looking for an economical brush

[Red Horn]

Really should NOT overlook a Vie-Long horse hair. Mine was <$20 and impressed me more than any other brush for performance v.s. value.


Also for the money this one holds lots of promise;

http://www.shoeboxshaveshop.com/vu20mibaandb.html

Mine just arrived and after an initial soaking and drying it has a very nice feel to it. Tomorrow will be it's first live test ;~)

[nemo]

I see you have let the boar people get into your head. Another recommendation is to back off on your pleasure treats for a couple of week and come up with another $20. You can get a new Simpson Berkeley 46 with great best badger hair delivered for that. A classy and proven performer that will last you for decades. That 19-20mm x 45mm knot will save you a lot of product over time, too. My choice would be .


The boar brushes the members have brought up do have a wide following. It's certainly an option. I just have a hunch if you get a boar now, you'll still end up wanting a badger brush. Get the badger first. You can always experiment with boars later if you choose.

Great advice here, one brush I like more than my 1438 is my Simpson Berkeley. Save your nickels and dimes, the $50 range holds great possibilities.

[rockviper]

I'll even chip in $5 if you get a Berkeley

[mftoms59]

For a bit less than those two, and better for face lathering IMO, you could go for a 1438 or a 1470.

This, both are fine for Face Lathering Creams & Soaps and the handles are long enough when you want to Bowl Lather.

[GianquiMan]

Another Semogue shout out. I have a Semogue Owner's Club that....sigh....is...better than my more expensive badger brushes? I'm in denial...

Creams, soaps, bowl, face, it does whatever it wants. Seriously...it effing rocks

[bristlepuss]

For ~$9, Target sells a pure badger brush labeled Shea Butter Ultimate Shave Brush. It's on the large side and a touch floppy it works well for face lathering.

[Sargon]

In the lower price range, boar and horse really are excellent values, and I love both my omega boars, and vie-long horse a lot. My honest suggestion is a 10 dollar or so boar from omega, semague, vie-long, etc. If you find that you like boar, great. If you find that boar brushes aren't your thing, then you have a decent travel brush, at least. There are soem great horse brushes in yoru price range as well, and, if you prefer, you can get a less expensive badger for 20 or so. Pure badger brushes are fairly inexpensive, and they do have their own following.

The truth is that as long as you get a decent brand of brush, it will serve you well. We all have our preferences, and some brushes are a little softer or work a little better at certain things, but as long as you don't buy junk, you should have a brush that will serve you well.

[GrandeVT]

How about Frank Shaving Finest?

[nEver-Ready]

How about Frank Shaving Finest?

Also a good entry level option if a badger is desired ...

[OkieStubble]

I would recommend the Omega Pro 49. I would recommend that brush whether your budget was $10 or $100 though.

I concur.

[njpaddy]

I have well water, which is on the hard side. Another vote for saving up for a Simpson Berkeley. The brush has great backbone for its price. I started with a $30 Omega badger and hated the floppiness. Six weeks later I was shopping for another brush. The Simpson Special in Best is also a nice brush in the $40 range. It doesn't have the backbone of the Berkeley, but it's still a good brush.

[Mister Stocks]

For ~$9, Target sells a pure badger brush labeled Shea Butter Ultimate Shave Brush. It's on the large side and a touch floppy it works well for face lathering.

While I love the Shea Moisture brush, I cannot reccomend it for face lathering. For me, at least, it is entirely too prickly and always left me with some burn whenever I tried to face lather. Right now I love the Vie Long 'Zurito' brush. Its a great brush.

[coyotewhisper]

I had a badger brush first before having a good boar. I have a Parker Best Badger, it has been a super performer and has proven to be great quality too. Parker badgers can found under $50.

I also have an Omega 49 boar and love it too.

Happy brush hunting, remember you will soon realize that one brush will lead to another and so forth.

[superbadger]

Just ordered a Lijun 24mm silvertip for $40.
I don't know why but I have a better feeling for Lijun compared to frank shaving.
Will see how it turns out and report back.

[Slash McCoy]

Take a look at the cheap 20mm silvertips at www.whippeddog.com. Also, check out the massive badgers at www.starshaving.com. Can get a black for about $9 that will outperform most boars. All the other recommendations here are brushes that look a lot nicer, and that's a plus for some shavers. Me, I go for cost effectiveness and don't care how ugly it is.

[jsj_297]

I love how badgers automatically become "king", and that boars are often recommended as "experiment" brushes. $30 boars are equal to $120 badgers IMO, wayyyy more bang for the $$$....How about, get yourself a top of the line boar or horse hair, then experiment with the expensive badgers once u save up a lil more coin!! ;)

[OldSaw]

Given your price range I would join in with the boar crowd.

I have tried cheap badger brushes and fortunately my wife has taken to using them as I found them too prickly. I believe the entry level for a decent badger starts at around $50. I have never used a Whipped Dog badger, which another fellow recommended, but the price definitely intrigues me.

If you already have a brush, then I am compelled to ask how that one is or isn't working for you and what you want that is different?

I don't have a lot of brushes, but I have gleaned a lot of knowledge from fellow B&Bers. My first brush, which I bought long before B&B was around was a cheap Surrey boar, which I still use once in a while. The thing I like about it is how soft it has become with use. I wouldn't recommend anything that low end for your $30 budget though, I'm just using that as an example of how well a boar could work out.

My two main brushes that I have settled on after hours of reading and trying a few low end brushes are the Vulfix 2235 which is in the $65 neighborhood and the Omega 10049 which is in the $10 range. If buy another one any time soon I would definitely consider one of the other boars listed above, and then there's the Wee Scott...

[Crixus]

$30 boars are equal to $120 badgers IMO, wayyyy more bang for the $$$

You are the only one that has brought up a $120 badger. Some of us do, however, think that the ~$50 best badger from Simpson represents a fantastic value for the money. Nothing it can't do (except wash a semi) and it'll be around long after most boars have run their course.

[Slash McCoy]

For ~$9, Target sells a pure badger brush labeled Shea Butter Ultimate Shave Brush. It's on the large side and a touch floppy it works well for face lathering.

Indeed. Those are pretty decent brushes for the price. Right up there with the FS 30mm gonzo black badger. I didn't know they still sold them.

[Gogo]

+100 for the Omega 49. Unbelievable value in a brush.

Semogue 1305, 2000, and SOC are great choices from my personal experience.