We've had our salute to the Badger Brush. We've had our salute to the Boar Brush. Now, for our newest Theme Week, it is time to salute the Horse Hair Brush. Tell us what makes the horse hair brush so great and why we all should have one in our stall. Or tell us why we should just say, "Neigh", to horse hair! Either way, if ya got pics, please show 'em! And as always, remember... It's your shave. Enjoy it your way.
Well, I didn't think I'd ever use this again. I had to dig it out from way back in the closet. It is that 2 dollar Turkish one. I never did get on with it too well, but I'll give it a try for a few days. I have nothing against horse hair, and I'd like to try one of those Vie-Longs, but this thing just feels cheap. (The middle one) I'll start Tuesday, because there is no way I'm dragging this to the gym tomorrow.
Nice to see A salute to the Horse... I own several #6's from bestshave as well as a #7,also a couple of Vie-Longs...The horse to me at least does contain the best parts of both Boar and Bagger I.M.O. Good backbone with reasonably soft tips. If you've never tried a horse it is an experience all to its own and not a copy of either Boar,Bagger or Synthetic.... Another advantage to horse at least Vie-Long through GiftsandCare is a degree of customability.....I don't think you'll regret giving a horse a try, of course as with everything shaving YMMV!!
I started shaving using a horse hair brush and used them for years and loved them. Then started using boar and never went back. Brings back a lot of memories. I remember my father and I had the exact same brushes and had to scratch our initials in the handles so we wouldn't get them mixed up. I think after reading this I'll get me another.
Well, I forgot this morning, but tomorrow it's the Vie Long 12603 I've got this and a Bestshave #6, but I now doubt the #6 is horsehair. This brush hasn't been one of my favorites in the past, I guess this week is the time to give it a test and see how it does.
I love horsehair brushes! I was so sad when my dog ate my Vie Long...I have a couple of #6 brushes, so maybe I'll use one this week. I would feel so much better if I had another Vie Long to use in tribute of the horsehair brush because a Vie Long was my first nice shave brush. Hopefully this theme week will inspire some folks to hop up onto the horsehair bandwagon. This is my dream Vie Long...I really want it:
I love my horse hair. My Vie-Long sheds each and every use. Hate it. I wish there was another company to make a QUALITY horse. Still quite bitter about the whole thing.
I don't know that it would be considered a quality brush, but I've used a #6 Horse from bestshave for the past two years. It makes great lather and I haven't lost 10 hairs in that time..The knot on mine has been rehandled in resin...For $5 shipped it may be well worth a try for you....
Did you ever email Vie-Long and tell them about the brush losing so many hairs? It definately shouldn't be doing that? That sounds like a QC issue and you shouldn't have to tolerate a poorly made brush, especially considering how much they cost...How long have you owned the brush? I would definately email Vie-Long and let them know whats happening and ask for a refund or replacement. Worse they can do is say no......
So I won't be shaving at home for another few days yet, and I really like the mixed midget at the gym. I'm not going to let that stop me from playing with the Turkish horsehair though, so tonight I snuck away and did some lathering. I face lather, so that's what you see. I never get huge peaks of lather off my brush anyway, so mo difference there. I generally hold my mug sideways and load the brush for about twenty seconds. I dig in pretty hard. Then I paint back and forth on the face for about 30 seconds. I've never timed it, I just sort of go until it feels right. The times are guesses. If I'm using a cream, I put small dabs on my cheeks, chin and neck. With a cream I only need to lather for about 20 seconds. Creams (and sticks) are great at the gym because I can have lather ready on my face in about the same time as the guy next to me with his canned stuff. I didn't want to be shy about it, so I started with William's: Willy like HOT water, so there's some soaking going on. Not too bad, but could I shave with it? Sure. It's not great, but I'm out of practice with William's, so lets not blame the brush. Up next, Speick soap: Wicked. Something softer? Proraso white: Nice job, sometime Proraso comes out too dry for my tastes. Not today. How about a cream? RSCo menthol: Too easy (like 20 seconds). To be continued...
Next up was a shave stick. To challenge the brush, I grabbed Arko. I've never been able to get a good lather from Arko. Notice how wide the breach is. It's okay I guess. Glycerine soap? Got it covered. Here's so Col. Conk lime coming attcha: Very good. For my last act (face getting raw), I decided to see how well the brush would hold lather for my usual three passes. I lathered, rinsed, lathered, rinsed, and lathered again. The pictures you see are after the third lather. Not great, but I was kinda rushing by this point. Definitely usable lather. Okay, so the brush works, but it doesn't give me much pleasure. I don't like the lightweight handle with the crappy laquer, I don't like the way the breach won't close. Maybe if I used it enough to really break it in, I'd come to like it, but I have too many brushes as it is, so I think after this week it's going back to the back of the line. Here's a shot of my favourite brush making its feelings known. My face kinda hurts now. Post Script: After all that lathering, I was pretty raw, so I treated my self to a generous splash of Skin Bracer. That's right. Treated. To a 4 dollar aftershave after wasting a week's worth of soap. Well, I try to never let common sense get in the way of a good time. -Rob
Thanks for "torturing" yourself for the sake of the Den, Rob! Excellent demonstration of the horse in action.
I decided to change out my Vulfix 376S Super Badger for my #6 yesterday and was pleasantly reminded as to why I like it so much. Nice and stiff, but soft, easy to maneuver, with an old world charm. For an incredibly inexpensive brush the #6 delivers a lot of value. It may not be a Vie Long, but I like it. I understand that the three biggest complaints about the #6 are that the center opens when it lathers, it smells just awful and takes forever for the smell to die off, and it has some quality control issues. Well, the opening center does not bother me at all, the stench eventually dies off, and as I understand it the QC has improved...also, the brush is so low in cost that buying a few of them to insure that you get at least one good one shouldn't be too big of an issue (both of mine are well made with no QC issues, so either the QC has improved or I got really lucky).
I LOVE my #6!! I have several and all of them lather well. The only difference I've noticed between them is that some of the knots do seem less dense than the others...As for the void, I actually use it to my advantage.. I make my lather in a bowl,rather than using alot preasure on the bloom, I'll make alot of speedy/gentle rotations in my bowl in both directions and I can easily fill the void..I will rewhip my lather a bit for every pass and so I always start out with the bloom full of lather and voidless...What I've found is when I get the void filled and it doesn't open, the lather is perfect for application...... I hope this makes sense....
Well, yes I did tell them about the problem. I was told to contact the vender as they were not going to give any assistance. I was not impressed at all with the lack of concern, even in the manner in which they told me that they were not interested. I still use the brush when I travel with the thought that if it's going bald then there is no harm that will come of it. I get angry every time I use it and look at the sink. You'd think I'd get used to it.
Get used to it NOT AT ALL!!! Theres no reason for you a customer to be treated in that manner....I really think for the price you should give the #6 Horse from bestshave a try...Bestshave also has some QC problems, but for $5 shipped I still feel its a much better deal..Hell you could order 3 #6's for the price of one of the cheaper Vie-Long brushes...The only place the Vie-Longs are better I.M.O. is handles,they do have some really nice handles..I'll tell you this, I own two Vie-Longs and have used them side by side with my #6 and I find the #6 a better brush..YMMV
