Brush recommendations, argh!

This is like asking patrons in a bakery to make suggest which cookie to buy, but here goes..
In the past my wet shaving was done by hand application of gel. This time around I palm or face lather Proraso Cream (just did the 3 for 2 Bigelow at BBW) and use the VDH, which, you get less than what you pay for. My main complaint, aside from sheading, is that it literally hurts.. the hair points poke and scrape. The brush on the face is a little larger than I'd like.
Budget is an issue.. i've spend a fair amount on hardware already. I don't want to sell a razor to buy a brush.
My desire:

• smaller brush area at the face, minimal splay - my face is not so big and i don't want to 'wear' this stuff and like to focus the application.
• soft luxurious touch - i don't need scrubbing, i got too much of this from the VDH, i want this to be pleasurable
• a decent size handle to hold while whipping up (i'm an older guy with some arthritis)

If some of these desires are in conflict, my priority is luxurious experience on an average beard which is always shaved after a shower and hot, wet cloth soak. I don't think its relevant but i use a Feather in a New or a DE89, coffee on the dark side with a little sugar. I've read alot of the posts but this should be a purchase done by feel and i can't afford to buy to experiment. You guys have the experience, so I'm in the bakery asking which cookie to buy.
Thanks in advance

A 610 boar brush is very soft right out of the box and not real expensive or you can go to Larry at Whipped Dog and get a silvertip for about $40. I have both and they are both great brushes.

My standard advice for a new, high-quality brush is always Whipped Dog. If you want the knot a little firmer, pay a few extra dollars for Larry, the proprietor, to drill down the handle a few millimeters for a shorter (hence firmer) loft.

Given your preferences, I would recommend a 22mm silvertip knot with a loft of between 48 to 52mm. All the WD resin handles are solid and easy to hold. Total cost will be between $30-35 for a very soft silvertip brush that you can customize. Note that Larry is very friendly and professional, and will gladly walk you through the ordering process and competently answer any questions.

If you want even cheaper, a badger is not the best option. I would then recommend a classic Semogue 1305 boar brush**. Once broken-in, it is quite soft, you can probably find one for under $20, and the handle is large and ergonomic.

Lastly, I prefer my coffee light and sweet, with milk and Splenda.


** Vintage Scent is a B&B-affiliated vendor and has the largest stock of Semogue brushes. If you purchase from them, do not forget the discount code "foroafeitado" for an additional 10% off. Semogue brushes are also widely stocked by other reputable vendors.

Good luck!

branford said:

** Vintage Blades is a B&B-affiliated vendor and has the largest stock of Semogue brushes. If you purchase from them, do not forget the discount code "foroafeitado" for an additional 10% off. Semogue brushes are also widely stocked by other reputable vendors.

Click to expand...

I think that you mean Vintage Scent (not Vintage Blades).

Peter_A said:

I think that you mean Vintage Scent (not Vintage Blades).

Click to expand...

Thank you. Post corrected.

Muhle V2 synth with a 19mm knot.

This little brush has really taken over my shave den.

Initially bought it as a travel brush but lately I have been using it more and more often both for bowl lathering creams and face lathering shave sticks (and soaps).

This could easily be my one and only brush but don't tell all of the brushes that I have put away as I don't want a lynch mob forming one night while I am sleeping in the next room.



The angry mob who just heard me say this.... HELP!!!!!

turtle said:

Muhle V2 synth with a 19mm knot.

This little brush has really taken over my shave den.

Initially bought it as a travel brush but lately I have been using it more and more often both for bowl lathering creams and face lathering shave sticks (and soaps).

This could easily be my one and only brush but don't tell all of the brushes that I have put away as I don't want a lynch mob forming one night while I am sleeping in the next room.

The angry mob who just heard me say this.... HELP!!!!!

Click to expand...

Mick, I don't see your DaVinci brushes with the herd. Did you sell them?

branford said:

Mick, I don't see your DaVinci brushes with the herd. Did you sell them?

Click to expand...

No still have both of them. They're hiding in the middle of the angry mob.... Darn instigators....

turtle said:

Muhle V2 synth with a 19mm knot.

Click to expand...

Based on the OP's wish list, I was also thinking that the Muhle V2 synth would be a good choice. I would probably recommend the medium size (21mm), as that's the only one that I've tried, and these don't bloom like a regular brush does, so they seem a bit smaller.

Thanks all for the input.. I'll ponder.

For something really cheap, an Ecotools kabuki with brush handle is $5 at Walmart (I think). It's incredibly soft, and does lather creams well, but as a makeup brush it has zero backbone.

For a cheap, great brush, I'd look at an Omega or Semogue boar.

For a soft, great brush I'd look at a Whipped Dog silvertip or a Muhle silvertip fiber (Connaught or other European vendors sell for cheaper as they bypass the US distributor markup, even when looking at increased shipping costs).

My omega 10066 seems like a great face lathering brush to me. I tried a crappy wilkenson sword brush during a brief attempt at wet shaving years ago, and the omega is far superior. The Semogue 1305 is the brush folks recommend to noobs a lot. Semogue has a rep for being a step up from omega in handle quality. Get a nice boar brush from either company, they are pretty inexpensive and well regarded.

Whipped Dog 22mm Silvertip knot set to 50mm loft. Perfect for bowl lathering with plenty of backbone and luxuriously soft.

Dinola said:

• smaller brush area at the face, minimal splay - my face is not so big and i don't want to 'wear' this stuff and like to focus the application.
• soft luxurious touch - i don't need scrubbing, i got too much of this from the VDH, i want this to be pleasurable

If some of these desires are in conflict, my priority is luxurious experience on an average beard which is always shaved after a shower and hot, wet cloth soak. I don't think its relevant but i use a Feather in a New or a DE89, coffee on the dark side with a little sugar. I've read alot of the posts but this should be a purchase done by feel and i can't afford to buy to experiment. You guys have the experience, so I'm in the bakery asking which cookie to buy.
Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

Those are the only conflicts that I see, and even that isn't so bad.
Silvertip tends to be soft and luxurious.
The bulb, as opposed to fan shape, will give you a smaller contact area, however, IFAIK, Simpson only offers the bulb in "Super" which is fairly firm.

On the handle, there are a number of "substantial" handle designs that can be fitted with nearly any knot, but you might be best off investing the $150-$250 with an artisan like Rudy Vey, a member on the forum, who can make a new custom handle to any specification that fits your hand, and with any knot that you would like.
A true one of a kind custom that you can say is your very own.