After 30-odd years of electric shaving, earlier this year I decided to go back to wet shaving. When I was in the UK in May I visited the Duke of York St branch of GFT and picked up some goodies to get me started. The guy there sold me a Super Badger (SB5) and so far so good. I have one minor quibble in that it might be slightly too big and perhaps the SB4 would have been a better bet.
Subsequently I went on line and brought the travel brush which is fine, but a little small for every day, so I am considering a new brush.
We are going to France later this month (a fairly regular occurence as we have a small house there that we are renovating - or rather we are having renovated!) and we have taken to staying at CDG overnight rather than drive straight down following a 13 hour flight that lands at 7am. This affords us the chance to go into Paris for a bit of a shop, and a nice dinner.
Some folks in the soap thread have directed me to Planete Rasoir, and I have been looking at Plisson brushes on line. I'm probably not in the market for the High Mountain White, more likely European Grey and as I can claim the VAT back I am happy to spend around EUR100. If I did buy a Plisson I would be more than happy with the acrylic handled range as it would give more to spend on the bristles rather than the handle, and I would imagine a size 10 or 12 would be about right, although when I actually handle it, I may think differently now I know what I am doing with the brush(!)
Question is chaps, are they worth it? Would I be better just getting the GFT SB4 on line? Would I be better seeing what other brushes PR has when I am there?
I do understand the "YMMV" thing - if it makes any difference I tend to use GFT Limes soap and bowl lather, and 2 passes with the first WTG and the second ATG which gives me a pretty decent shave.
Sorry for the waffle but it's Friday afternoon and I want to appear busy to my staff as they see me typing away...
Subsequently I went on line and brought the travel brush which is fine, but a little small for every day, so I am considering a new brush.
We are going to France later this month (a fairly regular occurence as we have a small house there that we are renovating - or rather we are having renovated!) and we have taken to staying at CDG overnight rather than drive straight down following a 13 hour flight that lands at 7am. This affords us the chance to go into Paris for a bit of a shop, and a nice dinner.
Some folks in the soap thread have directed me to Planete Rasoir, and I have been looking at Plisson brushes on line. I'm probably not in the market for the High Mountain White, more likely European Grey and as I can claim the VAT back I am happy to spend around EUR100. If I did buy a Plisson I would be more than happy with the acrylic handled range as it would give more to spend on the bristles rather than the handle, and I would imagine a size 10 or 12 would be about right, although when I actually handle it, I may think differently now I know what I am doing with the brush(!)
Question is chaps, are they worth it? Would I be better just getting the GFT SB4 on line? Would I be better seeing what other brushes PR has when I am there?
I do understand the "YMMV" thing - if it makes any difference I tend to use GFT Limes soap and bowl lather, and 2 passes with the first WTG and the second ATG which gives me a pretty decent shave.
Sorry for the waffle but it's Friday afternoon and I want to appear busy to my staff as they see me typing away...
I think it was somewhere in the 21-23 brush range that I really got a handle on what I was looking for. It took another 6 months for it to actually be mine. Mega kudos to you if you got there after only 3!
