Franks Shaving Brushes...opinions?

**retrolike** · 05-28-2012, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Krona Kruiser

+1 on the Colonel. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...mic?highlight=
It really is worth it.

Where would you recommend me buying one?

**retrolike** · 05-28-2012, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Acmemfg

The $14 Omega turnback brush is quite a deal...but if you are not a boar fan, it is no deal at all.

I'm not looking for a travel brush...but would be interested in trying out a good boar brush. What would you recommend...cheap? I'm not wanting to spend much on a boar without knowing if I'd like it.

**Acmemfg** · 05-28-2012, 11:08 AM

Omega 11126 is my choice for top boar. Available from Superior Shave.com
Semogue gets a lot of love too. I have an 1800. Great brush; a close second to the Omega. A lot of guys really sing the praises if the Semogue 1350, kind of a gold standard for boars I understand the differences between the 1800 and 1350 are subtle but significant. Mostly differences focus on grade of bristle used and quantity of same. Each model has a large fan club. Semogues are sold by many good vendors

**retrolike** · 05-28-2012, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Acmemfg

Omega 11126 is my choice for top boar. Available from Superior Shave.com
Semogue gets a lot of love too. I have an 1800. Great brush; a close second to the Omega. A lot of guys really sing the praises if the Semogue 1350, kind of a gold standard for boars I understand the differences between the 1800 and 1350 are subtle but significant. Mostly differences focus on grade of bristle used and quantity of same. Each model has a large fan club. Semogues are sold by many good vendors

Thanks for your help...I just picked up the Omega 31064 boar brush for $12 shipped from a B/S/T listing...any thoughts on that one?

**dom1357** · 05-28-2012, 12:26 PM

There was another discussion in the last couple weeks that some others have referenced. I myself, had a Frank silvertip that I recently sold, nothing against the brush, just went to boars. But in the year and a half that i had it, it was great. Like any brush, i lost a few hairs the first couple weeks, but after those first hairs, it didn't lost anymore. People have been saying the QC has gone down in the last year, while prices have gone up. If that holds true, that I probably won't be getting another Frank, but if the quality is what it once was, I think it would just be a matter of preference between their brushes and a major brand.

**cb91710** · 05-28-2012, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Acmemfg

A turnback model I bought for about $25 around a year ago (nice brush by the way) in finest is now priced at between $29 to $50+about $8 shipping. Hardly a value at $50; both are listed as Finest. No idea what the difference of $25 could be.

I picked up a turnback in Silvertip last January for about $45 shipped.
Has he gone up since then?

**Zarba** · 05-28-2012, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by retrolike

I've been looking at getting a new brush...I really don't know that much about brushes. Anyway, I stumbled upon Franks Shaving Brushes, I think they are made/sold from China and they seller sells them from eBay (reason for no link). Just wanting to know your opinions. Does anyone use his brushes? They seem like a steal, and I had a friend that bought one and loves it. Any thoughts?

I just received a Frank Shaving synthetic. I have two FS Silvertips (22 mm and 27 mm), and I have been very happy with them. I've used them for about a year and can't praise them enough. Great value/quality. Not a $200 brush, but darn nice.

That being said, the FS Synthetic is merely...meh. Some others here have received them with misaligned knots, but mine was fine. Nice wood handle. Good backbone, but not a great latherer, especially compared to my inexpensive Omega 80266. Maybe it'll break in and lather better. It also feels very...artificial. I know it IS synthetic, but it feels obviously synthetic, if you know what I mean. I'll probably keep it for travel.

As much as I like the FS Silvertips, I would not recommend the synthetic.

**BallisticBurrito** · 05-28-2012, 08:01 PM

From the sounds of his prices, and that it has been said they're made in China...personally I'd rather just spend a couple extra $$ and get a Omega that's made in Italy.
But that's just me I guess. :P

**cb91710** · 05-28-2012, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by BallisticBurrito

From the sounds of his prices, and that it has been said they're made in China...personally I'd rather just spend a couple extra $$ and get a Omega that's made in Italy.
But that's just me I guess. :P

The badger hair is all sourced from China.

**BallisticBurrito** · 05-28-2012, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by cb91710

The badger hair is all sourced from China.

Yeah, but the brushes aren't made/assembled there.

**nrv216** · 05-28-2012, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Slash McCoy

siberian musk ox kneecap bone

Slash,

Not to hijack but can I please see a brush with the above handle?

nrv216

**Blondie** · 05-28-2012, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by eizan70

Here is one of the threads. It includes his email correspondence in trying to correct the problem.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...Brushes-Really

+1 on that. It was my brush in discussion. Personally, I would get a brush from WCS like the Simpson's Berkley.

**Blondie** · 05-28-2012, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by retrolike

I'm not looking for a travel brush...but would be interested in trying out a good boar brush. What would you recommend...cheap? I'm not wanting to spend much on a boar without knowing if I'd like it.

Don't waste your time with the boars. There seems to be a movement on the forum to try to displace badgers and somehow say boars are superior. They're not. This whole boar are better business is nonsense. Get the Colonel 2XL and be done with it. Saying a boar is better is the same as if I try to convince you a horse will get you where you are going faster than a car.

http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Simp...X2L_p_390.html

John is a first class vendor and stands behind everything he sells.

**nipper** · 05-28-2012, 08:37 PM

I have two that I bought about 21/2 years ago.They still perform just fine. They are both the finest quality knot. Both are set straight and are not floppy. A great value with above average performance in my opinion.

**Slash McCoy** · 05-28-2012, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by nrv216

Slash,

Not to hijack but can I please see a brush with the above handle?

nrv216

Don't have one. Ian uses plastic only.

**Krona Kruiser** · 05-28-2012, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by retrolike

Where would you recommend me buying one?

West Coast Shaving is the way to go. For coupon code put BandB for a 10% discount.http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Simp...X2L_p_390.html

**BallisticBurrito** · 05-29-2012, 12:53 AM

I got a cheapo ($7 on sale) omega boar coming in the mail..hopefully the stiffness over my omega silvertip helps me make lather a bit easier.

Because considering how badly I'm doing..I might as well be making rocket fuel.

**ouch** · 05-29-2012, 06:34 AM

Why don't you PM the seller and ask him?

Oh, yeah. That's right.

**Rev. Jim Ignatowski** · 05-29-2012, 07:04 AM

I picked up the FS brush in this thread: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...nd-Lider-oh-my . It was better than I expected -soft yet very good with harder soaps. Nice with croaps and cremes. Pretty good for face lathering (my exclusive method) but I still prefer boar. Is boar better? Nah, just different. I wouldn't get another FS brush again, because there are so many others to experience, esp. all those that people list here in the Vendor and Hobbyist sections.

**chrismikehead** · 05-29-2012, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by Rev. Jim Ignatowski

I picked up the FS brush in this thread: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...nd-Lider-oh-my . It was better than I expected -soft yet very good with harder soaps. Nice with croaps and cremes. Pretty good for face lathering (my exclusive method) but I still prefer boar. Is boar better? Nah, just different. I wouldn't get another FS brush again, because there are so many others to experience, esp. all those that people list here in the Vendor and Hobbyist sections.

I have one in Finest with that same handle in black, and a larger Finest with more of bulb shaped knot (smaller one is a fan). The larger one is my daily driver, and I rarely use the smaller one. I don't know if it is the smaller size or the fan shape of the knot, but the smaller one just doesn't work as well for me (face lather soaps 95% of the time). The larger one's knot also has a little bit of a lean/tilt going on, but it has not bothered me while using it. It does look a bit odd if you give it more than a passing glance.

I doubt I buy another FS brush at this point. If I was looking for my first brush, the Finest models would be tempting, but I've been there already, and the prices for the silvertips are getting close to the lower priced Simpson brushes. Combined with the questions about quality control, the questionable behavior seen on this forum by the proprietor, and the great service I have received from vendors like West Coast Shaving and Bullgoose, I don't see another FS brush arriving in my shave den when I could save up a few more bucks and try out a Berkley instead.

I do have a Whipped Dog Silvertip restore on the way, though. I am curious to see how it compares to the FS brushes.