Hello, I searched through this category last night hoping to find a thread on this topic, but after 5-6 pages I gave up. So here's my question: what is a good brush (with a budget cap at $200) for someone who almost exclusively bowl lathers from shaving soaps (...shaving creams only once in a great while)? I have one of the original Savile Row badgers from QED [SR-104] and still like it, but it seems a bit small to me. I like the aesthetics of the Kent BLK8 handle, but worry that maybe it is a better cream brush??? I hate to invest only to discover that the brush doesn't subscribe to my purposes. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide! Edit: The Shavemac #177 Silver tip is also interesting...
I'm going to give you an option out fo left field ... A vulfix 2233 boar brush. This brush is different than the typical boar brush in a few ways that may appeal to you: -quality turned handle like the brushes you're discussing -the density of the loft is lower than typical boar brushes giving it a softer feel without losing backbone -the looser knot allow for much improved flow through and makes it very good for bowl lathering Biggest down side: It will take about three weeks to break-in and deliver top performance Biggest up side: It's under $30 for a brush that performs at a standard typical of much more expensive brushes. If you aren't interested and really want a very expensive brush, feel free to ignore me.
Hard to ignore advice that could save me $100... I don't mind a break-in period... Thanks for the info!
Any of the Rooney brushes work great for soaps. I personally use the 3, 1 Super. Quite a bargain for a top of the line badger brush. There is a slight break in period of about 50 uses, but it's soft the entire time. If you aren't interested and really want a very good brush don't ignore me.
I only use soaps from a bowl and a couple of sticks and only use badger brushes..... I have a Kent T8 in Best Badger for more than 12 years now and it has see a lot of soap Furthermore I use an Omega 639 in Silvertip, and two Semogue's: the 730HD and the 2015HD both in Silvertip and both great for soap lathering. If you look carefully, you can buy all these brushes for the $200 you have to spend. Although the Kent T8 is no longer available, there are very nice Kent brushes as an alternative :happy088 Good luck!!
The truth have been written.Boar performs better with hard soaps than any badger(even the stiffer ones).The Vulfix 2233 is a GREAT option!Other are the Semogue 1520,1305/1800 and the Omegas.With 200 bucks you can buy a lot of boar brushes but with 3 is more than enough( at least for now....)
My favorite badger, with soap, is my pre-Vulfix Chubby 2 in Best. I also had a Rooney Stubby 2 that I gave away to a friend, that was also great with soap. If I were to gave you advice on badger today, I'd buy the Stubby vs. the Simfix made Chubby. Like the others, though, I would advise you to at least try a boar first, you may find it quite to your liking. My 2 favorites are the Semogue 2000 and the Omega 31064, but I like a big brush, and they are both in the 27mm knot range, but magnificent. I also very much like the Omega Capodimonte in large, also known as the 13639.
Hmmmm Yes. Much to think about. I have owned 2 boar brushes, but I can't remember the first (a Vulfix some 30 years ago) and the second was no good (a Body Shop brand brush that I replaced with the cheap Savile Row badger--a brush that performed much better than the Body Shop boar). The way I see it, a $30 boar brush is a gamble I can afford to take...
If you opt for a badger brush, I would suggest one with a shorter loft. The shorter loft is a benefit when loading the soap into the brush. Some choices would be a Rooney 1/1, 1/2 or 3/1. I recently picked up a Simpson two-band Persian Jar 2. It has worked very well with soaps as well. Some other choices would be a Rooney Stubby or Simpson Chubby.
I have a Plisson #10 in pure black badger.....it performs great with soaps, I use it often with MWF an plisson soap
I'm currently using the Shavemac 177 (finest badger) and I like it very much. Compared to my previous brushes, most recently a Vulfix 404 in their pure badger (the Grosvenor also comes in super badger and a badger/boar blend), the 177 is very sweet. I've never owned a silver tip, but this brush feels very good on the face and easily produces abundant lather. I think West Coast Shaving has the 177 in both finest and silver tip well below your spending cap (not plugging WCS, but they have the Shavemacs at very good prices).
http://www.vintagebladesllc.com/vshop/xcart/product.php?productid=484&cat=156&page=1 Best brush I ever owned for the price and works like a dream with soaps.
