I tried a horse and I didn't like it

[Haggises]

I have a large empty stable for all these poor unwanted horsies.

My vie long 12705 keeps getting better and better.

[mftoms59]

Some of the less costly V-L's can be a bit prickly, I've had ~12 horses and very few were too prickly or scritchy, I've also had only two or three which had an overwhelming odor. They do lose prickliness with use and the tips will soften, less pressure will reduce the prickly feeling, but I doubt you want to wait or invest that much time. I'd recommend the BullGoose Butterscotch Beehive in Natural Horse, very slight scritch that's equivalent to a Best or Finest Badger. No overpowering odor and Soft Tips out of the box gives it a luxurious feel on your face, and hold plenty of lather 55mm/25mm.

I'd also recommend any Horse Brush from Gifts & Care that has a knot of 23mm or larger, I just picked up the 14830M, Natural Brown @56/23, and it's just as soft and luxurious as my BullGoose. Just be aware it's probably ~20 Euros more than your current V-L @ 30.95, but you'll definitely feel a big difference between the knots; http://www.bullgooseshaving.net/vibubeinnaho.html

[Cochese2323]

The title of your thread is mildly misleading sir. It also confirms my thoughts that I never want to "try a horse" either

[oakeshott]

Some of the less costly V-L's can be a bit prickly, I've had ~12 horses and very few were too prickly or scritchy, I've also had only two or three which had an overwhelming odor. They do lose prickliness with use and the tips will soften, less pressure will reduce the prickly feeling, but I doubt you want to wait or invest that much time. I'd recommend the BullGoose Butterscotch Beehive in Natural Horse, very slight scritch that's equivalent to a Best or Finest Badger. No overpowering odor and Soft Tips out of the box gives it a luxurious feel on your face, and hold plenty of lather 55mm/25mm.

I'd also recommend any Horse Brush from Gifts & Care that has a knot of 23mm or larger, I just picked up the 14830M, Natural Brown @56/23, and it's just as soft and luxurious as my BullGoose. Just be aware it's probably ~20 Euros more than your current V-L @ 30.95, but you'll definitely feel a big difference between the knots; http://www.bullgooseshaving.net/vibubeinnaho.html

Second this. I also have Phil's beehive horse in natural and dyed and this post prompted me to use it last night. It performs in the lathering dept as well as my silver tip badgers, but it is scritchier. Not a lot mind you, just a little. Still a much better brush than any of the pure badgers I got from AOS at the same price years ago before I knew any better.

And the best part is its a horse. Wonderful animals. Didn't we all have ponies growing up?

[cryhavoc]

I have a #7 and #6 Horse from Bestshave and enjoy them both. After several lathers with Arko they lost their "horseyness"

[turtle]

There are many different grades of horse hair brushes using hair from different parts of the horse.

Somewhere there is a good article on the different blends of hair and how they perform. (If I can find it, I will add it to this thread later)

I only have 1 horsey brush and it is one of the softest brushes I own... AND it has NO smell what so ever.

So as the B&B adage goes.....

YMMV

[rbaloha]

Recently started using a Vie Long 13061.

First, the smell is much overstated -- virtually disappears with continual usage.

Second, brush works better with creams. Do not suggest using on soaps.

Third, the brush holds a lot of lather. Thus more product is initially required which easily creates enough for 3 shaves.

Fourth, the brush breaks-in quickly resulting in a nice soft feel.

[oakeshott]

There are many different grades of horse hair brushes using hair from different parts of the horse.

Somewhere there is a good article on the different blends of hair and how they perform. (If I can find it, I will add it to this thread later)

I only have 1 horsey brush and it is one of the softest brushes I own... AND it has NO smell what so ever.

So as the B&B adage goes.....

YMMV

Turtle,
it may just be the way the pic is showing up, but that lather you have there looks pretty foamy. Is that what the lather looks like that you shave with? Shouldn't it be denser?
Asking in the spirit of true inquiry.
oake

[oscar11]

[top]I tried a horse and I didn't like it

Me either. I bought a knot and really had no idea of what kind of mixture (tail to mane) it was. Way too soft and no backbone at all. I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could find a good horse brush, I'm just not that interested in them.

[celestino]

At first i did not like my Vie-Long BGS 2012, but now, i find it magnificent. You may need it to break in and get accustomed to it. Good luck.

[El-a-Menthol]

Recently started using a Vie Long 13061.

First, the smell is much overstated -- virtually disappears with continual usage.

It's not overstated. It depends on the brush and the hair types used (mane and tail percentages).
You just got lucky.

[Tonka]

Recently started using a Vie Long 13061.

First, the smell is much overstated -- virtually disappears with continual usage.

Second, brush works better with creams. Do not suggest using on soaps.

Third, the brush holds a lot of lather. Thus more product is initially required which easily creates enough for 3 shaves.

Fourth, the brush breaks-in quickly resulting in a nice soft feel.

I have persevered with this brush and the awful smell no longer wakes my dog and is just a whiff of horse now, nothing to worry me, took about 10-15 uses though even after a good wash!
it deffinately works better with creams out performing my boar in terms of lather, and holds plenty if it.
Still quite skritchy though, I guess this is because it's cheap?

I would consider trying a more expensive horse, maybe, or just go synthetic.

[oakeshott]

I have a #7 and #6 Horse from Bestshave and enjoy them both. After several lathers with Arko they lost their "horseyness"

If you lathered an actual horse with Arko, then the horse would lose its "horseyness". That stuff is olfactory dynamite. Given the choice, however, between the smell of a horse and the smell of Arko, gotta go with the horse. (Insert just kidding much love my brother emoticon here)

OP, if you're going to try another horse, go with Phil's Beehive in natural at Bullgoose. If that doesn't cut it for you, I can't imagine what will. Still, you shouldn't feel the need to try horse just because a bunch of us love them. You can live a long complete life without ever using a horsehair brush...or a boar brush.

The same is NOT true about Badger though.
oake

[Tim_McD]

I just finished with my Bullgoose Beehive in bleached horse (the dark hair brushes are the natural). This brush and my 13061 (same hair; 50/50 mane-to-tail, bleached) are wonderful with both soaps and creams.

I didnt notice a strong funk with the 13061, but there was a more pronounced scent with the beehive - which went away after a quick "hair only" soak in a mild vinegar solution, followed by a shampoo with whatever foo-foo shampoo my wife was using at the time (some all natural, sulfate free stuff that costs an obscene amt of money).

I used the beehive with Cella and the horsehair rips that Italian soft soap up. The prickly tips have softened into a pleasant scritch, that is no more abrasive than the constant faceturbation you do after the DFS-to-BBS you get after having an awesome lathering experience.

[Gissy]

Horse has been too prickly for my tastes. Got bad brush burn from it.

+1

[California Cajun]

I reported on July 27 that I was going to soak mine in Oxy Clean and give it another go. Well, I killed the bad smell but I still don't like the horsehair brush. Too floppy. My preference is finest badger.

[Haggises]

The prickly tips have softened into a pleasant scritch, that is no more abrasive than the constant faceturbation you do after the DFS-to-BBS you get after having an awesome lathering experience.

This.
My 12705 has gone from significantly scritchy to almost as soft tip feeling as my TGN silvertip.