I haven't found the right badger brush yet...

[albsat]

Hello all,

During these last years of shaving, I have tried several brushes. The most reliable ones were my 3 boar brushes and 2 synthetic ones. By reliable I mean they were exactly as most described here.

I have tried 4 badger brushes and I do have them still. One was an Alpha silvertip, one is Yaqi moka, one is a 2 band manchurian from oumo and one is a finest vintage.

The most I enjoyed was the Yaqi which had a lovely scrub. However like all of them, apart the vintage one (which has a strong scritch) have lost their scrub after some usage. They take space in my den and I am not using any of them for many months.

I want to give another try but badger brushes are so unique and you never know. I don't know if I should go for a premium knot too.

Any tips? Get a specific badger brush or continue to rely on my mondial, zenith, omega boar brushes?

I love pleasant scrub and good backbone in a brush.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I have a few badgers I just love..... but most of them are on the expensive side. If I were you, I'd talk to Rudy Vey... PM him... Personally, I enjoy the two brushes of mine Rudy reknotted for me. He used the ShaveMac Two-Band Silvertips, one in 26mm, the other 28mm. I prefer the 28mm knot. I'd talk to him about handles you like or let him suggest something. He made me a Persian Jar handle for a 28mm Mozingo knot I bought and I just love it.

I know there are less expensive options out there.... but you asked for something special and Rudy can deliver just that, if you so choose.

Edit: I also have a Zenith 27.5mm Manchurian badger I got on eBay. It comes very close to duplicating what I get from my more expensive badgers. I haven't seen it in the 506 solid copper handle I got with mine... but The Gentle Shave carries a selection, if you are in the States. There are other sources for Zenith brushes in Europe and the UK.

I just checked.... the M23 that I have is back in stock: Zenith Copper Manchurian Badger Brush. 27.5mm Made In Italy M23 | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/256284442985?hash=item3babbe4169:g:q70AAOSwUhdlSZYT

 

[tehnothing]

I second the suggestion of contacting @Rudy Vey Rudy can make you a special brush and uses premium knots. Zenith is also a good recommendation.

 

[Jut]

Sounds like you need a Chubby in Best.

 

[VerbaVolant]

...I love pleasant scrub and good backbone in a brush.

Yaqi (Mysterious Space) Fan Shape Two Band Badger R1731B2F
Simpsons in Best (although, I have only used their Commodore X2 Best Badger extensively and can vouch for it)

There are several others that I used and have a scrub (which I enjoy very much) and backbone, but cannot say if they hold these attributes over time.

 

[Messygoon]

I too prefer pleasant scrub and backbone in a brush, and find myself usually reaching for Zenith and Semogue boars over the badgers.

Yet stellar badgers remain in the lineup, including brilliant Shavemac 2-band silver tips and a Simpson Duke 2 Best. Luxurious, and highly recommended.

I have yet found a badger that scrubs as well as a good boar. But here’s the great part… the brushes mentioned above, both badger and boar, are each wonderfully unique and reward with great pleasures from their differences.

 

[SydneyShaver]

Realistically badger won’t have too much scrub unless you get a knot purposely set very low. Perhaps the lower grades which aren’t as soft might be to your taste? Pure badger is supposed to be the scrubbiest and they cost little more than boars. A horse hair knot may also work though they are quite floppy and may not have the backbone you want. Still scrubby though

 

[phdezra]

Hello all,

During these last years of shaving, I have tried several brushes. The most reliable ones were my 3 boar brushes and 2 synthetic ones. By reliable I mean they were exactly as most described here.

Have you tried Perfecto? Extremely affordable at $19 on Amazon, https://a.co/d/3RN9HhM , makes you feel like it is worthless. Consumers esp if uneducated or misinformed about product X) people think cheap = poor quality, when that is not always true. Perfecto has 13,000 reviewed averaging 4.4 stars. Anything with such high stats = high quality and consistency.

Vikings has a genuine badger brush for $9, but that reaches he price point of What?! That one does sound too cheap. Dunno.

In general, the Perfecto gives you comfort, value, performance, and very good lather from the brush. The bristles are soft but firm, and hold a lather nicely. Performance-wise, it works well to lather up shaving cream/puck and that it helps make a foamy lather that outperforms store bought creams. It also looks great (several choices of wood color). Go for it!

 

[Rudy Vey]

If you like scrub, a Shavemac D01 two-band would be my recommendation!! This knot has a very nice backbone/scrub, but is not scritchy at all.

 

[Barbarian80]

Badger knots are always tough to recommend to others. It's like recommending a women to someone else. And the things don't feel the same day in and day out. But that's part of what makes them fun and interesting to use. Buy what looks good to you and experiment. The Simpson manchurian hair is very nice, but i personally would avoid paying for that outside of their black Friday sales. You could take a giant leap of faith and have Rudy make you a handle and use the Declaration Grooming knotting service- guaranteed nice brush, though whether you will love it enough for the > 2 bills it will cost is anyone's guess.

 

[thombrogan]

Does the badger have to be flesh and blood?

There are a lot of great stuffed animal knots in two and three band.

 

[musicman1951]

I love pleasant scrub and good backbone in a brush.

You might consider the Semogue Mistura badger and boar combination brush. It has both pleasant scrub and good backbone. Best of both worlds?

​

 

[cvac]

What is your budget? A really good badger brush is not cheap. Generally speaking, even a two-band with a low loft is not going to be as stiff as some boar brushes. You can get a very scrubby badger brush custom made though.

 

[Barbarian80]

I think scrub and backbone are two features most if not all wet shavers look for in a badger knot. Not very different from "i'd like to meet the most beautiful woman". One thing i've found in my experience with brushes, the lower priced badger knots are going to be the most floppy. And its not because the hair is bad, but they simply aren't packed with enough of it to give them the added backbone and plushy feel. I have some pretty inexpensive badger brushes that have fantastic hair but i don't enjoy them because there was not enough hair packed in the knot. Most if not all untreated knots are going to feel scrubby- backbone is the one thing that sets a pricier brush apart from a cheap one. If that's an important feature for you then you have to pony up the cash.

 

[albsat]

Well, my budget is 100 usd for the knot. I have a 26 and a 28 mm handle that I could use, but need to remove the knot from them first.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Just used an Omega 621 Silvertip for the first time, lovely brush. It’s just rolling the dice really. Is it the greatest brush ever that has stopped me in my tracks? Nope. It did many things very well though. It’s a brush.

 

[Barbarian80]

Well, my budget is 100 usd for the knot. I have a 26 and a 28 mm handle that I could use, but need to remove the knot from them first.

You will get the most for that with a Shavemac. Sign up for West coast shaving emails and you may find something good from Simpson in Best grade for around that price range. $100 can get you a nice brush with some discount help but its still a good leap away from the high end stuff.

 

[willk93]

You can get a Chisel and Hound fanchurian knot for $65. I've heard that has some nice backbone and scrub

 

[PintoPlain]

Alternatively you could stick with boars and synths if you like them. I have tried one badger brush for a week, but I didn't like it so went back to my boar. I currently have no need for another brush at this point in time.

 

[albsat]

Alternatively you could stick with boars and synths if you like them. I have tried one badger brush for a week, but I didn't like it so went back to my boar. I currently have no need for another brush at this point in time.

Boar are a staple already. I will never get rid of this trio of boar brushes :
Mondial boar
Omega Proraso
Zenith unbleached 507

I have two synthetics, Yaqi Rainbow and Epsilion plissoft hair that are very good.

I didn't hit the center with the badger brushes so far. 4 badger brushes and none a winner for my needs.