Shea Moisture Ultimate Shave Brush at Target?

[roosclan]

I've been using mine for several months and I have to agree that it has gotten a bit floppy. I put a couple O-rings around the base of the knot when I got it and it worked great for the creams I was using. I've recently switched to soaps and had to add a couple O-rings to get it a bit stiffer. Anyone else try this?

[Neognosis]

I've started gripping mine by the base of the hair to get some backbone to it. It is pretty scratchy now too. I've been using it for 5 months now.

[JPDyson]

I've started gripping mine by the base of the hair to get some backbone to it. It is pretty scratchy now too. I've been using it for 5 months now.

This technique is mentioned in some brush tutorials (essentially grabbing the brush so that your fingertips are in the base of the knot, adjusting shape and firmness).

[dstrawsb]

I discovered these two weeks ago, on the bottom of the package it says, 100% Real Badger Hair. Upon unpacking i gave it a sniff, smells like a animal to me. so I let the curious dog take a whiff, he sneezed, they barked at it. Then chased after me with it. So I think the dog sniff test says badger.

It really is soft and a little floppy, but it works up a good later. It was the last one they had, so I have been checking other Targets so I can get one for my son.

Great Deal!

Don

Ok, I'm no photographer, that's for sure, but after several attempts, this is the best I can come up with.
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[Rattbones]

lol, I just got one of these a few days ago. I was looking for info on it. Its so much softer then my first brush (Van Der Hagen). So far so good, only shaved with it 2x. I got mine at Target on clearance for $5. Seemed like a good deal for Badger hair, the others I looked at online were around $20.

[guYom]

Has anyone tried giving her a trim with sucess (instead of using O rings) to give her more backbone?
I use mine only with creams, I found it too floppy for hard soaps.

[chrismikehead]

I took a quick look while at a Target here in KC. They had 4 on the shelf, all the same package. The first 3 looked much different from the one i bought back when they first appeared in the stores. Pale colored hair, reminded me of the non-dyed boars in that regard. The last one looked exactly like mine.

[Go West Young Man]

Has anyone tried giving her a trim with sucess (instead of using O rings) to give her more backbone?
I use mine only with creams, I found it too floppy for hard soaps.

That would give some incredibly sharp edges to the bristles, I can't imagine that would ever be comfortable on your face.

[guYom]

Better use the finger technique then and hold as much as needed of the loft to get the desired back bone. Will give it a try. There was a recent post with a successful trim on an Omega Pro, maybe boar and badger differ in that respect.

[global_dev]

I took a quick look while at a Target here in KC. They had 4 on the shelf, all the same package. The first 3 looked much different from the one i bought back when they first appeared in the stores. Pale colored hair, reminded me of the non-dyed boars in that regard. The last one looked exactly like mine.

these new ones appear to be synthetic...

[chrismikehead]

That would give some incredibly sharp edges to the bristles, I can't imagine that would ever be comfortable on your face.

I could barely stand using the Shea Moisture brush once I picked up a couple of Frank Shaving Finest brushes. I can't imagine what a clipped version would feel like!

[roosclan]

Well, if you can't get them at your local store, you may be out of luck, as their web site is not available for sales:

Our company has grown dramatically in the last few years with new organic bath, body and hair lines, but our website has ceased to function effectively for the online needs of our loyal customers. We are working diligently to re-design our website to better serve you with enhanced features.Our products continue to be available online at Target.com, select Target stores,Walgreens.com, all Walgreens' stores. Our shave products are carried at select Walmart stores.

[gossmaaf]

I had looked at this brush when i started "real shaving" but ended up going with a Van Der Hagen brush instead. Then I upgraded to a Taylor of Old Bond Street badger and found what real brushes were like. Anyway, I was out in Seattle for my honeymoon this year and desperately needed a brush; luckily, this brush was at Target so i went for it. Using this brush with the Shea cream was quite disappointing. I left this brush in the back shelf and just pulled it back out last week, this time with some Col Conk soap. This brush actually is impressive for the lack of density but also the lack of cost. Some say the softness is not high but I rank it “almost” as soft as my badger. This brush is now in my rotation taking the full place of my boar brush, which is more just a pain to use. In addition, this brush holds great sentimental value to me.

[Go West Young Man]

I had looked at this brush when i started "real shaving" but ended up going with a Van Der Hagen brush instead. Then I upgraded to a Taylor of Old Bond Street badger and found what real brushes were like. Anyway, I was out in Seattle for my honeymoon this year and desperately needed a brush; luckily, this brush was at Target so i went for it. Using this brush with the Shea cream was quite disappointing. I left this brush in the back shelf and just pulled it back out last week, this time with some Col Conk soap. This brush actually is impressive for the lack of density but also the lack of cost. Some say the softness is not high but I rank it “almost” as soft as my badger. This brush is now in my rotation taking the full place of my boar brush, which is more just a pain to use. In addition, this brush holds great sentimental value to me.

That's the fault of the Shea cream, not the brush. That cream is universally regarded as a waste of shelf space.

[George L. Lara]

Just started this wet shaving lifestyle recently, and got this brush today. But from what i see it looks very different from the brush on page 1. (the package says it's 100% badger hair)



here's my razor, a Merkur 34c (i use astra blades):


From what i read in this thread, the brush is pretty good (hope this new model is as well) after i got this one there was about 8 left. for those that live in the dallas/ft worth area, it was the supertarget off HW 360 in arlington/mansfield.

[nEver-Ready]

May say badger hair, but it definitely looks synthetic to me. Very different than the hair in my 2 yr old Shea brush and very similar to the synthetic fiber in my Body Shop brush.

Just started this wet shaving lifestyle recently, and got this brush today. But from what i see it looks very different from the brush on page 1. (the package says it's 100% badger hair)



here's my razor, a Merkur 34c (i use astra blades):


From what i read in this thread, the brush is pretty good (hope this new model is as well) after i got this one there was about 8 left. for those that live in the dallas/ft worth area, it was the supertarget off HW 360 in arlington/mansfield.

[SliceOfLife]

That's the fault of the Shea cream, not the brush. That cream is universally regarded as a waste of shelf space.

If you don't mind that it smells rancid the day you open it, it's not a half bad preshave cream. I used it once or twice when I didn't have time for a shower to soften my beard up. Worked alright. But yeah it is literally useless as a shave cream. Rubbing a softened stick of butter on your face would work better. It quite literally does not lather at all. Not a single tiny bit. It is goo, not soap or cream.


The new version does look synthetic (maybe just a wierd dye job on badger hair). Frankly in either case, it looks better than the original. The original wasn't terrible, but the handle was the nicest part. I ripped the knot out of mine and reset it something like 10mm deeper and it improved a lot, but it was still only a -decent- latherer, and it was prickly (soft, but also prickly, as low grade badger can be) and had zero density.

[George L. Lara]

that kind of sucks man (if it is synthetic), i tried it last friday. worked up great lather and felt great on my skin. no prickling or any type of discomfort at all. is synthetic supposed to feel plastic-like? because it didn't feel that way at all. i mean it's my first brush and it felt nice. i wonder how nice an Art of shaving brush must feel like. i will buy one, but not until this one goes out. it held water pretty good though.

[Galhatz]

I don't understand why that company insists on having anything to do with shaving.
Their soap bar is great as a soap but they mark on the packaging that it is good for washing the face or even shaving with it, i once uses it to wash my face and the sticky oil there made sure to keep the lather off the bristles and ruined a perfectly good shave.

If you don't mind that it smells rancid the day you open it, it's not a half bad preshave cream. I used it once or twice when I didn't have time for a shower to soften my beard up. Worked alright. But yeah it is literally useless as a shave cream. Rubbing a softened stick of butter on your face would work better. It quite literally does not lather at all. Not a single tiny bit. It is goo, not soap or cream.


The new version does look synthetic (maybe just a wierd dye job on badger hair). Frankly in either case, it looks better than the original. The original wasn't terrible, but the handle was the nicest part. I ripped the knot out of mine and reset it something like 10mm deeper and it improved a lot, but it was still only a -decent- latherer, and it was prickly (soft, but also prickly, as low grade badger can be) and had zero density.

[George L. Lara]

Just updating on the brush, i have used it since last july and it has shed very few hairs. I went back to target and it seems that they keep restocking it.

for those that live in dallas, it's the super target off 360 and camp wisdom. Last time i was there, they had about 5 of them.