parents want to do it for me for a Christmas gift (it's more like constant pressure). I also have a Penworks 24mm (my first brush) and a little orange guy, my only successful re-knot. These two just sit in the back of my little cabinet. I don't use them. It seems brushes are the only thing I don't have many of. I have too many razors, a bunch of blades (from trying out different ones) and more soaps than I can handle.