Ok, so I have been using a brush for only a couple of months now. I have a VDH brush and one I found in an antique shop. I have learned a little bit about what I want from them. Small handle, small knot, short loft, and dense. Looks like a Rooney 1/1 would fit the bill. Are their any others that I should consider and what grade of hair should I look at getting? I am kinda poor and will have to save up for awhile, but I like to have a defined goal. It keeps me motivated.
I think I've heard the motto, "get the best grade of badger you can afford". I'm happy with my Vulfix badger(about $40) and my Semogue boar(about $25). I bought the Semogue after all the great praise these brushes get and they are fairly inexpensive. I'd recommend paging through the Brush Reviews.
+1 on that :happy088 In my opinion all the great brushes in all the variations have been discussed here, and trust me............ There are a lot of great brushes You can't be fooled by an Omega or a Semogue, if you want a fairly inexpensive brush. They have very good Boar models and the Badgers are a true pleasure!! If there is more money to spend, or more to ask from Santa, then there is the price range up to $500 or more for a Plisson. You might also want to check out Kimson brushes! They are absolutely beautiful, for decent prices :happy088 http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9930&highlight=Kimson http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8762&highlight=Kimson http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15045&highlight=Kimson But to make a long story even longer............... If you stay away from the really cheap knock-off brushes and get a decent or better Boar or Badger, you won't get fooled. But don't get tempted to go over the top, because in my opinion a brush for $200+ doesn't give you more pleasure in shaving than an $80 brush........ Only less budget for other shaving goodies :happy102
I'd say check out Penworks for some great brushes at excellent prices. I have a 22mm silver tip that was a steal compared to big names. I really love how she works and feels on the face.... see www.penworks.us and click on shaving brushes and penworks brushs for best deals.
Heh... well, having actually owned a '72 Pinto I'm not so sure that the maintenance time required to keep it in tune was worth all the headache! But that being said, I just received a couple Omegas today to gradually upscale my brush complement from the initial Synthetic Badger I got last year. The Mighty Midget and a 31020 were the new adoptions and I am definitely looking forward to using 'em. But come on guys... just what is it about the Semogues that makes 'you want to slip into the driving gloves and don the scarf??
I, too, prefer a small brush. I've used a Vulfix 374 in Super for the past couple of years and it's a very fine brush. I recently purchased a Rooney 1/1 and, frankly, I like the Vulfix better for face lathering. Both are excellent brushes.