New brush needed

**zamanakhan** · 01-11-2011, 11:29 AM

iam in the market for a new brush, i currently have a VDH boar brush that iam not a huge fan of and a body shop brush that iam ok with. I would not like to get my hands on a decent brush. I've been looking at the vulfix 375 in silver tip for $75, i dont mind spending a bit more to get a better brush. Is this one decent or are there other recommendations in a similar price point?

**Dripp** · 01-11-2011, 06:53 PM

I've had the vulfix 377 for years as my only brush, so I think it would be a good one. Fairly multi purpose, and good for both soaps and creams. some might say that it doesn't have enough backbone for soaps, but I didn't have any problems. You might want to tell us if you're a bowl/palm latherer or a face latherer. I'm primarily a palm latherer, who then face lathers.

**Mr.Goodfella** · 01-11-2011, 07:01 PM

For $75 you could go to ian tangs (Frank Shaving) on ebay and get 2 silvertip badgers for around that and have enough leftover to get a subway sandwich (single brush is around $30 shipping included). Mine just came in last week and it put my Edwin Jagger Super Badger (around $75) in the ground. The way I look at it now, why spend $200 on a single brush when I could buy 6 FS brushes for that price.

**rm71** · 01-12-2011, 01:34 AM

Have you considered a Penworks brush? I have a Silvertip and finest. Both are very well made and have not shed a hair. They work well with soaps/creams. My silvertip cost me US $55 shipped to Oz.

**Adam D** · 01-12-2011, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by rm71

Have you considered a Penworks brush? I have a Silvertip and finest. Both are very well made and have not shed a hair. They work well with soaps/creams. My silvertip cost me US $55 shipped to Oz.

I was going to suggest Penworks as well.

Decent knots in a variety of sizes and type of hair and also some really funky handles.

I ordered a 24mm silvertip recently and I am just waiting for it to be delivered and I can't wait to try it out.

**deruitem** · 01-12-2011, 04:20 AM

Originally Posted by Mr.Goodfella

For $75 you could go to ian tangs (Frank Shaving) on ebay and get 2 silvertip badgers for around that and have enough leftover to get a subway sandwich (single brush is around $30 shipping included). Mine just came in last week and it put my Edwin Jagger Super Badger (around $75) in the ground. The way I look at it now, why spend $200 on a single brush when I could buy 6 FS brushes for that price.

Anyone else try these? Looks like a steel from Franks Shaving

**johngfsu** · 01-12-2011, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by deruitem

Anyone else try these? Looks like a steel from Franks Shaving

I exclusively use Franks Shaving Brushes and love them to death, wont catch me dead using something else, at least not for the price you pay for some of them.

**zamanakhan** · 01-13-2011, 09:24 AM

i'll look into Frank's shaving and the Penworks, iam really leaning towards the 375 currently tho. I mostly bowl lather with creams with a synthetic tbs brush, but lately i've been using vdh boar brush with vdh soap and the brush seems to have broken in and seems alot softer now and i kinda like the soaps.
I would like to have an allround brush but we all know i'd be giving up one thing for another if i choose an allrounder.

**Marco** · 01-13-2011, 09:34 AM

In that price range I suggest getting a Rooney 3/1 Silvertip or a Simpson Colonel X2L Best. Both have better backbone and are more densely packed compared to the Vulfix 375.

**zamanakhan** · 01-13-2011, 10:35 AM

iam having a hard time finding the colonel x2l and the rooney 3/1 do u know of any american vendors that carry that?

**Marco** · 01-13-2011, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by zamanakhan

iam having a hard time finding the colonel x2l and the rooney 3/1 do u know of any american vendors that carry that?

For Simpson brushes West Coast Shaving, for Rooney Vintage Blades.

**mblakele** · 01-13-2011, 11:47 AM

For Rooney-branded brushes there are only two choices: http://www.classicshaving.com/ and http://vintagebladesllc.com/ (or I think T&H also rebrands Rooney brushes?).

For the X2L you could try the unofficial vendor search that I set up a while back: http://www.google.com/cse?cx=0124848...ie=UTF-8&q=x2l - at the moment I see results from WCS, Bullgoose, Lee's, etc.

**poppi** · 01-13-2011, 01:10 PM

I have several FS brushes (1 silvertip/2 finest) and a Vulfix 375. The Vulfix is a fine brush that saw a lot of action until I got the Franks brushes. Now the Vulfix gets used, on average, about once every 2 weeks. The rest of the time I'm rotating the FS brushes.

I believe that the FS brushes are the bargain of the year (last year too) and as good as many of the higher priced brushes. And quite cost effective also.

**zamanakhan** · 01-13-2011, 07:48 PM

goddamn out at west coast shaving... its alright tho i will wait till they have more in, it will also give me time to consider more options. I have been thinking of a chubby but they are a bit out of my range.

**SliceOfLife** · 01-13-2011, 07:56 PM

Keep in mind most of the people recommending $30 brushes are comparing them to brushes no one is recommending rather than the brushes that we are recommending. Does anyone out there who owns a Rooney 3/1 Super or a Simpson Colonel prefer their Frank Shaving? It's not hard for a $30 brush to be better than a bad $75 brush. A working pinto is a better car than a Jaguar with no engine. If I had a brush budget of less than $50 I'd either save until I could afford $50 (And buy a Simpson Special or Berkeley in Best), look for one of those brushes used (I got a special in Best grade for $30 shipped in BST last week), or else get a Semogue Boar brush. Frank Shave brushes work ok, but I'm not a big boar brush fan, and I prefer Semogue Boars to FS badgers, so I can't see recommending them.

The Chubby 1 is my favorite brush at the moment, but if it's out of your price range like you say, I'd recommend a Duke 2.

**zamanakhan** · 01-14-2011, 08:04 PM

how big of a difference in the 3 grades of hair is there? i dont mind shelling out for a chubby 1 if it is comparable to a 2 or a 3 but i would rather just buy one brush instead of spending money and money over and over

**Hex** · 01-15-2011, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Marco

In that price range I suggest getting a Rooney 3/1 Silvertip or a Simpson Colonel X2L Best. Both have better backbone and are more densely packed compared to the Vulfix 375.

+1

What Marco said but with a slight preference to the Colonel.

**Hex** · 01-15-2011, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by zamanakhan

how big of a difference in the 3 grades of hair is there? i dont mind shelling out for a chubby 1 if it is comparable to a 2 or a 3 but i would rather just buy one brush instead of spending money and money over and over

That's what I said as I worked my way up the ladder and through about 10 brushes

Then again, in the beginning I was a sworn-forever, cream, bowl latherer.
Now I only face lather with both soaps and creams.

If you buy a name brand brush, they are pretty easy to sell here.

Good luck in the hunt cause it's a lot of fun.