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Journey to The One: Anyone have just one brush?

Have you arrived? Have you found your perfect brush? This is not a "My first brush" thread. Have you tried several, or dozens, before getting rid of all but THE brush? I have not. Just when I think I'm close, I get something new. I got down to four (Chief, Omega 49, Kent BB LE 2009, TGN 22mm finest restore) but have an incoming TSN LE M6. But if anyone has whittled their den down to just one brush, I'd love to hear the story of your Journey to The One!
 
I'm very satisfied with my Kent Infinity brush. I went from a (shedder) VDH badger to a Parker synth to an Omega synth to a Vie Long horsehair to several other brushes before I settled on the Kent. Didn't try any boars, because I avoid it for religious reasons. It's a small scrubby synthetic with soft tips. I love it for face lathering, but I get great results bowl latheting too. And at $20 shipped, it's an unbeatable value. The brush gurus on B&B say it has generation 3.5 fibers. Being a synth, it dries out almost instantly and is funk free.

I know there are more luxurious synth brushes out there, but the Kent works for me.
 
Forty-five or fifty years ago, I bought a good badger brush at Floris, in London. I used it continually for thirty years, until I had worn it down to a nub, literally. A friend took pity and got me another badger brush. Not a laster. So I then bought a nameless boar I used for ten years until I returned to DE shaving this year. I still had my original Floris brush, now darkened to a deep nut-brown. I sent it off to Larry at Whipped Dog for a silvertip rebadgering. I couldn't be happier. Best of old and new. I happily use it for every shave. I look at some handsome Simpsons or Rooneys or stunning custom jobs, admire them, then return to my one and only. Nice to avoid at least one acquisition disorder.
 
Have you arrived? Have you found your perfect brush? This is not a "My first brush" thread. Have you tried several, or dozens, before getting rid of all but THE brush? I have not. Just when I think I'm close, I get something new. I got down to four (Chief, Omega 49, Kent BB LE 2009, TGN 22mm finest restore) but have an incoming TSN LE M6. But if anyone has whittled their den down to just one brush, I'd love to hear the story of your Journey to The One!

I don't know if I've arrived. But, I have two brushes, one for each home. One is the brush that I re- knotted and the Thater that my wonderful son bought for me for Father's day 2013.

I never have understood the SBAD myself. To each his own.

Frank
 
I'm getting close. I'm down to three. One is a dedicated travel brush - a small Whipped Dog silvertip primarily used with soap sticks. The other two brushes are both Thäters in the 4125 series: a two band and a three band.
 
I am very close. I have a Vie-Long 13061M horsehair that I pretty much use exclusively. There are some other brushes around in my cabinet, but they just don't see the light of day.
 
I don't know about just one brush but for me the Savile Row 3824 is as close to perfection as I have used. Mind, I am not a collector having tried dozens but this one is about eight years old and lathers anything you chuck at it. With pure luxury I might add.
 
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Too many lovely brushes to face-lather with and each having a distinct characteristic and feel to them! They also provide a nice rotation for my SOTD photos! :thumbup:
 
I have only three brushes (and backups); but I could comfortably use any one of them until the end of (my) time. Lately, my preference is medium knots, 24mm to 25mm, and ~58 loft. However, as with all brush guys, today's preference is ever subject to change, and change, and...
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
I could cut down to one brush of every fiber type if I had to but not to only one brush. There isn't a fiber that I find perfect enough to make the other types unnecessary.
 
I for some reason am consumed with brushes, have only been DE wetshaving for six weeks and have more than one, I guess I could go down to one if I had to.
 
Like many others, I am close. I use my Simpson chubby 1 about 95% of the time, but every now and then I HAVE to use my Wee Scot, which I also use for travel.
 
I have 2 as my primary, a Semoque 1305 Bristle and a Vie-Long 04312 Horse Hair, I'll probably get more Boar and Hoarse Hair as time goes on. Rarely use my Badgers any more, not enough scratch
 

mswofford

Rest in Peace
I have vintage butterscotch badger, Simpson Best Badger, Omega boar and Rubberset 400 brushes and use them all.
 
I've decided I don't like my Semogue, and I've an Omega 10005 an 10019 that I'll use here and there, but for the most part the Bigger Bambino is just perfect for me. I love the size, bristles, handle and especially the price! Eventually the other brushes won't get used and I'll buy maybe 2 or 3 backups of the Bambino.
 
I started out using the Van der Hagen boar brush, but the quality wasn't that good so I got an Omega synthetic after a month. The Omega was better, but the white nylon bristles were too scratchy. Then I got a Kent Silvertex which was softer, but was small and didn't have enough backbone. So I gave boars another try with a Semogue 1250 which I've been using for 4 months and has been perfect for me except that it still loses 2 or 3 hairs per use.

I use the Semogue for everyday use and keep the Kent for travel since it dries so quickly. One day I forgot to soak the 1250 so I'm glad I had the Kent lying around. I got an Omega 10049 because I got it for $6 on Ebay, but have no plans to use it unless the Semogue loses too much hair.
 
After using my Omega 80080 Beehive for a couple days, it has become my #1 brush. The others, only two, are 'parked' in my all-things-shaving cabinet. It's making a denser lather than my other brushes with greater ease and the past two shaves have been noticeably smoother. I've changed nada save to begin using this grand Omega 80080.

And after about seven lathers, five of them 'mock' lathers, the brush feels as if I've have it for weeks. I like it so much, I bought a backup from Charles QED; who is a great guy and wastes no time in shipping orders to his customers. QED has the best online prices for their lineup of Omega brushes. The best, most effective at making exceptional lather, boar brush I've owned. And the cost was about $13 plus shipping.


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25mm knot/56mm loft (Omega lists the loft at ~58mm; mine measures 56mm)
 
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I am currently down to one. A vintage butter scotch maid rite handle re knotted with a t g n finest. I am coveting a new boar though....might be happy birthday to me come October
 
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