Ok, now I've tried a softer brush... It's a Parker, but I'm not sure what kind. The store did not have the box, and so gave me a generous discount (I think) because the brush is very soft two-toned. It could be a synthetic, or another kind of badger. It did not have a smell to it, and it has a fake ivory handle. The logo is already rubbing off a bit after one use. Either way, it was very different from the old VDH I had been using, in a good way. It felt very nice on my face, and made very good lather with my new Tabac soap. I understand that Tabac lathers easily, so it may not mean much here. I was skeptical about how much difference a brush could make, I'm still not sure... I'll reevaluate in the coming weeks.
I just got a Parker badger brush - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RJC1HC/?tag=thshde-20 - really nice brush. It is much easier and faster to make lather in the mug, and it feels much softer on the face than my old $5 boar brush!
So far, it's working great for me - easier and more comfortable lathering. It has enough backbone for me to start making lather in my Tabac jar and transfer to my face. I really didn't think the brush mattered much before this, but the Parker feels and performs better than the boar brush I got with the $9 VDH kit.
Yeah the brush and blade matter more than the razor. The second or third generation synthetic brushes are nice. All the stiffness of a boar, combined with the softness of a badger. The only downside is that they don't stay warm through the whole shave. Top of the line boar brushes are much softer than the VdH brushes.
Parker Synthetic Bristle Shaving Brush – Review http://thecloseshave.com/parker/ I hope that will help.