new here - birthday coming soon --- wife wants to get me a "lifer" brush -- need hlp

So I am new here on B&B (what a great site) and new to wet shaving with a DE razor (2 months in now).So far my den consists of several creams, soaps, sticks (Palmolive Cream and Stick, Speick Cream and Stick, Ogallala Puck and Stick, Nivea Cream, Old Spice Cream, La Toja Cream and Stick, several pucks of Col. Conk and VDH) I use a Mergress XL (my dad got as a early birthday present) and I have a Semogue 1350 and 1438, AND an Omega 11047 (Mixed Midget) as my brushes. Not gonna bore you with the aftershaves and balms, as I think the only items that a brush recommendation would be based on are above.So I have a hankering to get a Silvertip badger, but am open to other grades if there is a general consensus that there is a best or super badger that is hands down better than a value priced silvertip. so far, I am really impressed with Semogue and wonder what their 730HD Silvertip is like and what kind of life expectancy should I expect out of the acrylic handle? My wife wants to get me a brush that I will pass down to a grandson (I have 4 daughters) or shave with when I am old and grey --- her budget is $150 of under.Gentlemen --- your expertise and experiences are greatly appreciated, as I will not be able to do a "do over" if I make a bad suggestion for my gift. I know some of you know what I am saying --- my wife will look for this brush in my rotation --- she's the most sentimental woman to ever live --- but I do love that about her.alright, enough about me --- let me say again, I love this site and look forward to learning more and hopefully laying some of this addiction to rest for a while. - Jay

Interesting question. I don't own any really high end brushes, so I can't answer this one, but I will watch this thread because I am interested in seeing what others come up with.

look here
http://www.badgerandblade.com/content.php/31-Introducing-The-B-B-2012-LE-Brush

Personally, I would go with a Rudy Vey or a Simpson.

also, I amabout 50/50 on face lathering with stick and using creams ..... i guess I would like for everyone, if possible to be specific.... ie. Get a Simpson XXXX in this grade ---- I am relying on your years of expertise and what you have found you love, specific model, etc.

Honestly, my preferences in a brush are:

- scritchiness --- i like some, not sandpaper though
- density --- I like the bursh to err on the stiff side and not the floppy/ whippy side

-- Looking for a good size, nothing huge and nothing super small

Honestly, if I could find a Semogue LE 2010 Silvertip --- this would all be over with! or even a Caravela at this point --- I am freakin intrigued by that brush and the Badger/ Boar mix ---- what is this addiction??? it once was golf clubs, then moutain bikes, now...... Wet Shaving and the gear that is amazing!!!

Thaters are on sale at bullgooseshaving.com You won't find a better time or a better deal to buy a premier brush at an unreal price. They have received their fair share of news lately but still a great time to buy if you are interested in them.

Any Simpson will fit the bill.

There are many high end brushes that, when well cared for, will last and perform for decades.

Simpson
Morris & Forndran
Thater
Plisson
Rooney
Vulfix
Kent
Semogue

The possibilities are endless so you have to decide how much money will go into the purchase, what size brush you prefer, how you like to lather (bowl or face), what grade of hair you would like, etc. Just do your research, pick one and I am sure you will be happy for a long time.

Definitely commission Rudy to make a brush for you! Specify exactly what you want for handle material and design, as well as knot quality, diameter, and loft. And if you want to pass it down, you can have your name engraved on the bottom too. Anybody can buy a (relatively) mass-produced brush, but you may be happiest with a one-of-a-kind.

DC_MPA said:

Thaters are on sale at bullgooseshaving.com You won't find a better time or a better deal to buy a premier brush at an unreal price. They have received their fair share of news lately but still a great time to buy if you are interested in them.

Click to expand...

+1 This is a great idea

I forgot all about having Rudy make you a brush. An excellent idea!

If you are looking for a brush that you will be happy to use for the rest of your life I would suggest you not count out a Kent BK8 silvertip. It is a very different kind of brush from the Semogue and Omega you now own. It is soft and luxurious.

From your list of products it appears that you prefer creams. The BK8 is tops with creams and bowl lathering. It is not going to be a top performer as a face lathering brush but you will find that most silvertip brushes will fall in to the too soft category to be an acceptable face lather brush. I would keep the Semogue and Omega for face lathering and get a high quality silvertip bowl lathering brush unless you want to get another brush like the ones you already have.

If face lathering is going to be a top consideration in your purchase you should look at the Simpsons Chubby 2 in best. The Simpsons Duke 2 or 3 would be a good face lathering brush also.

I would stay away from silvertip or 2 band if you want a good face lather brush as they will be too soft and might disappoint you. Get a brush in best with a shorter loft as it will be stiffer which is what you will need to face lather.

Ok... I like the idea of a custom by Rudy ... Here is the question ... Is he able to make a similar brush to a Semogue Caravela .... With a high quality boar/ badger mix and a handle like the Vulfix 404??? That would be the perfect brush for me and my preferred style ... I like face lathering mostly, occasional cream and occasional soap/ puck.

What would something like that cost?

Or simply a larger version of an Omega 11047? I love that I could maybe turn the budget of $150-$170 into two customs??? One best badger and one badger/ boar mix??? Is that crazy?

Contact him directly from his web site. He will make you what ever you want.

http://www.ultimatependesigns.com/

Just about everyone on here has a brush made by him (I do)

Jboone78 said:

Ok... I like the idea of a custom by Rudy ... Here is the question ... Is he able to make a similar brush to a Semogue Caravela .... With a high quality boar/ badger mix and a handle like the Vulfix 404??? That would be the perfect brush for me and my preferred style ... I like face lathering mostly, occasional cream and occasional soap/ puck.

What would something like that cost?

Jboone78 said:

Or simply a larger version of an Omega 11047? I love that I could maybe turn the budget of $150-$170 into two customs??? One best badger and one badger/ boar mix??? Is that crazy?

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Rudy's brushes are great but for a lifer brush I'd personally go a different route. Nothing against Rudy's impressive craftsmanship but the knot is just going to be a knot from www.thegoldennib.com. Certainly nothing super special on the knot for such an important gift IMO. Now if it's more of the handle that you want for the treasure then a RV handle is going to be substantially different than the traditional faux ivory handle that is more common in the few dozen types across the brush spectrum.

Jboone78 said:

Ok... I like the idea of a custom by Rudy ... Here is the question ... Is he able to make a similar brush to a Semogue Caravela .... With a high quality boar/ badger mix and a handle like the Vulfix 404??? That would be the perfect brush for me and my preferred style ... I like face lathering mostly, occasional cream and occasional soap/ puck.

What would something like that cost?

Click to expand...

Many great suggestions here. If you decide to go the commercial route the Thater sale at Bullgoose is amazing and you can get a brush worth $200+ for within your budget. Also check out The Superior Shave,where you can select the exact brush you want (not just the model, THE brush). Some lovely Simpsons there with old Somerset era stock handles. That way you can get a jump on the heritage thing. The Simpson 59 is a great brush, soft ,good backbone, large and exactly on budget. If you go with a custom from Rudy and feel you want a really special knot, he can order a Shavemac DO1. That's what I'm doing for my B'day brush this year. But it will bust your budget. I have an RV stubby I got here on BST for $70 and it has an amazing knot. I assume its "just" a TGN for the price, but incredibly soft and dense so I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss that option. All of this probably doesn't help narrow your choices, but that is half the fun of it!

Welcome to B & B . You've received excellent recommendations here. You may also want to look at brushes by Shavemac.

DC_MPA said:

Rudy's brushes are great but for a lifer brush I'd personally go a different route. Nothing against Rudy's impressive craftsmanship but the knot is just going to be a knot from www.thegoldennib.com. Certainly nothing super special on the knot for such an important gift IMO. Now if it's more of the handle that you want for the treasure then a RV handle is going to be substantially different than the traditional faux ivory handle that is more common in the few dozen types across the brush spectrum.

Click to expand...

Rudy Vey can also put a shavemac knot of your choice into one of his handles.

Just contacted Rudy via email .... Let's see what kind of ideas he has regarding my brush