I know there are various grades of hair used in brushes, but is there a difference between brushes made by different companies (assuming they use the same grade of hair). I mean, is one brush floppy, stiffer, scratchy, ect compared to its equivalent by a different manufacturer? PS. What is the common consensus on omega boar brushes? Thanks
And the answer is...................................yes. Tell us a type of brush you are looking for and we may help you find it. Also take a look at the review section for some good info. I have an omega boar and like it a lot. http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=532
Basically I was just wondering what the difference between a vulfix pure badger and a simpsons pure badger and a rooney pure badger and a shave mac and an omega ect.... If they are all using the same grade of badger hair then why would it matter which one you get....they are all the same grade. But I know its not that simple so I was just wondering if someone(s) could quickly mention the differences between their comparable brushes. (Im assuming people have more than one)
Heck, I'm using a Van Der Hagen boar brush and it is as full and firm, yet smooth as I could have imagined early on. It builds a great fast long lasting lather ... all for under $6! It blew about 15-18 hairs early but hasn't dropped a single one in the last few weeks. It dries out full and well rounded. I've heard tons about badgers, but will they bring me twice the performance for at least twice the price (lowest end)? I doubt it. But maybe I don't know.
Oh my. I'm not even sure where to start! Density? Loft? Knot size? Hair grading differences? All of these make a difference when it comes to the feel and performance of a brush. As far as I know, there is no Vulfix made that feels remotely like a Simpson or a Rooney.
Ya I know its kinda a bit question but to keep it simple I was wondering about differences between comparable brushes such as the same hair grade, size, ect. For example: if you have a small rooney pure badger and a small vulfix pure badger. They both have the same grade of hair, yet they are different. I like my omega boar but Im interested in a badger. But if the companies use the same grade of hair they should all be the same and any ole one should do. But like I said I know its not that simple.
Okay, book a date and time and I'll tune in. Hey, everyone! Michael's going to do a podcast one the pros and cons of badger brushes!!
It's not so simple usually. Most of the brush companies call the badger hair types different things. Someone help me out with an example here, please?
D'oh! Ok, I'll bite - and probably regret it, but here goes. There are some who will say Badger hair grades are most certainly guageable and graded, others will say that bristle color, number of bands, firmness, softness, etc are subjective at best and that no real definative grading system has ever been agreed upon... No definative criteria has been yet agreed upon, that may be the one point upon which most will agree. The grades Ive bought run all the way from Pure, Best, Super and Finest to High Mountain White. One manufacturer's super may be equivalent to another manufacturer's finest, but only when Jupiter aligns with Mars in the 3rd phase of the lunar eclipse...ok, I might be exagerating, but seriously, there is no real answer (that Ive been able to determine) regarding bristle grades. Some pure badger grades certainly feel nicer than others, some are downright boar-like, which is to say scritchy, at best. I hope this has been informative, if not humorous (which was my primary intention) and... Good luck. Dave
There's no uniformity of badger grades. There's no industry standard. Each company is free to call their badger hair whatever they want. One company's pure badger may be of higher quality than another's. Pure badger comes from different parts of the animal, from the tail to the belly to the shoulder. Not all areas have the same sort of hair. Brushes are made with different densities of hair and different lengths of hair. Cheap badger brushes are trimmed to a uniform length while quality brushes are handmade and shaped so that the tips remain natural, thus softer. See this page (but don't believe everything you read on that site). While most badger brushes are fairly soft I have two, one in best, that are stiff and scratchy and I have one boar that's softer than any badger brush I've ever seen. Richard
...and then there's the European badger, the Chinese badger, the American badger and maybe a badger in between - different beasts all the way. But: While there are differences, any high-quality brush will perform just well
