A bit of brush advice please

**woodbane** · 05-09-2006, 05:02 PM

Howdy gents!

I'm here to pick your brains about brushes............of course!!

I'm looking to upgrade from the standard badger brush that came with my Porters Mug'n'Soap kit. It's not a bad little brush at all and I'm thinking it will make a fine travel brush.

Brushes I'm interested in hearing opinions on are:

Saville Row SR-208 ~ $56
Saville Row SR-212 ~ $80
Edwin Jagger Crabtree & Evelyn Super Badger ~ $85

I can get the Edwin Jagger locally, the others I'd have to internet purchase.

I do have a goatee so am not sure whether the Jagger from C&E is too big for the rest of my face?

Anyhow, let me know what you think please guys. Any other suggestions are also welcome. I guess I'm not looking to spend much over $80 (incl.P&P if I have to order it).

Cheers all.

**Scotto** · 05-09-2006, 05:11 PM

Hard to beat the SR-208. I have one and love it. The SR212 is one huge puppy. The C&E is fairly large, and very soft/moppy.

**joel** · 05-09-2006, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by woodbane

Howdy gents!

I'm here to pick your brains about brushes............of course!!

I'm looking to upgrade from the standard badger brush that came with my Porters Mug'n'Soap kit. It's not a bad little brush at all and I'm thinking it will make a fine travel brush.

Brushes I'm interested in hearing opinions on are:

Saville Row SR-208 ~ $56
Saville Row SR-212 ~ $80
Edwin Jagger Crabtree & Evelyn Super Badger ~ $85

I can get the Edwin Jagger locally, the others I'd have to internet purchase.

I do have a goatee so am not sure whether the Jagger from C&E is too big for the rest of my face?

Anyhow, let me know what you think please guys. Any other suggestions are also welcome. I guess I'm not looking to spend much over $80 (incl.P&P if I have to order it).

Cheers all.

Hands down Saville Row SR-208 ~ $56 In my opinion... the best value on a "preimum" shaving brush..... it should be 2X the price.

**rtaylor61** · 05-09-2006, 05:42 PM

I'll also add a vote for the SR-208.

Randy

**javyn** · 05-09-2006, 05:47 PM

If you have a goatee, IMO the 30mm is way too big. I found my 24mm to be pretty big when I first got it even, and had to take a little while to get used to it. Btw I am clean shaven. Bigger brushes need more water, and more cream/soap, too. That could be seen as a good thing, enabling SCAD though :) But anyway, Joel says go for the 25mm SR-208, and he seems to be the brush master here hehe. Let us know what you get woodbane....pics would be good too! I'm interested to see what kind of lather a Super brush builds. I've only used Pure and Silver Tip myself.

**Scotto** · 05-09-2006, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by javyn

If you have a goatee, IMO the 30mm is way too big. I found my 24mm to be pretty big when I first got it even, and had to take a little while to get used to it. Btw I am clean shaven. Bigger brushes need more water, and more cream/soap, too. That could be seen as a good thing, enabling SCAD though :) But anyway, Joel says go for the 25mm SR-208, and he seems to be the brush master here hehe. Let us know what you get woodbane....pics would be good too! I'm interested to see what kind of lather a Super brush builds. I've only used Pure and Silver Tip myself.

Same as pure and Silver Tip, my friend.

**joel** · 05-09-2006, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by Scotto

Same as pure and Silver Tip, my friend.

I disagree... the more I use my cheapie Edwin Jagger Best, the more I think it OUTLATHERS my silvertips/supers.

**javyn** · 05-09-2006, 06:36 PM

I noticed that it seems the lather made by my Pure has larger air bubbles, while the Silver Tip has smaller. I guess the Super would be in-between. It could just be the way I lather or something I guess...

**guenron** · 05-09-2006, 09:01 PM

If I may suggest a Savile Row 3118!
Priced and sized just right for around goatee lathering..
I had to order one! The devil made me do it.

**NYLaw** · 05-10-2006, 04:51 AM

Andy,

For the same price range, have you considered a Vulfix? While I'm on the topic, Do you guys prefer Vulfix super to the Saville Rows or are the SRs generally considered better? (If not better, how are they different? Stiffer vs. more flexible, etc.?)

(And Ron, I went to QED's website... They don't list the 3118-3320 brushes... Any info?)

**guenron** · 05-10-2006, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by NYLaw

Andy,

For the same price range, have you considered a Vulfix? While I'm on the topic, Do you guys prefer Vulfix super to the Saville Rows or are the SRs generally considered better? (If not better, how are they different? Stiffer vs. more flexible, etc.?)

(And Ron, I went to QED's website... They don't list the 3118-3320 brushes... Any info?)

Ah ha! That is why I placed the link in my message above to the "specs" on those brushes. They have the "31" series shape handle (my preference) with an 18 or 20 mm knot (abundantly packed) of extraordinary quality, silvertip badger. If you look at the Savile Row Brush News tread, you can see pix of the 31 and 33 series handles, etc. The 18 and 20 mm knot are Charles' most recent offerings in response to numerous inquiries about smaller brushes.

**drP** · 05-10-2006, 05:49 AM

NYL,

When i compare my Vulix super brushes to my Savile Rows supers i see the following differences;

-Vulfix bristles are thicker, however have more flex and the lofts are slightly less densely packed; the tips feel a little bit rougher on the skin
-Vulfix brushes have a trapezoidal/conical shape; however, the SR 2...series have this shape too; it's the typical English shape of a shaving brush
-Savile Rows (or Shavemacs, imo

, until proven the contrary) have thin, resilient soft feeling bristles packed in a lightbulb shape; the advantage of this shape imo is that the outer bristles are shorter than those in the center of the brush which creates some kind of a supporting wall to the inner bristles and thus creates more stiffness/ less floppyness to the whole loft.

Overall, i like my SR's over my Vulfix brushes, but it's a very personal issue....

Peter

**woodbane** · 05-10-2006, 05:55 AM

WOW! Thanks for all the replies guys! I posted last night and here I am at 9:00am and reading all these replies, you guys are great!

It certainly seems like the SR-208 is a popular brush and seems like it might be the one for me. I'm guessing I'm probably going to prefer the slightly smaller brush types anyhow and this does seem to fit the bill.

Is qedusa.com the best/only place to get one? If so I'll probably have to hold off until I find an excuse to buy something else from there, maybe some Davinci water that I keep reading about?

**drP** · 05-10-2006, 07:13 AM

[QUOTE=woodbane]

Is qedusa.com the best/only place to get one? [QUOTE]

Savile Rows you can purchase here and Shavemac brushes there

Peter

Edit: just made a correction in the urls; thanks Steve!

**slcsteve** · 05-10-2006, 07:28 AM

Peter.......

Slow down! Life is too short as it is

These will work:

http://www.qedusa.com

http://www.shavemac.com

**NYLaw** · 05-10-2006, 08:17 AM

Ron... Wow! SO much info on SRs!!! MUCH THANKS!

I think I may order either the 3118 or the 3120... Are there any pics of these two (for comparison's sake) anywhere online?

***Also*** How do I order either of these if they're not listed anywhere on QED's website? Finally, are all of the 3100 series brushes silverip? Super?

**Scotto** · 05-10-2006, 08:24 AM

Just call or e-mail Charles at [email protected]. He is amazingly responsive.

**joel** · 05-10-2006, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by NYLaw

Ron... Wow! SO much info on SRs!!! MUCH THANKS!

I think I may order either the 3118 or the 3120... Are there any pics of these two (for comparison's sake) anywhere online?

***Also*** How do I order either of these if they're not listed anywhere on QED's website? Finally, are all of the 3100 series brushes silverip? Super?

You'll have to call or email Charles. ALL of the 3100 series are "Finest Silvertip" - however, be forewarned.... an 18-20mm brush is MIGHTY small. Not necessarly that that is a BAD thing per se.... but just a heads up - once you get smaller than 22mm, you are talking about a wicked-small, almost dinky brush. If you are using it for soaps, have a goat t, or do not do too many passes, it'll probably be just fine.... but when I got my first 20mm brush - it shocked the hell outta me (how small it was).

By all means however - the SR "Finest Silvertip" series, hell ALL of the Savile row brushes offer outstanding value with unquestionable quality.

Truth be told? I'd buy a Savile Row NIGHT AND DAY over a shavemac for 2 reasons.... 1.) Charles stands behind his product in an absurd manner. ANYTIME you have a problem, with ANY product, her'll bend over sideways and break his back twice to make it right. NOT that Bernd isn't superb as well (as he is) but Charles is US based (quicker to get to ya, easier to deal with problems if they arise, faster response time, etc) 2.) I like the astetics of Charles handle designs more, especially the ergonomics. Seeing as how both options still give Bernd business, I am sure he does not care one way or another... so if you ask me... I say make it a Savile Row. Charles also carries a ton of products, so while the shipping is less expensive, it is even greater ambertized by the fact that you can tack on a tub of shaving cream, a bottle of tabac cologne, some da vinci water, etc to your order.

Just my .02!

**NYLaw** · 05-10-2006, 09:09 AM

Joel... I just sent an email to Saville Row inquiring about the measurements of the 3118 and 3120 (with a request for pics)... Depending on what I hear back, I'll probably place an order sometime soon. (I wonder if they make black handled brushes...)

I love my Vulfix and Kent brushes, but I'm hoping for something a little firmer/stiffer. Regarding the size, I like the 22mm of my other two... Obviously the 17mm wee scot is not for everyday usage, but it works. My 28mm shavemac is just simply too big for me. (And I already have a 25mm Superior Brushes on the way!!!)
Anyway, thank you for your 2 cents... It's worth a lot more to me than that, as a wetshaver more experienced than I.

**guenron** · 05-10-2006, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by NYLaw

Joel... I just sent an email to Saville Row inquiring about the measurements of the 3118 and 3120 (with a request for pics)... Depending on what I hear back, I'll probably place an order sometime soon. (I wonder if they make black handled brushes...)

I love my Vulfix and Kent brushes, but I'm hoping for something a little firmer/stiffer. Regarding the size, I like the 22mm of my other two... Obviously the 17mm wee scot is not for everyday usage, but it works. My 28mm shavemac is just simply too big for me. (And I already have a 25mm Superior Brushes on the way!!!)
Anyway, thank you for your 2 cents... It's worth a lot more to me than that, as a wetshaver more experienced than I.

I am sure Charles will be putting NEW pictures up one of these days.. I should have a 3118 in my hot, little hands by Friday.. I will take a comparison picture for you, versus 3128 so that you can have some idea.