Brush burn = time to buy a new brush

Hello all,

After some research, i have concluded that my VDH boar, Omega Pro, and CE Badger all give me nasty brush burn on my face. I'm looking for a brush, and here are my requirements.

1. I alrerady have a VDH Boar, and an Omega pro. Sold a CE BBB and a AOS Pure (most awful painful face lathering brush ever.) I like the Omega Pro b/c its simple and a workhorse, can do soaps and creams, but it is too stiff.


2. Right now I use AOS Sandalwood cream, Tabac Soap, VDH, and Mama Bear's soap. I want to facelather and need a brush that won't give me badger/boar burn. One that works for soaps and creams.

3. Id like a brush that can pick up soap easily and make good lather from facelathering, but one that won't rip me up. Something soft but not floppy.

4. Brush aesthetics ... aesthetics don't really matter to me.

5. Budget. $60 range

6. Size matters...smaller than the Omega Pro, but good enought to hold 4 passes worth of lather.

7. Brushes that have already piqued your interest. I am thinking the Kent BK4 might be the answer to my prayers, but it is a bit out of my budget. I like some of the other Omega boars, but are there any that aren't scratchy? Badger or Boar suggestions welcome.

thanks for the help!

Vulfix 2233 or a Kent VS30. The Kent should be firmer (50mm loft), but I've heard it's very soft. I don't own one. I do own a 2233 ($20), and it's a great brush. It's a boar but very soft on the face. It's a little floppy, but I only face lather using soaps and have no problems using it. I'm saying "floppy" in comparison to, say, a Rooney Super 1/1, btw.

-Andy

My brush experience is limited almost entirely to small "soap brushes," in that they all have lofts in and around the 45-48mm range. That said, how about:

Rooney 2/1
Overall brush height: 107mm
Handle height: 55mm
Brush Loft: 52mm
Knot diameter: 22mm

Super grade hair = no badger burn. Loft is taller than my "soap loft," so can do creams, but not so tall as to not do soaps. Price is just outside of your $60 limit. Others will have better suggestions I am sure, but Rooney is my forte.

Have you thought about a Men-u Synthetic brush?
http://www.mensbiz.com.au/shop/shav...mier-synthetic-shave-brush-blue/prod_181.html

thanks for the advice so far guys, I have a few questions.

andrew98- I have looked up the vulfix 2233 and it seems to not be boar, and it is around 60 bucks...is listed as a super badger...am I looking at a different brush?


cfriend- I keep hearing a ton about the rooney 2/1, I may have to investigate.

more suggestions are always welcome

theturducken said:

cfriend- I keep hearing a ton about the rooney 2/1, I may have to investigate.

Click to expand...

I've never used one myself, but it's what I suggest to people looking for a brush to do both soaps and creams, at a grade above pure badger, with a longer handle, etc.

i have the 2234 and love it

That's what Rooney Size 1 Supers go for on BST. I was really floored by the face-lathering of my 2/1 and it's as soft as can be. That would be my suggestion.

Vulfix makes both boar and badger brushes with the #2233 handle (a personal fave, by the way). The superbadger is about $60 and the boar is about $20 (I got mine for about $22 delivered). Both are fine brushes, but for face lathering and for soaps/creams, the boar is terrific. The brush head is not as dense or as long as an Omega, medium stiff shafts, soft tips. I have two.

I'd also recommend one of the smaller Savile Row silvertips. I have the 3118 and use it for face lathering. Works well for soaps and creams. It will run you a bit more than your budget, but you can post a "want to buy" and see if someone will sell you one used. QED used to offer a lower-priced silvertip 20mm knot badger brush for around $60. Not sure if they still do.

Dave

For whatever it's worth here is my experience:

Omega Pro: comfortable but a paintbrush.

Anonymous drug-store badger I paid $5 for in the 1960s: comfortable but too floppy.

Vulfix Super travel brush: stung badly.

Rooney 2/1 in Finest: wonderful initially but after several passes began to sting.

Rooney 1/1 and 1/2 in Super: always comfortable, although I would prefer a size in between.

I would go for a silvertip brush if you're having problems with the brush being too scratchy for your face.

Thanks for all the advice gentlemen. I think I'm going to go with a super Rooney 2/1 or 1/1 when I can grab one off b/s/t or get some extra cash.

I'm also looking into a Omega 31064, because I really like the construction and performance of the Omega Pro, just dislike how big it is. I keep hearing that a good boar will have spring and backbone, but with use the tips will split and have a soft face feel, better than most low and mid range badgers.

Rooney heritages give a good scrubbing w/ being irritating. Even less scrubbing and backbone but still good with soaps and creams are custom Shavemac DO1--enough backbone, good for face lathering but not too "scrubby" on the face.

Have you considered the B&B Essential?

So - you got one of those "cheap Chinese brushes", eh?

FYI, I have never been able to face lather without getting irritation on my face, kind of a red rawness like I've been slapped or something. My skin is just too sensitive, even with the softest silvertip badger brush.

I'm very content to lather up in a scuttle. But good luck, hopefully your skin isn't the same.

My skin is pretty sensitive and I generally don't try to face lather too often either because I get irritation as well. That's why I said to go for a silvertip. You may have to spend a bit more or pick up a second hand brush from the BST.

I actually would NOT recommend the B&B Essential for you...I found it to be a bit too scratchy for my skin and couldn't take it as an everyday brush. My Semogue silvertip is much much softer by comparison but doesn't feel floppy. So far its worked fine with all the soaps I have except for one. With a softer brush, you have to spend a little extra time loading the brush on the soap but it's not big deal. At most it's only going to add a minute or two to your total shave time, and the soft tips are much more comfortable if that's what you need for sensitive skin.

A semogue boar brush will do well. They have a great reputation for high quality bristles, especially the 1305 (55mm loft) or the 620 (50mm loft). The cheaper 1520 has the same bristles as the 620 but the handle of the 620 is said to be more durable.

theturducken said:

...
andrew98- I have looked up the vulfix 2233 and it seems to not be boar, and it is around 60 bucks...is listed as a super badger...am I looking at a different brush?

Click to expand...

Here's the 2233 Boar. It has a high quality handle that's really nice to hold. The shape is great and probably the main reason I bought the brush (plus I wanted to try a boar). This is a winner for sure, especially if you're trying to save money. Good luck.

-Andy