Favorite Brushes and Why...

Discussion in 'The Brush' started by Skinny Rogers, Feb 28, 2016.

  1. Skinny Rogers

    Skinny Rogers Well-Known Member

    Hello all!

    Anyone who knows me knows that brushes r my weakness.

    This does have a downside tho.

    I'm extremely picky about the characteristics of the brushes I use. If the knot doesn't agree with me we have to part ways. No matter the beauty in the handle. Many a great brush have been thru my fingers.

    Now I'd love to see what everyone loves. Tell us about the why as well and the preferences u have with y'alls faces. We r all diff and like diff things.

    Maybe this thread can help fellow shavers in the quest to find other brushes.

    Please don't limit this to one brush. Collections r encouraged. I love all things brushes .

    Hair type doesn't matter.

    All r welcome!

    Pics r highly encouraged!
     
  2. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    My modest collection. I haven't been hit with an acquisition disorder when it comes to shave brushes.
    I love the different textures on my face. Missing from this picture is a particularly scritchy pure badger that was a gift from my son.
    The only brush type I have yet to try is horse hair.

    IMG_4861.jpg
     
  3. Skinny Rogers

    Skinny Rogers Well-Known Member

    Oh my the 2 band Chubbys!

    That's a great collection u have there!

    Any one stand out over the others?
     
    Robyflexx likes this.
  4. theFAT98

    theFAT98 Well-Known Member

    Im a boar guy. these are my favorites.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    And my favorite synthetic. Wolf whiskers brush with a plisson type knot.
     
    Halvor, MoAllen, alfredus and 8 others like this.
  5. Skinny Rogers

    Skinny Rogers Well-Known Member

    Very nice lineup!

    I love the B&B boars.

    Peter makes incredible handles! That's a beauty!
     
  6. RaZorBurn123

    RaZorBurn123 waiting hardily...............

    Brushes are like moods, they change.

    I'm a big synthetic fan! Ready right out of the box, fast drying, inexpensive, holds plenty of lather.
    image.jpg
    Boar brushes once broken in are as good as a great quality badger. For a fraction of the price.
    image.jpg

    Silvertip..what's not to like.
    image.jpg
     
    brit, BigMark83, Halvor and 10 others like this.
  7. ARGH

    ARGH Well-Known Member

    I am a pillowy soft tip badger brush guy. I like my Kents. I really like my Vulfix 377 in silver tip. All that said I also enjoy Simpson chubby's in super and Simpson polo. 2 bands tend to be prickly but two that I keep in rotation are a Shavemac fan shaped 24mm with 52 loft and a Brad Sears beehive that is not extremely packed.

    I love a beautifully turned handle but the knot is what counts and any scritch has to go.

    I have gone through 50ish brushes to get to 12 that see regular use. I have 2 I need to part with.
     
  8. Primotenore

    Primotenore missed opera tunity

    Article Team
    Thank you.
    The CH1 Super is the softest.
    The CH2 SiLVERTiP is my favorite knot size.
    The CH2 Synthetic produces the best lather.
    The SOC Boar handle is the most ergonomic.
    The CH3 is pure decadence.
    The M6 is too small.
    The BC Mistura is a tough little brush.
    The Wee Scot is too cute and hardly gets any use.
     
  9. JR Reyes

    JR Reyes I scream for....chicken wings??

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Here is a group shot of my favorite 5 brushes.

    I decided that I would no longer add brushes to my collection that didn't meet my criteria...

    1.) Hand-Made
    2.) Hand-Restored

    The only exception would be a brush that was PiF'd, Gifted, or traded with a good friend.

    I've found that I enjoy the larger synthetic knots (26mm), and that I prefer 24mm with Badger knots. I'm a sucker for the barber shape handles that feel great in the hand.

    I'm in the process of working on 2 boar hair restores, one will be a smaller 22mm and the other a larger 27mm, so they will help me determine which size of boar knot I prefer.

    Great thread idea Lance.
     
    Last edited: Feb 29, 2016
    MoAllen, GatorJoe, Boojum1 and 9 others like this.
  10. gwsmallwood

    gwsmallwood Well-Known Member

    My Stirling 26mm is my favorite right now. For the knot, not the handle. I actually prefer smaller handles, and I like the gourd and eagle type shapes rather than the vase-like or chubby style handles. I really wish the two Red handles from Vie Long came with fauxmere style synthetic knots. I've never held one, but based on the pictures, the 12705 and 13061 handles look perfect for me.

    I'm on sabbatical this year, but I think I'm going to save up for my first custom job next year now that I know what I like. I've already shared a couple of emails with Nathan Clark, so he's the most likely vendor at this point. I'm looking for a 26 or 28mm fauxmere style knot in a handle like the Vie Long 13061. Nathan did a similar handle for Marty Pape that he called the Slimer.
     
    MoAllen and Boojum1 like this.
  11. PaPa K

    PaPa K Active Member

    Just getting started here again after putting down the brush some years ago...I have an old badger in an acrylic handle (Made Rite #62?) I have had for years and it seems ok, but have nothing to compare it to. I travel so I ordered a Wee Scot and Plissoft to compare for travel. Watching here to see if I might "need" another full brush (or 3 ;)) to compare to my old one.
     
    Last edited: Feb 29, 2016
    Boojum1, 178-bplatoon and Robyflexx like this.
  12. Skinny Rogers

    Skinny Rogers Well-Known Member

    Incredible and beautiful brushes here guys.

    Thanks for sharing why u like them as well.
     
    Robyflexx likes this.
  13. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    I have an undecided toss up on my synthetics. One is a 24 mm Amack in a Manhandled Woods handle, the other is an Ubersoft II in another Manhandled Woods.

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1456807483.792468.jpg ImageUploadedByTapatalk1456807529.930545.jpg
     
  14. ironthinker

    ironthinker Well-Known Member

    I have a decent badger from China and boar from Turkey, and just received my first synthetic, {it goes into service tomorrow}. But the one I love is a Vie-Long 13710 Horse Hair Shaving Brush - Red Handle 50% mane, 50% tail. I love it so much I ordered a second one as a backup .
    I think the reason horse hair brushes are not popular is most have no backbone. I have two other horse brushes that I tried and will now sell on Ebay, because of no backbone. If you want try a horse see if you can find the stock number above, or order from someone like Maggards who know the merchandise they are selling, and ask for backbone.
     
    Primotenore and Boojum1 like this.
  15. Spyder

    Spyder Well-Known Member

    Dude! Not to hijack the thread, but I just gotta get a look at that razor stand:)
     
  16. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    Honestly, every single razor on that rack was den clearance sold. (Except a Shavecraft 102 that I bought used with bunged up threads and wouldn't sell.) I am down to just the three razors that give me perfect shaves, and a couple of Shavecrafts for travel.

    I am becoming a minimalist. :)

    Except for brushes. They are the best part.
     
  17. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I figure I've stayed out of this thread long enough. I have three favorite brushes.

    The first, is my New Forest High Mountain 2001. For me, it has the perfect level of scritch, perfect size, perfect loft, good backbone, and good flow through. Handle shape is perfect.
    The only thing I don't like about it, is that I didn't order more. It was £15 shipped, ($23 USD).
    [​IMG]
    The next brush is a one-of-a-kind Vintage Rooney.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    You can read more about it here:
    http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/the-rarest-rooney-of-them-all.47020/
    The third and last brush is a vintage Simpson's Wee Scot, known as a Nano Scot. Current Wee Scot brushes are much bigger than they used to be.
    [​IMG]
    Here's a picture of mine next to the 'Kong.' To be honest, it's fairly useless, and I'll sell it one of these days. That being said, if I had never purchased it, I wouldn't have been inspired to learn as much about these 'wee' brushes (and small brushes in general) as I have. Read more about them here:
    http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/the-many-sizes-of-simpsons-the-wee-scot.46333/

    I don't collect brushes like I once did, because, frankly, I've found my perfect brush. The search is ended...but...if anyone has a spare New Forest 2001, I wouldn't mind having another one.
     
    brit, barbersurgeon, Halvor and 10 others like this.
  18. PickledNorthern

    PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

    Great post!
     
    PLANofMAN likes this.
  19. Skinny Rogers

    Skinny Rogers Well-Known Member

    Thank u all for sharing!

    Keep it up!

    Whole collections welcome!
     
    Robyflexx likes this.
  20. ObiDon

    ObiDon member in questionable standing

    image.jpeg I really love vintage brushes, and have a few with the original knots an I use all of them in no particular order.
    Erskine Badger 1947 Birth Year
    Fuller Amber Badger 1920s -1940s
    Vintage 1940s Badger
    Vintage Ever-Ready 675 badger
    They work fine, but I really just like all of the history that goes with them. I have 2 Syntheric brushes and I got them because they were inexpensive and I wanted to try them.
    Stirling Synthetic 26/63 2015
    Maggard Synthetic 24/57 2016
    They work well and you don't have to fuss over them too much. But my favorite brushes are my Silvertips.
    Rubberset 400 #3 WD 24/50 Silvertip (Jedi Lightsaber)
    Jerusalem Olive Wood/WD Silvertip 24/48 by ObiDon 2015e
    Whipped Dog 30/45 Silvertip 2014
    The WD 30/45 was my first Silvertip and I talked to Larry about how I wanted it. Being set deep make this huge knot both soft with great backbone, and I like soft. I liked this one so much that I used them in the others. I had fun restoring them with help from folks here, and they work great.
     
    MoAllen, alfredus, GatorJoe and 6 others like this.

Share This Page