Silvertip vs. Best Badger

Discussion in 'The Brush' started by ryan0626, May 14, 2009.

  1. ryan0626

    ryan0626 New Member

    Hey everyone.

    Currently I am using a Rooney 3/1 Best, and was wondering if all the hype for silvertip was really justified. What are your thoughts? Is silvertip really that much better, more comfortable, etc. ?
     
  2. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    It's not so much about hype as comfort. Silvertip is much softer, so it doesn't feel as scratchy. It is not going to give a better lather. For me, the bigger issue is floppiness versus stiff. For soaps, I like a brush with a firm backbone, better for scrubbing a soap, whereas I like a softer brush for creams. If you like the softness of the Rooney best, there is no need for silvertip. If you want something softer, less scratchy, then get a silvertip. It isn't really an issue of quality. You can get a great lather whether using pure, best, super, or high mountain white, or even just using a boar brush. It is all about how scratchy you want it, or, for some people, what you want it to look like.
     
  3. Teiste

    Teiste New Member

    also it depends what you call "silvertip" and "super badger".I found some silvertips with more backbone than some super badger and some super badger much floppier than silvertips.I myself prefers a brush with backbone even If Im using creams so finest badger and super badger are fine with me most of the time.Best badger its nice too,has backbone,not floppy at all and cheaper than super and silvertip.
     
  4. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    There is also brand to brand diversity. I have a Rooney 1/2 in super silvertip that is just about the firmest brush I have ever used. But the Simpsons best grade brushes also have a ton of backbone. Vulfix brushes tend to be a little more on the floppy side. Also, taller lofts tend to be floppier than shorter lofts, in general.

    And yes, there is no standard grading system for badger hair - everybody has their own system. One company may just have pure, best, and super, while another can have multiple grades of silvertip. Does this mean that they all have their own special breeds of badger that they use? No, they just all grade them differently - my theory is so that they can charge more. How much more expensive do you think they can make "high mountain white" than simply silvertip?
     
  5. Teiste

    Teiste New Member

    a big yes about your theory.Plissons are gorgeous brushes but to label a brush "high mountain white badger" is not an excuse to charge you like 200 dollars extra for a brush.Other makers used to do the same with the "manchurian badger" denomination.
     
  6. ryan0626

    ryan0626 New Member

    I was thinking about getting a silvertip brush. As far as price and quality is concerned, does anyone have any specific recommendations? I heard that Shavemac was a great way to go.
     
  7. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    My recommendation:
    A QEDSelect brush. Read my review here: http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10274
    These are ridiculously inexpensive for the quality you get. Mine is great. There is a link to a post in the review that gives information on the different kinds and prices. They aren't listed on the QED site, and you'd have to email Charles to ask about availability.

    Also, his Saville Row brushes also get rave reviews.
     
  8. Teiste

    Teiste New Member

    What do you usually use,creams,hard soaps,both? The Shavemac 177 is a good option.I have a Kent BK8 and performs great.Also I used to have an Omega one and it was great with creams but not for face lathering or hard soaps. I havent tried Rooney but for some friends recommendations from another forum the 1/1 is a really good brush for the price and performs good with both creams and soaps.
    EJ ones are really floppy(as my Omega was) and I wouldn't go for those ones in the case that you use soaps.
     
  9. Mr. Igg

    Mr. Igg New Member

    Good advice here. My one input in terms of helping you fall off the fence in one of these directions is that Shavemacs are on sale right now from some vendors (check Vintage Blades and West Coast Shaving) at a really compelling price. (Oh, and if you pick any of these, you'll be happy. I've used several and love them all, and the reputations of the others are incredibly solid.)
     
  10. ryan0626

    ryan0626 New Member

    I've been cycling between MWF, Tabac, TOBS SC, and Proraso soap.

    Those Shavemacs at west coast look awesome! I also looked at the QED's as well, and those also look good. Decisions, decisions.



    Edit: The 177 looks great at 44% off! Sold!
     
  11. Teiste

    Teiste New Member

    Ok,most of them are hard soaps,so you dont need a "floppy" brush.The Shavemac in silvertip or finest and the Rooney will do a great work and also check what Mike told you about the QED.
    The Kent BK8,as well as other models, you can find it in auravita.com.
    Good luck finding one man!
     
  12. Mr. Igg

    Mr. Igg New Member

    Yeah...that's what I mean...compelling! And, it really is a great brush at full price; this sale just makes it almost impossible to pass up. The other brushes will be there when you get the urge to buy again. Enjoy!!
     
  13. ryan0626

    ryan0626 New Member

    Thanks for pointing this out to me! I would have never found it otherwise. I'll be sure to let everyone know how it goes.
     
  14. rbaloha

    rbaloha Member

    The $21 silvertip from virtual village on ebay is a wonderful brush. Holds lather well but is floppy. Sure feels nice on the face.
     
  15. Teiste

    Teiste New Member

    How does it works for you man?is it good with soaps?I was thinking in getting one of those as my travel brush.
     
  16. boyextraordinare

    boyextraordinare New Member

    Super I've found to be too floppy and I consequently not worth the price.

    My C&E Best is my favorite brush, yet I really like BBB and my Omega boar.

    I just sold my Bigelow Super, useless to me.

    Now if Super and Silvertip differ, like someone's suggested here - I thought they were the same - then I guess you'll be in luck DJ ;)
     
  17. Dr. Mike

    Dr. Mike New Member

    Thanks to the brush companies insisting on each having their own designation for hair grades, this is a difficult thing to give a yes/no answer to.

    I don't know about other super grades for other companies, but I have a Rooney 1/2 in super, and it is the absolute LEAST floppy brush I have ever used. I ordered it from Vintage Blades, and had Jim select one that had a good backbone for picking up soap exceptionally well. This thing is about the furthest from floppy that I have used. In contrast, I had a Vulfix 660 from Lee's Razors in pure badger that was floppy as can be, and yet it was also excellent in picking up soap. Yes, in and of itself, the silvertip hairs are likely to be more floppy than a coarser hair. However, a large part of floppiness - at least as far as I can tell - has to do with how densely the hair is packed, and how tall the loft is.

    Personally, I would disassociate floppiness from the grades of hair. Pick a grade of hair based on how scratchy you want your brush to be. Once you have decided on that, then you can find a brush however floppy/unfloppy you want. If, for example, you wanted the finest quality silvertip that a company had to offer, but you wanted it to have absolutely no floppiness, then you could go for something like a Simpsons Chubby in their finest silvertip. Regardless of what hair you put in that brush, they pack it so full that it is not going to be floppy. (I am assuming, I haven't tried a Simpsons since it was bought by Vulfix, and so I don't know if they continue to make their brushes as dense as they did before).
     
  18. rbaloha

    rbaloha Member


    Would not recommend for soaps.
     
  19. Teiste

    Teiste New Member

    Thanks man!I will get another brush then.I really like soaps so I need kind of a firm brush for them.
     
  20. boyextraordinare

    boyextraordinare New Member

    The two Supers I've had have just been unnecessarily expensive and less effective than my tougher brushes.
     

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