The brush that triggered your SBAD?

Gents,


I am curious about "THE" brush that started you on the path to SBAD or was just such a GAME-CHANGER?

I have a SIMPSON "Commodore X2," and while I like it very much, there has to be something a tad softer AND with a touch more backbone, and a handle that suits my hands better.

I totally "GET IT" when it comes to SBAD.......it is such a huge part of the ritual and even if you bowl-lather, the quality-contact we make with a brush is sort of profound, no?

Rudy Very was my first high quality brush....then I noticed the world of Simpson 2 band hair....

I bought two DaVinci Uomo silvertip brushes; a 290 and a 293. They are my first and only silver tip brushes. Fortunately for me I have yet to find anything I would like to have that is of comparable or better quality. I ordered both brushes and paid $68 each. I couldn't believe the price as I have seen the 290 for about $250.

I have not bought any brushes in almost 2 years. SBAD is in remission. Its not brushes I have issues with, its the dang SCAD, SSAD, Perfumes and Aftershaves. lol

Like Pbnj, Rudy Vey was my first foray into higher-end brushes. But then I discovered the Simpsons....

Thater 4125 two band got the ball rolling on the SBAD. I was really impressed the Thater, so I picked up a 49125 3 band for my creams. I recently added a Ronney Stubby 1 to my arsenal and yet I'm still browsing for different brushes.

My custom TGN finest by bullseye. The difference between lathering with that, and with any brush I owned prior to it was startling.

A Kent BLK8 was the beginning of the end for me.

They were such simpler times back then...

I read "a beginners guide to boar brushes" by Zach (Google it) and as I result I bought an Omega 31064, $22 at WCS. It was much better than the Burma Shave and Van Der Hagen boar that I had used for 20 years before joining B&B. Since then I have bought a couple of B&B Essentials and a couple of Simpsons in Best Badger.

My first good brush, a Whipped Dog silvertip, showed me what shaving brushes could be. I think I've tried 40 in the 12 months or so since.

RV 2 band finest and Semogue 610

Rooney & M & F.

I bought an Omega 81052 because I wanted to try a boar & hard soaps. Never thought it was a good brush until it broke in. Now I really like it and looking to try others. Got my eye on a Semogue 610, semogue 620, muhle synthetic, and a vie long 50/50 white horse hair. I said when I started wet shaving I would keep it to 3 brushes but now I don't know if that is possible.

Thater 4125/1 2 band bulb

My Duke 2, before that I was perfectly satisfied with my Kent BLK8.

I'm not sure I understand the question, but I'd say it's the Escali 100% Pure Badger brush off Amazon. It was so bad, so absolutely awful and disgusting smelling and scratchy and left a foul brown soup in the water it soaked in day after day, that I made a vow to never touch another badger that wasn't at least Silvertip grade. Thus began my search for the perfect brush.

Rooney Heritage Beehive is at fault.

M&F 1/2 blonde badger. I could have stopped there happily but it was so good I started to wonder what else was out there.

My first purchase outside of the $4 boar brushes I had always used was a Savile Row 24mm Pure badger brush which is still in my rotation. Oddly enough Charles didn't want me to buy the brush at the time but wanted me to wait till he had a best grade brush in back in stock. Fortunately I decided to purchase the Pure. It not only started me on my quest for great brushes but has remained one of my favorites for the last 9 or 10 years. If you have been bitten with the SBAD bug I would strongly suggest adding a Savile Row to your collection. My Pure in 24mm and my Savile Row 3424 Silvertip will remain treasured additions to my permanent rotation.

Semogue 830. For decades I'd used (very off and on) an Ever Ready PTB 400 silvertip (?), now PIF'd, and a Dubl Duck barber's boar: super soft to very firm. Got the Semogue and discovered that different sizes of brush, and varying levels of backbone existed, so of course I've had to get about a dozen more of varying types to experiment.

My WD silvertip 24/45. It had just a little too much backbone, and so the hunt began.