Building your brush collection

[imomri]

Hi,

I've been straight razor shaving for about a year now, and I've got me an AOS Silvertip brush which I like - mainly, I have no base of comparison, and this is the one that got me into wet shaving. I've recently got a scholarship for Italy, so I'll be staying there for a few months. I was going to buy a travel brush (got torn between a Simpson's Major and a Rooney Silvertip) when I realised I want be travelling much (I'll be living in Florence for almost the entire time) so I don't necessarily need a travel brush. But now, alas, it is too late, and I've set my mind on buying a new brush.
I'm young and am enjoying this shaving stuff very much, so I know I'll end up having a collection (I always do...). I always try to set myself some basic ruled regarding what to buy, other wise I get lost in the multitude of options (not buying two of the same brand, keeping one item per country it came from, etc.). So I have this nice American Silvertip brush (I don't want to go lower than Silvertip - another aversion of mine: compromising for less is tough for me) and I'm looking for something else for my stay in Italy, that is both a decent day-to-day brush (unlike a turnback) and that would feel comfortable in my dope kit.
How did you guys built your brush collection? How many do you have? How often do you rotate them? Do you have any guidelines as to what to use when, or is it just what you grab in the morning?

Will appreciate your feedback, as I will draw on your advice as to what model to buy...
Omri

[shave~extacy]

I speak for many when I say there are multiple brushes in a typical collection. As for you a good all around brush for all forms of lathering as well as soaps/creams .. would have to be a Simpson Duke or perhaps a Thater 4125 in the knot fo your liking.

[imomri]

I don't do soaps... Will check them both, thanks.

[rob_NH]

I have only been at this a month. I have 5 brushes. I started with a Rooney 3/1 super silvertip, as I read it was a great first brush. Got a semogue 830, as I was reading things about boars that intruiged me. I have been reading about the love of the thater 2-bands, and got a 4125/1 in 2-band silver tip (my clear favorite), grabbed a Muhle Synthetic for work travel, and a 26mm TGN Silvertip on a vintage Rubberset #4 aluminum handle in the B/S/T because it looked really cool to me.

I almost bought a 2-band blond badger this morning, but I need to slow down. I have 6 razors and 1700 blades as well.

Sometimes, you just buy what the mood hits you with.

[djh]

I buy the brushes which I like and I hope to be able to use for a while. Why not wait until you are in Italy- you may find a fantastic brush there somewhere which would be great to shave with as well as being a wonderful souvenir of your time in Firenze.

[maxman]

I've got a few brushes. Not as many as some other folks.
I started with the most awful brush...a Wilkinson Sword I got from the grocery mart.
From there, I recieved a Rooney 3/2 Super as a gift.
I used that brush for many years until it started shedding.

Then... it happened... I wanted to try different brushes.
I got a Rudy Vey custom made (one of my best brushes), then I bought this and that just to try them out.

So now I have a few Rooneys and a few Kents.
But at the end of the day, I really only use one or two of them.

[BigWill]

I believe Omega brushes are made in Italy. Get something Italian.

[Rivguy]

Omri, I notice that you only use cream so you may enjoy the Kent BK8. I find that this is an outstanding brush and their silvertip knots have some of the softest hair I have experienced. http://feelunique.com has the best prices that I have seen. Another outstanding brush for either soaps or creams is the Da vinci line. They are made in Germany and have outstanding silvertip knots. I have the 290, 293 and the travel brush and think that they are some of the finest brushes in my den. Good luck on your search.

Regards,

Doug

[njpaddy]

Bought 20 in less than 3 years. It's a slippery slope. Down to 9 & looking to get down to 4/5 by year's end as I zero in on my favorites. Tastes change. I went from medium to small & back to medium. I was a scritch lover, now becoming a scritch hater.

[Locham]

Omri-

This doesn't exactly answer your question, but it's related. I was in Firenze a few weeks ago visiting an Italian friend of mine, and we scoured the city looking for DE shaving kit. Soaps, creams, and splashes are relatively easy to come by (SMN/Proraso HQ is just one stop north of the SMN train stop), other kit was hit and miss. If you're looking for something Italian, perhaps stop first in Rome. This shop had everything I wanted:

“Bertozzini Profumeria”
www.bertozzinidal1913.com
Via Cola di Rienzo, 192
00192 Roma
066 874662
http://goo.gl/maps/vhd7


Good luck with your search!

[pdillon]

(I don't want to go lower than Silvertip - another aversion of mine: compromising for less is tough for me)

Silvertip is not necessarily the best. It just has its own characteristics. I also have the AOS Silvertip brush, along with a Plisson black badger and an Omega boar. If I had to rank them, I would put the Silvertip last. On the other hand, I love using it for creams.

[German]

Got to try everything...

Hi,

I've been straight razor shaving for about a year now, and I've got me an AOS Silvertip brush which I like - mainly, I have no base of comparison, and this is the one that got me into wet shaving. I've recently got a scholarship for Italy, so I'll be staying there for a few months. I was going to buy a travel brush (got torn between a Simpson's Major and a Rooney Silvertip) when I realised I want be travelling much (I'll be living in Florence for almost the entire time) so I don't necessarily need a travel brush. But now, alas, it is too late, and I've set my mind on buying a new brush.
I'm young and am enjoying this shaving stuff very much, so I know I'll end up having a collection (I always do...). I always try to set myself some basic ruled regarding what to buy, other wise I get lost in the multitude of options (not buying two of the same brand, keeping one item per country it came from, etc.). So I have this nice American Silvertip brush (I don't want to go lower than Silvertip - another aversion of mine: compromising for less is tough for me) and I'm looking for something else for my stay in Italy, that is both a decent day-to-day brush (unlike a turnback) and that would feel comfortable in my dope kit.
How did you guys built your brush collection? How many do you have? How often do you rotate them? Do you have any guidelines as to what to use when, or is it just what you grab in the morning?

Will appreciate your feedback, as I will draw on your advice as to what model to buy...
Omri

[celestino]

i started with badgers, went to Semogue boars, then to Vie-Long horse-hair, then synthetics. i like them all. Have fun!

[imomri]

Oh, the confusion!
Thank you all, gents.

[martym]

I love whipped dog brushes.
They work well and are inexpensive.
The black badgers are my favorites.
They break in wonderfully.
martym

[imomri]

So, I was about to buy a Rooney Heritage 2XL from VintageBlades, when I noticed they do not ship out of the US. I am now looking for another, all around brush. I got a bit more specific...: I want a classy looking brush, that can do both creams (what I mainly use now) and soaps (which I'll probably start using soon). When I'll be in Italy, I'll probably buy an Omega, but till then I'm opting for something good and shiny. The Simpson Chubby 2 in Two Band has caught my eye (though I've looked at the Thater and the Simpson Duke, as suggested here). I don't have any opinion about the size, though, as I've only used my SilverTip AOS brush and have no further base of comparison. I usually do a 3-pass shave with a straight. Again, I'm not sure about backbone/softness issues, as I have only used two brushes (both by AOS).

[Lamb Root]

Of Simpsons' brushes I only have Duke 2 (best). It was my first brush. I can recommend it. It's a good brush. I chose that one because of shape of its handle. Shape of the handle is the first thing I look. Then I look if the knot looks proportional/suitable for that handle. I get used to the rest easily. I'm a fool I know. I like black badgers recently and my next brush will probably be with black badger, if the handle is right ;)

[oakeshott]

So, I was about to buy a Rooney Heritage 2XL from VintageBlades, when I noticed they do not ship out of the US. I am now looking for another, all around brush. I got a bit more specific...: I want a classy looking brush, that can do both creams (what I mainly use now) and soaps (which I'll probably start using soon). When I'll be in Italy, I'll probably buy an Omega, but till then I'm opting for something good and shiny. The Simpson Chubby 2 in Two Band has caught my eye (though I've looked at the Thater and the Simpson Duke, as suggested here). I don't have any opinion about the size, though, as I've only used my SilverTip AOS brush and have no further base of comparison. I usually do a 3-pass shave with a straight. Again, I'm not sure about backbone/softness issues, as I have only used two brushes (both by AOS).

Imomri,
This is a very long journey figuring these things out. I've been using a brush for years, but only became serious about this as a hobby about 6 months ago and only now am even beginning to understand the brush side of things. First razors, then soaps and now looking at figuring out brushes. The best thing to do is try as many as you can. We have a diverse membership with an equally diverse view of what they require in a brush some of which may be of no interest to you. For instance, some of the members here love the synthetics and horsehairs not because of performance, but because they don't require that an animal die. Others would never use anything but a badger and the thought of using a synthetic fills them with end of the world dready.

Monitor the BST and buy some of the stuff that the others have already cycled through. Get it cheap if you can so that you can get rid of it without much of a loss if you don't like it. Try everything. Badger, boar, horse, synthetic (though not me...never in MY house). Experiment with the subcategories: Badger divides into (roughly) pure, best, finest, Silvertip and then brand specific versions. There are boars, boar/badger blends and then gradations within boar. Horsehair, also a traditional brush hair which disappeared because of an anthrax scare, also has different grades and proportions of mane/tail (and is my favorite non-badger material).

The journey never ends, but at some point it slows down because you learn what suits you. Don't agonize too much at this phase over what to buy. You can't make a mistake. If you see something you think you'll like and you can afford it, then get it. It's part of your education and the only way you can learn is by shelling out the bucks and making the mistakes. The beauty of this site, however, is that your mistake is someone else's dream.

[vocalistbob]

Since you had your eye on the Rooney 2XL, the Simpson Chubby is a very good, similar substitute. So is a Thater, but they tend to be soap hogs. I also think it's a good idea to check out the B/S/T section of this site. If you would prefer to buy a new brush and want to get high quality at reasonable prices, I recommend checking out Vulfix brushes (I own 3). The biggest selection and best customer service is at thesuperiorshave.com.

[imomri]

Great advice. Will do all that.

BTW, a brand new 2-band Simson Chubby 2 is on its way to me.

Thanks, all!