Just wondering when people deem it necessary to upgrade their entry level badger brush to something more serious and exotic. I've been using my standard Art of Shaving brush that came with my kit for a few years now and am wondering what to go to next. Any ideas?...
when? I've found the brush I like and I don't see myself upgrading or changing unless it breaks. And it's a Pure Badger by C&E. Before that I owned a boar brush that was a shedder. So the answer to your question is I won't as long as my current brush lasts.
I don't see getting a new brush as upgrading, I see it more as adding to my collection Besides, my "Entry" level pure badger performs better than most of my other brushes any way.
Hey you know what, I'm going to try a boar brush 1oldGI. Still will get that TI blonde horn badger I've been looking at though.
I tell you what, I gave my dad my ever-ready boar and that is an awesome brush. I heard they are crap but mine is pure awesome other than it sheds at least one hair every shave. Other than that its perfect. Because of that brush I will always have a fondness for boar and look to adding a Semoque boar to my collection at some point or maybe make a custom from one of the Penworks knots.
I got rolling on the SBAD train pretty quick. I went from Saville Row Pure to a C&E Best, and finally a Silvertip in about a 3 month period. The time is whenever you feel like it.
I have an Ever Ready boar that I'm planning to re-knot soon. I picked it up at an antique store and really dug it but the shed factor was ghastly (I was losing 25-30 hairs per shave) With a new knot, I'm sure it will be the sickest though. Semogue boar brushes rock too, ditto Omega boar.
I guess when you fancy upgrading. That and when you see a good deal on one you like the look of. That's what tipped it for me.
I got my first badger a C&E BBB two years ago. Then about a year later I had an old Ever Ready boar brush reknotted with a Silvertip Badger knot. The truth be told I could still be using the C&E BBB exclusively but I was bitten by the disease labeled SBAD. Now have several vintage boar brushes and will be soon getting a couple more vintage boars reknotted into Silvertip Badger and possibly a newer boar knot. There is no need other than SBAD to move up in quality unless you are not satisfied with the entry level badger you have now.
There's a NOS Ever-Ready sitting on a shelf at a local drugstore. The fact that it's not sitting on a shelf in my bathroom keeps me up at night. Soon enough...
As to the what to get next, along with the boar suggestions, I'd suggest thinking about what you do or don't like about the AoS brush. Is it too big/small or too soft/scratchy? Is the handle too big or too small? Go from there. Also, consider your budget. I'll suggest two very popular brushes that provide different feels: First, the Rooney 3/1 in super hair, which has a shorter, denser loft, but remains plenty soft. It's often considered more of a soap brush, but most of us find it works well with creams, too. Second, the Shavemac 23mm in silvertip, which has a somewhat larger loft that's not quite as dense, but is still "dense enough", and is decadently soft. It's often considered more of a cream brush, but again, many of us find it works very well with soaps, too. Why these two? Other than being terrific brushes that many (many) of us own, they also introduce you to two main "branches" of brushes-- shorter/denser/soap and larger/not as dense/cream lofts--while not restricting you in the sense that the perceived "soap" brush also works just fine with creams and vice versa. Good luck!
I don't quite "get" the really expensive brushes, and probably never will, since I'll probably never buy one. I did splurge on one Penworks Silvertip, although even that was on sale for under $40. The thing is, if I can build a good lather without too much work, if the brush feels good on my face, and if it's not losing hair, then it's not clear what is more "serious" about a more expensive brush. It was fun to do reknots on two old EverReady handles, but the end result is two brushes that are about as good as my Tweezerman, and actually cost me more. And I've tried inexpensive boar, badger, and synthetic brushes just because I wanted to see what they were all like. They all work for me.
