Hello. I'm brand new to the forum and a future wet shaver. My introduction (and rest of the equipment that I want to get) is in the following post: My introduction post Quite frankly, I was not all that sure about the brush but want a good brush. I know that money isn’t everything that makes a good brush, but… I gave myself a limit of $100. Since I had been haunting Em’s Place, I chose the silver tip badger brush (#mnd-stl, first silver tip towards top of http://www.emsplace.com/shaving/badger_shaving_brushes.aspx) Overkill? Maybe, but I read in a post that if I truly don’t like it, then I will be able to trade it for a small loss. That sounds good to me. Any thoughts?
Well, I'm no expert but as I posted in your other thread I've been really pleased with a $20 Silver Tip I got from ebay. It's a DeLong and makes an incredible lather. Here's a picture:
C & E BBB is a great starter for $30 SHaveMac gets a lot of press too. Opinions vary like belly buttons. As long as your happy thats all that matters.
I think you'll do just fine with that brush. Many just want a brush to "do the job". Some get into all the nuances between different types of brushes. For example, after trying a half dozen brushes or so, I've come to the conclusion that I prefer a short lofted, stiff bristles brush under 24mm. To figure that out, you have to start somewhere and what you have there is as good a place as any. Enjoy Jordan
I'm not sure what that means. If you don't like the looks of it, you can return it to Emily for a full refund or exchange (well, I think you'll still have to pay shipping)...as long as it hasn't been used. Once you get it wet though, she won't take it back, even as an exchange, unless it's defective.
As long as you are on Em's Site you should take a look at the Boar and Badger brush...It is on the small side, but for $25 shipped can't be beat. It has the stiffness needed for the soaps you want to use, but the Badger hair gives it a nice feel on the face, and is my current go-to Soap brush. I think they are http://www.emsplace.com/shaving/boarbrushes.aspx about half way down the page on the left. The C&E BBB is a good brush, but not really for soaps as it is too floppy to generate a good lather quickly. There are also some Omega brushes that are fairly inexpensive that will do an excellent job with Soap. The best site for them is http://www.razorandbrush.com/barberiabrush.html. Giovani is a great guy to talk to and will steer you right to where you want in a brush. Shavemac is an EXCELLENT brush, (and my personal fave), good for Soaps and Creams. You can find a GREAT brush at Vintage Blades, and at $70 shipped you cannot go wrong. Shavemac is my personal favorite brush. All the people I recommended are GREAT to work with and are a pleasure to talk to, plus they really enjoy what they do, so that is a plus. Let me know what you decide to do...Brush choice is a VERY personal thing, and what one person loves another despises, so talk to people before you decide. Cheers, and good luck!
Don't know where you got your info Matt but the C&E BBB is a great all around brush. It make great lather with soaps by either face lathering (my preferred way of lathering with soap) or in a bowl. It is also great for making lather in a bowl or mug using creams. As for being floppy I don't know how a brush that is one of the smallest on the market and is just Best Badger can be called floppy. I know this is a fact because I use one and have been using it everyday since January. Also have a refurbished Ever Ready brush in Silvertip and while it is much softer and makes great lather from creams it does not to as well with soap. Not because it is floppy but because it is very dense and does not in my opinion gather up as much soap as the C&E BBB. Still I was able to make good lather but I had to reload the brush before each pass. So I will use my ER brush for creams and my C&E BBB when I use soap and sometimes when I use cream.
Well, looks like I'm starting out with a Semogue Silvertip Badger Brush courtesy of Rich. Thanks again Rich!
I agree with the C&E BBB. I know you will hear it alot but really a nice first brush. Small but very nice and easy to lather soaps and creams. Face lathers well or bowl. You can graduate from there and still keep the BBB around for traveling or some use it as their go to brush still. DO NOT GET A VDH boar brush. They are cheap but they suck!
I was looking to get a backup and they are sold out again. They were the last time they had a 20% off sale also. Most of the creams and soaps are unavailable as well. I wish they'd stock up before a sale like that.
My first brush has also been the CE BBB. I use a soap (Pirate Cove Lime) and haven't had any problems whipping up plenty of lather. I just make sure to prewet the puck for a minute or so before I take soap off of it, but I don't have any problems at all getting all the lather I need and more for my shave with that brush.
I recommend the $35 vulfix best badger from classic shaving. It has a 20mm knot and performs well with soaps and creams. I love the thing and dont see the need to spend any more money on a brush.
I've been using a Semogue Silvertip Badger Brush with Cella Crema Sapone Extra Extra Purissima. I'm really enjoying it. I can easily get lather (just playing around with different amounts of water) and the brush feels great. Admittedly, I haven't tried any other brushes, but I really enjoy this brush. I'm following Mantic's video for brush care to make sure this brush lasts a while.
