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Call me crazy but...

I have 17 user brushes. If I could only keep a handful or less, it would be 2 of the boar first, then 3 of the synthetics. The rest, including all 5 of the badger, would go.
 
I'll half agree with you......
I prefer my 60% Boar / 40% White Horsehair mix to my Dark Badger, DIY Travel Badger or Synthetic Silvertip - it's a Vie Long 4101 Professional
It's got all the backbone of Boar, all the floppiness of Horsehair, and now that the tips are nicely broken in, it feels fairly soft when used correctly in a "paintbrush" motion
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But my overall favourite, favourite brush is an "El Cheapo" Chinese Horsehair that I only paid €3,75 for at auction on eBay - with free shipping from China to Spain
It's got enough backbone to load up even the hardest soaps
It's floppy enough to lather up with creams
It's kitten soft when lathering - both in a swirling and in a painting motion
All this for just €3,75 - that's a lot of bangs for my buck !!
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I own three badges, four boars and one horse. All different sizes. I generally pick the brush that I feel best suits my soap for that day. I enjoy what each one has to offer.
 
Have you tried an Omega S-Brush (synthetic boar)? I used to have trouble with synthetics, but after about 5 shaves with the S-Brush it entered into my rotation as a stellar performer.

I've looked at those, but have not tried one yet. I've only used a RazoRock, and one by Larry at Whipped Dog.
 
My top brush is badger I have 3 boar that I do use when my mood swings never tried a synthetic but I do own one I must get around to trying it one day but it looks to floppy to me
 
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nemo

Lunatic Fringe
Staff member
Boar gets the job done, badger does too, but much more luxuriously. I use my boars occasionally but usually end up grabbing a quality badger brush. Self-indulgence plays a part.
 
My daily brush is the 2009 B&B limited edition super badger from Kent. I've been using it pretty much exclusively since I bought it, except for when I travel. It has plenty of backbone for soap and is gentle enough for face lathering. If I wasn't paranoid that I would lose or ruin this brush while traveling, I wouldn't own any other brushes.
 

Antique Hoosier

“Aircooled”
Doug, those are great brushes!
My daily brush is the 2009 B&B limited edition super badger from Kent. I've been using it pretty much exclusively since I bought it, except for when I travel. It has plenty of backbone for soap and is gentle enough for face lathering. If I wasn't paranoid that I would lose or ruin this brush while traveling, I wouldn't own any other brushes.
 
Call me crazy but...I'm thinking boars are just better than badgers. I know it's a ymmv thing but I'm thinking this is empirically true. The lather whips up quicker with a boar and it does not get lost in the brush. Any thoughts welcome.

These are my thoughts exactly. I've only tried two badger brushes, maybe there are better ones, but what I've tried was way too soft with zero backbone whatsoever, and it felt like it was just holding onto most of the lather I had created with it.

Now all that said, I actually prefer synthetic. Again, my experience is limited, only having tried one synthetic, the omega s-brush, but I love the thing. I don't see the need for any other brush, and I'm a cheapskate anyhow. It doesn't smell bad when you get it, which is only a ridiculously minor inconvenience, but still, some people don't like it. Anyway, it has the softness of badger at the tips, yet it has the backbone of a boar, and it lathers effortlessly. I don't have to worry about it rotting from not drying properly either, although I do keep it hanging on a brush stand attached to a razor stand.

It's also worth noting that the boar brush I did try didn't seem like it had a whole lotta bristles. It was nice and poofy for the most part but the bristles were larger, and it seemed like there were a lot fewer of them. It wasn't very dense. It also only cost me $2 from Turkey. So I'm willing to accept that's not necessarily representative of a good boar brush. But I've heard they can be kinda scratchy, which isn't necessarily terrible... But the softness of the synthetic feels really nice.
 
Better is relative to context.

Boar / Badger / Context
. . > . . Speed of lather building
. . < . . Time to absorb water
. . < . . Softness
. . > . . Scrubbing (ouch with 1.5-day growth while doing 4+pass shaves) (shouldn't hurt with 1-day growth on 2-pass shaves)

Now that I use Feather shavette, boar doesn't hurt as much, but I'm sticking to Simpsons Pure badger as my worst brush to use. Even the Omega mixed midget with both boar and badger hurts more than I'd like..

EDIT:
NOTE that I've been using Barrister & Mann's seasonal soap exclusively since it has their special formula. Tabac bowl has been the best cheap-soap, but doesn't glide enough; therefore, adding 5-10 minutes to my current 20-30-minute shave.. I'd be happy to knock off 5 more minutes via Feather Artist Club DX with proguard blade.

I use the Simpsons Special in Pure badger (~$25) nowadays, but prefer Wee Scot's Best badger (~45) if only it were larger..
 
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As always YMMV.

For me I also prefer boar brushes. The only downside being they require time to break in.
The badger brushes I have tried seem reluctant to release the lather.
Still use a badger now and then. Mostly boar and horse.
 
The positive of the badger over the boar (as was alluded to here) is that it retains heat better. So if I soak my badger in hot water it actually has a nice warmth which the boar does not have. But a cold badger is worse than a cold boar!
 
I have 22 brushes soon to be 24 atm I have 3 boar 2 sin and the rest badger and 2 more boar on the way but I use my badgers more than any because I love the way they feel on the face
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For me is more about the backbone, that's why I used to refer boars, once they are broken in they are great with soaps and creams...

I have only used "cheap" badgers, maybe that's why I haven't got a good experience with them.

But recently i bought a horse hair brush, and I love it, good backbone and softer than the boar.
 
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