Essential Brush initial use. . .

[ouch]

Having had the privilege of using this brush for better than half a year, I couldn't be more pleased. I, too, lost a few hairs the first two or three go arounds, but nary a hair since. It's very well constructed with a very dense knot. It feels as good as anything I've tried, and although I'm not a "brush guy" to the extent of many others here on this site, I would be completely satisfied using this brush and nothing else for the rest of me years.
Love it love it love it.

[soapbox]

It's very well constructed with a very dense knot. It feels as good as anything I've tried, and although I'm not a "brush guy" to the extent of many others here on this site, I would be completely satisfied using this brush and nothing else for the rest of me years.
Love it love it love it.

Second shave with The Brush this morning (I used a different brush for a few days for some perspective), and my experience was the same: spectacular. I again used Tom's of Maine Mint, and got piles of lather--way more than I needed, and I made a four+ pass shave today (meeting at 2 PM). The knot is so dense it's a completely different experience from the C&E BBB, which by comparison is overly floppy.

And I, too, could use this model brush until the end of my days and be just fine. wow. WOW.

[Tinzien]

I got my brush late yesterday and shaved with it this morning. While I lost about 16 hairs during the later process versus a tub of QED sandalwood soap, the brush sure earned high marks for the quick and stable lather that it generated!

I've been a 99% user of the B&B2k6 series of brushes which are on the floppy side. With the hard water at my house, soaps are a PIA to lather sometimes. With this stiffer brush the lather off the soap reminded me of the loads of lather I used to get off soft water from the tap in Fairfax, VA.

A great brush for an excellent price!

A hearty thank you to Joel, Nick and John for getting this brush into our hands!!!

[DustBow]

Finally got mine in yesterday's mail - I was starting to get a little worried.
It had no badger funk to speak of and although it did lose some hairs, it was on the low side of the numbers I've seen posted around here.
It will take a couple days to get used to - at the end of my shave I realized how much water was still in the brush, I'll need to shake a little bit more/harder tomorrow before I lather up.
The handle is nice and very easy to grip and hold.

[perry]

While the hair loss isn't ideal, and is a bit of a pain in the rear - due to the amount of labor required to hand comb each knot, it saves the end user about $27, so frankly - i'd rather have the $27 in my pocket and a brush that sheds for a week or so, rather than pay $27 to have a brush that sheds for 1-3 days.

I sure wish that this had been made clear before I ordered.

[jkh]

would you have not ordered this brush if you had been privy to this information?

I sure wish that this had been made clear before I ordered.

[rickw]

Used mine today with Surrey Glycerin.
Front pre bloom

Back pre bloom

Next to Kent BK4 (center) C&E BB (right)


The BBE is definitely denser than the BK4.

[aereinha]

I got mine yesterday and used it today for the first time. It shed a bit, but being my first high quality brush it produced the best lather I ever whipped up. I used proraso green and it was wonderful. I don't think I am going to use my Vulfux 1000a anytime soon.

[BroJohn]

FWIW, I've used the BaBE since it arrived a week ago and the 'shedding' has ceased.

It does well with soaps and creams, and as Joel mentioned, in full bloom it now generates and holds enough lather for multiple passes.

-- John Gehman

[koso]

I'm spoiled now.

A couple of times I've held the C&E up to my face since the Essential arrived, ye Gods! Feels like I'm being stabbed.

I'll keep the C&E as a backup/travel brush but the Essential will be my only daily brush for the foreseeable future.

[redbike]

I used mine again this am, this time with a MB soap. It generated plenty of lather quite easily. I prefer a stiffer brush for soaps and facial lathering though so will stick with my Rooney 3/1 for soaps, and reserve the B&BE for creams, which I typically lather in a mug. Still I'm very pleased with this product.

jim

[king.mustache]

I finally broke mine in yesterday with some Musgo Real, and then whipped up some QED Special 218 this morning...and much like McDonald's--I'm loving it.

[soapbox]

FWIW, I've used the BaBE since it arrived a week ago and the 'shedding' has ceased.

It does well with soaps and creams, and as Joel mentioned, in full bloom it now generates and holds enough lather for multiple passes.

-- John Gehman

You should add BaBE or B&BE to the wiki abbreviations, John. I think it's warranted.

[BigRich]

I've been using mine all this week and she's performed even better than expected. I absolutely love this brush!

I'm only up to about 10 hairs lost.

[cnahil]

Shave three this morning with the BaBE and shedding has all but ceased. Four passes and I could have shaved though lunch, if I felt like it. A previous post reminded me about the handle. On initial viewing, I thought it looked a little ornate for my tastes, but on actually getting the sucker in my hand I've found that the turns on the handle really improve the number and quality of grips you can use (uh, what is he talking about exactly...?). Anyway, glad to be wrong about my first impression there.

Cheers,
Chris

[letterk]

You should add BaBE or B&BE to the wiki abbreviations, John. I think it's warranted.

Anyone can edit the wiki.

[soapbox]

Anyone can edit the wiki.

I didn't want to be presumptious -- adding a phrase to the hallowed "abbreviations" wiki? Especially when it wasn't my idea. (I'm an academic -- citing our sources is mandatory...)

[Leatherneck]

the little badger came out for it's first shave. I started running short of time, didn't have nearly as much as I had planned for. Soaked for a few minutes in a mug while I tried to suffocate myself with a nice hot barber towel.
After looking over my rather meager shave locker, I decided to intropduce it to a soap first, and of my soaps I decided on Provence Sante. Hadn't used this soap for awhile and was reminded how much I really enjoy the scent and working with it.
After a decent shake and a few swirls in the clay bowl, the little badger jumped into the bowl and did a couple minutes ( maybe couple, sense of time blur ) of twisting, pumping and whipping.
I was very, very impressed the the amount and quality of lather this brush helped produce, compared with my other brush, which is also a very good brush. A good soap, some more experience than several months ago when I started this whole wet shaving thing, and finally this awesome brush!
Don't think I'm going to need another brush. At least for a long, long time.
For those who are waiting for round two, your patience will be well rewarded!
Thanks B&B, for giving us such a great brush.

Kevin

[asbjorn]

Has anyone used the B&B Essential with creams yet? How does it perform?

Thanks,

jim

Tried it today with T&H Lime cream, excellent performance, and lightening fast to lather.

I have tried it twice no, and it have shedded a quite, but I guess it is only while breaking it in.
It does not smell bad like other brushes do intially though, very nice.

[Not A Nice Person]

Third use today, with HBS Sandalwood & Vanilla soap, and no bristle loss at all during the actual shave . . . one loose one came out during the rinse off is all. I think it's done shedding, for the most part.

Thinking I'll try it out on a superlather tomorrow.

NANP™