Also a great recommendation. Jared @PickledNorthern, who is a real brush aficionado here, claims the Stirling Finest is the best value for money available in badger brushes. In fact, if I hadn't already been happy with my Maggards and Envy White badgers, I would have gotten the Stirling based on his say-so.
Here is my issue with badger brushes, I keep looking at the different grades and the more I look, the more confused I get. What someone calls a best badger isnt always the same as what another company would call a best badger. Is there an industry standard on what constitutes say a best badger, and a silver tip? Or is it left up to the ones that are either producing or selling the brush?
I think Patrick is right -- there is no industry standard and each maker seems to use their own terminology. If you look in the Brush forum, the stickied thread The Brush: Basic Information Everyone Should Know has a decent rundown on the various names, what they mean and how some manufacturers use them.
Heavy but not at all unpleasant. It doesn't last any longer after the shave than most of the Stirling scents, but it is definitely "in your face" during the shave. Very nice.
+1 You could spend more on a brush than what Stirling charges and not get one as good. They have excellent backbone, just enough scrub, yet are still soft on the face. No, they aren't as luxurious as a Thater - but you can buy three Stirling brushes for less than one Thater. Honestly, I would put the Stirling brushes pretty close to a Simpson Best Badger.
