I have found the perfect brush for me. My first brush, a Parker pure badger, came with a shaving set and is OK, but far from perfect. It is a fairly prickly brush. I went to my local CVS and picked up a VDH boar and liked it much better. The only problem with it is that it continues to shed even after a month of steady use. I could use this brush and be happy for the rest of my life if nothing else was available. However, since so many brushes are available, I went in search of "The" brush for me. I found it in the Vie-Long Horse Hair 12705. This brush has everything I want in a brush: Inexpensive ($18.98 including shipping from Gifts & Care in Spain) Custom knot height. Gifts & Care will set the knot at any height you specify. I had mine set at 50mm. This is a free service Soft tips. The tops of the bristles (hair) is very soft Great backbone. This brush has enough backbone so that it is not floppy, but not so much that it is stiff. Holds water. It holds plenty of water, but can easily be shaken out. It makes it easy to control the amount of water you are using when creating your lather. Comfortable handle. The handle is large enough that it is easy to hold on to even with wet hands. If you've been wanting to try a horse hair brush, you can't go wrong with this one. The only negative I can think of is that it had a wet hair smell for a couple of days. It wasn't that strong and didn't last long. It now has the pleasant scent of whatever shaving cream/soap I used last. I know that I have only tried a total of 3 brushes, but I really don't see the need to try any others. I'm very happy with this brush. Why continue looking when you've found "The One?"
Congrats. It's a nice looking brush. I've got a Vie Long 12603 and I like the looks of the 12705 better. You should try an Omega boar sometime though, before you write off the boar brushes, I consider it a much better boar than the VDH. They've got a different feel from horse and variety is the spice of life, it's the same reason every man should have 3 or 4 wives.
3 or 4 wives! I love my wife dearly, but 1 is enough! I'm sure I will eventually sample some other brushes, but for now I'm very satisfied. Although, I do like the looks of the Semogue boar brushes. Hmmm...maybe I'm spoke prematurely about having found the perfect brush. There are so many to try, but at least I've found a darn good one.
This post caught me off guard and BAD struck while I wasn't looking. My 12705 will be here next week. DAMMIT!
Congrats finding a brush that you really like. I used horse hair brushes years ago and loved them. Then they became hard to find until the internet was born. Sounds like it time for me to get another.
I agree, unless you get curious about something down the road. I'm still using the CVS VDH but I do plan to do some exploring. I'm intrigued by the horsehair brushes, too, so I appreciate the review.
Got my Vie-Long 12705 last week and promptly left town, so I haven't used it yet, but I did have time to unstink it (man was it stinky) and do a quick lathering test. I think this brush and I are going to get along great. Nice scrub to it from those thicker hairs and it builds a great lather. gotta grow some whiskers and give it a proper session. Nice brush, though. I had the loft on mine set at 52mm, which they got pretty close to...more like 50mm...but that's fine, I like some backbone.
Got in a shave with the 12705 this morning. What a great brush...it's got the perfect combination of backbone and scrub that I want in a brush. I'm not a huge fan of the handle; the rounded cube design is a little awkward for my long fingers. Just a matter of getting used to it. I went after a puck of MWF with it this morning and the thing immediately started digging up huge mounds of soap. The resulting shave left something to be desired, but I think that was more a result of the third class shave I got with some Colonel Conks bay rum on Sunday. That shave opened plenty of weepers and I guess they weren't completely healed when I went back over them this morning. I hate getting a crap shave these days. That's what I get for straying from the things I know work well for me. But I digress. I'm a fan of the horse...the 12705 in particular. A great brush for $20, and the customized loft option made it impossible to pass up. Glad I dove in...it's going to show up in my rotation a lot.
Great review! I'm glad you like it. I'm still enjoying mine almost daily. Every once in a while I use the boar.
Nice review! With so many very nice, quality-made brushes in the $18-$30 price range, I simply cannot see myself ever plunking down $150-$300 for a shaving brush. I am well aware that quality handmade goods do come at a price—and obviously there is a real market out there (watch how fast used Rooney brushes sell!)—so either I'm just too cheap, too frugal, practical, or simply have not acquired a taste for the 'finer' things. And I'm okay with that.
As an owner of one of those coveted vintage 20 year old "Rooney Finest" brushes, I can tell you that I use 99% of the time...a $20 boar brush.
