What Badger Shaving Brushes Do You Recommend?

[Filudo]

This is my current brush, its got no branding, and is pure badger, with a chrome metal handle.

Brand new unused...

Brush soaking in water in a mug...

After first use...

I'm sure @Chan Eil Whiskers will chime in, cause I think he's our resident shaving brush guru. But here's what I am asking. Are there any badger brushes that are better then the one that I have? This one above cost me 30 dollars. I know Semogue has finest badger brushes in the 95 dollar range, thats a bit more then I want to spend. I am thinking of a brush closer to maybe 50 dollars or less preferably.

Its not that my brush isn't working out, it is, and the hairs are getting softer after two uses now. I am just wondering if there is just something better in the badger department. I figure not all badger brushes are the same.

I had a very similar brush that came with a "kit" I got through Amazon.....I did NOT like it one bit, and soon got a synthetic. I then got a synthetic knot and yanked this badger out.....
Check and see if amazon has some of the cheaper Simpsons, some are nice and not that expensive.

 

[hairless wonder]

Congratulations on getting a new brush already. I hope it delivers you a lifetime of wonderful shaves.

That said, when considering what brush to buy, you may want to consider some factors, including knot size, loft, handle size, and (most importantly) how you make lather. For instance, Simpsons brushes advise against swirling the brush (painting strokes to apply lather to one's face is preferred/recommend instead). Also, smaller knots tend to be better for face lathering than brushes with bigger knots.

There are obviously more things to consider, but I would urge other new shavers thinking about buying new brushes keep these in mind.

FWIW, I bowl lather and really enjoy the lathers I get from my 2-band badger Semogue Owners Club in cherry wood. This brush had a good combination of backbone and softness. It also releases lather well (I use painting strokes). Additionally, the handle shape helps the brush rest on the lip of my shave bowl well.

 

[ShaveWok]

I am a newbie in the hobby But I went through 3 brushes and found I like the Simpson t3

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Congratulations on getting a new brush already. I hope it delivers you a lifetime of wonderful shaves.

That said, when considering what brush to buy, you may want to consider some factors, including knot size, loft, handle size, and (most importantly) how you make lather. For instance, Simpsons brushes advise against swirling the brush (painting strokes to apply lather to one's face is preferred/recommend instead). Also, smaller knots tend to be better for face lathering than brushes with bigger knots.

There are obviously more things to consider, but I would urge other new shavers thinking about buying new brushes keep these in mind.

FWIW, I bowl lather and really enjoy the lathers I get from my 2-band badger Semogue Owners Club in cherry wood. This brush had a good combination of backbone and softness. It also releases lather well (I use painting strokes). Additionally, the handle shape helps the brush rest on the lip of my shave bowl well.

Thank you for the information! I've had conversations with Chan about the knot size, and I defer to him, because he's more experienced then I am. For some of this stuff, its hard to develop ones own opinion, if they haven't experienced the differences yet. I know I will learn as I go.

I really like Semogue brushes when I looked them up on Amazon, I was looking at their finest badger brush for awhile. But they wanted like 94+ dollars for it, and its just too much. I love Semogue black glossy handles, they are really nice.

I know they have super cheap synthetic brushes under their brand but dudes, I am not buying no synthetic brush. If I am bringing those hairs to my face and neck, with an application of lather, I want it to be a pleasant magical experience. Thats why I went with badger in the first place.

But what I didn't realize at the very beginning of my journey, is that not all badger brushes are equal. I used to think the only differences were the handle, and thats what you were paying for in reality. How wrong I was, as I have realized now, its not just the handle, but the brush hairs, the quality, the size, the knott, the loft.

Its not that my current brush is necessarily terrible per say, I still think it be better then any synthetic brush. But, I am just not really that happy with it. I think the hairs could be softer still. And I don't like how floppy it is, absolutely no backbone! So, I would rate my current brush as just OK.

Because I followed some expert advice this time around, which is what I should have done before, I feel that I have finally ordered a winner winner for me the DE shaver. According to Chan, it will hold lather well, and its got some backbone to it, yet the hairs are nice and soft.

He recommended the 30 knott, as according to him those are better. Not everybody likes a 30 knott I know, but I think I will most likely enjoy that. And finally, durability, its supposed to be a top brush that rivals much higher priced brushes. And lastly, for cosmetic reasons, I really love that brush.

I can't wait till it gets here! I will be sure to do the initial first phaze pre soak in hot water to get anything that is in the brushes out, like chemicals or whatever. Then I will give it another soaking with fresh water after before the first shave with it. And I know it will take further soaks in both soap lather and water to keep breaking it in I know.

Supposedly, its not supposed to loose too many brush hairs, cause again, its a higher end brush. Am I the only one who freaks out when I see a shaving brush shedding? Yes I know its normal for a new brush but still, it freaks me out. Its like, ohhhhh no, I hope your not falling apart on me.

My chrome brush is going to get jealous, and I am sorry to say, the marriage is off. Cause a new brush will be coming, and I'll marry it into soothing lathers of Tabac and whatever new soap I buy next month.

 

[hairless wonder]

Thank you for the information! I've had conversations with Chan about the knot size, and I defer to him, because he's more experienced then I am. For some of this stuff, its hard to develop ones own opinion, if they haven't experienced the differences yet. I know I will learn as I go.

I really like Semogue brushes when I looked them up on Amazon, I was looking at their finest badger brush for awhile. But they wanted like 94+ dollars for it, and its just too much. I love Semogue black glossy handles, they are really nice.

I know they have super cheap synthetic brushes under their brand but dudes, I am not buying no synthetic brush. If I am bringing those hairs to my face and neck, with an application of lather, I want it to be a pleasant magical experience. Thats why I went with badger in the first place.

But what I didn't realize at the very beginning of my journey, is that not all badger brushes are equal. I used to think the only differences were the handle, and thats what you were paying for in reality. How wrong I was, as I have realized now, its not just the handle, but the brush hairs, the quality, the size, the knott, the loft.

Its not that my current brush is necessarily terrible per say, I still think it be better then any synthetic brush. But, I am just not really that happy with it. I think the hairs could be softer still. And I don't like how floppy it is, absolutely no backbone! So, I would rate my current brush as just OK.

Because I followed some expert advice this time around, which is what I should have done before, I feel that I have finally ordered a winner winner for me the DE shaver. According to Chan, it will hold lather well, and its got some backbone to it, yet the hairs are nice and soft.

He recommended the 30 knott, as according to him those are better. Not everybody likes a 30 knott I know, but I think I will most likely enjoy that. And finally, durability, its supposed to be a top brush that rivals much higher priced brushes. And lastly, for cosmetic reasons, I really love that brush.

I can't wait till it gets here! I will be sure to do the initial first phaze pre soak in hot water to get anything that is in the brushes out, like chemicals or whatever. Then I will give it another soaking with fresh water after before the first shave with it. And I know it will take further soaks in both soap lather and water to keep breaking it in I know.

Supposedly, its not supposed to loose too many brush hairs, cause again, its a higher end brush. Am I the only one who freaks out when I see a shaving brush shedding? Yes I know its normal for a new brush but still, it freaks me out. Its like, ohhhhh no, I hope your not falling apart on me.

My chrome brush is going to get jealous, and I am sorry to say, the marriage is off. Cause a new brush will be coming, and I'll marry it into soothing lathers of Tabac and whatever new soap I buy next month.

You're much smarter than I am! I went on my brush-buying journey without asking for advice from the forum. Instead, at most, I read reviews about various brushes in this forum and elsewhere. As a result, I wound up buying the Parker brush you only thought about buying! That said, it was a decent brush, but I had and have more comfortable brushes that I prefer over it.

I started off with a Van der Hagen pure badger brush that I bought for $5 from TJ Maxx. I then moved on to a Van der Hagen silvertip brush that VdH sent me. I also bought and tried out a Parker BCPB pure badger brush to use on my hard soaps (but it turned out I could lather my hard soaps with my silvertip brush). I then lucked out and bought my SOC for $29 when Alrossa discounted the price on Amazon last year. I am more than satisfied with my SOC and do not anticipate needing to buy another brush until it dies, which should be decades from now.

I've also got some other brushes from the BST forum. But these are the ones I bought new without asking for advice.

 

[JohnN]

I agree, the Maseto looks like a lot of brush for the money.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have two updates for you folks on here...

First update:

I grabbed my good camera, and tried to take a macro shot of my current shaving brush, after its been used twice, and has fully dried. (I assume) I didn't feel like shaving today, so I'll have a bit of stubble to test the Feather AS-D2 on tomorrow.

The point of this picture was just to show the condition of the hairs on the brush, and to gather the thoughts of you experts, on what you think of the quality, or lack there of, of my current brush.

Second Update:

I just ordered the MASETO Classic 30mm EXTRA DENSITY 2-Band Finest Silver Tip Badger Shaving Brush
View attachment 1427984
It will be coming on a slow boat from China. But when it finally gets here, the romance will begin. (Key the song Dreamweaver)

Incase you were wondering, Yaqui would have been my second choice for a shaving brush, both were similar, but the Maseto won me over in the end. Thanks to all with your amazing level of support and guidance, I truly find this to be a wonderful community!​

The Maseto Avatar is beautiful. If it works anywhere near as well as my two MS brushes it will a favorite for a very long time. If you have calipers (the inexpensive sets on Amazon are very useful in this hobby and elsewhere) you can measure the knot when it arrives.

My experience with knots tells me there's the nominal size (the base of the knot measured by the manufacturer before the knot was installed in the handle) which is what the vendor usually (not 100%) advertise as the knot size. Then there's the knot size as it exits the handle; that's usually (not 100%) a mm or two or three larger. One of my MS brushes measures 33 mm at the exit.

The loft is also different from advertised when I measure it. Oftentimes it's a bit lower. (Which is good, I think.)

Nobody can tell much about the brush's quality from a photo. It looks not all that dense to me, but not skimpy. If it's not losing too many hairs or falling apart, and if it's lathering well, and if it feels good to you, then that's all that matters.

One thing for sure: The incoming Avatar will be greatly different from the pure knot you have.

I have only one pure, but it's a Rudy Vey with a Shavemac knot. Rudy told me some pure is much better than others, even within the Shavemac knots, and he considers this a good one. In my opinion, it's not very dense, and it's a bit scritchy, but it's certainly useable. I'm glad to have it and I like it on occasion. It's good enough to be my only brush if I had to have only one. However, I'm glad it is not my only brush and I don't use it a lot.

I think in the long ago past I had one or two other pure brushes from the drug store or somewhere like that. They were leagues behind any brush I own now.

If you like your brush and it works that's all that matters.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[musicman1951]

Good luck with your new brush.

Looking at a picture of brush hairs tells me nothing, but I have unfortunately discovered that I don't know everything, so maybe someone else will be better informed.

Brushes can be quite confusing. Pure badger apparently means different things to different manufacturers. Some are lovely and some feel more like steel brushes. Don't put too much stock in that descriptor.

Boar brushes don't have one unified kind of hair feel. Some are quite stiff and some are quite soft when broken in. My SOC boars are excellent bowl brushes and have incredibly soft tips.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker, don't use hot water on your brushes. Not ever.

Warm water only (or cold).

If it feels too hot for you to leave your hand in it, it's too hot for your brush.

Sometimes (well a lot of the time) I'll use a new and good smelling badger without previously washing it. Other times I'll wash the brush using Dawn and warm water, towel dry it, then palm lather it with shaving soap, then rinse it well, and towel dry it, then use it the next morning for it's first shave.

Once or twice I've had really funky knots (smelled bad, obviously dirty, yucky) that took a few cycles of Dawn washing and palm lathering to get clean enough to use.

After using a brush to shave (well, to lather) I rinse it in the bathtub because the bathtub spigot puts out a lot more water more rapidly than the sink. I want all the soap and lather gone. Rudy and others have said lather (which you can smell) left on the brush damages the hairs over time.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

The Maseto Avatar is beautiful. If it works anywhere near as well as my two MS brushes it will a favorite for a very long time. If you have calipers (the inexpensive sets on Amazon are very useful in this hobby and elsewhere) you can measure the knot when it arrives.

My experience with knots tells me there's the nominal size (the base of the knot measured by the manufacturer before the knot was installed in the handle) which is what the vendor usually (not 100%) advertise as the knot size. Then there's the knot size as it exits the handle; that's usually (not 100%) a mm or two or three larger. One of my MS brushes measures 33 mm at the exit.

The loft is also different from advertised when I measure it. Oftentimes it's a bit lower. (Which is good, I think.)

Nobody can tell much about the brush's quality from a photo. It looks not all that dense to me, but not skimpy. If it's not losing too many hairs or falling apart, and if it's lathering well, and if it feels good to you, then that's all that matters.

One thing for sure: The incoming Avatar will be greatly different from the pure knot you have.


View attachment 1428151


I have only one pure, but it's a Rudy Vey with a Shavemac knot. Rudy told me some pure is much better than others, even within the Shavemac knots, and he considers this a good one. In my opinion, it's not very dense, and it's a bit scritchy, but it's certainly useable. I'm glad to have it and I like it on occasion. It's good enough to be my only brush if I had to have only one. However, I'm glad it is not my only brush and I don't use it a lot.

I think in the long ago past I had one or two other pure brushes from the drug store or somewhere like that. They were leagues behind any brush I own now.

If you like your brush and it works that's all that matters.

Happy shaves,

Jim

It's awesome that we both love the look of the Avatar. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one. But once I read the features, confirmed what you told me, I knew it was a step up in quality. Apparently, these Maseto brushes are hand made, according to the Ebay page.

Also, these brushes are not well known right now, which I think is due to the fact they are only sold on Ebay. However, I was able to find one video on YouTube, where a guy showed off a few of his brushes, would you like to take a guess on what brush was his number 1? That's right, Maseto.

Knott is 30mm, loft is 59 I think page said. I'm a mechanic, owning a caliper is standard for us, I could easily measure the mm of it. Truth is, I regret buying the pure badger from before, the one I got now. I should have got the silver tip Maseto before.

The quality of the pure badger is just not there. Like you said, it's not dense, it's scratchier then it should be for badger hair. The Maseto Avatar will be a welcome upgrade.

The handle on your Rudy Vey looks nice, but I'm not a fan of it being pure badger. I've since discovered pure badger is not that good so ya. We're in agreement there. If we're going to be stuck with a single brush, better to be stuck with a Maseto silver tip badger then low quality pure badger

Also, I think it's time these brush companies start adhering to proper standards. I don't like this whole, every company has a different idea in what makes pure badger vs finest badger and all that.

Part of why this stuff is so confusing to us newbies, is because there's no true standard. We end up watching YouTube videos, or come here to try and figure it all out. It's not easy to find the right brush.

But I think with your guys help, I found the right one this time.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

@Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker, don't use hot water on your brushes. Not ever.

Warm water only (or cold).

If it feels too hot for you to leave your hand in it, it's too hot for your brush.

Sometimes (well a lot of the time) I'll use a new and good smelling badger without previously washing it. Other times I'll wash the brush using Dawn and warm water, towel dry it, then palm lather it with shaving soap, then rinse it well, and towel dry it, then use it the next morning for it's first shave.

Once or twice I've had really funky knots (smelled bad, obviously dirty, yucky) that took a few cycles of Dawn washing and palm lathering to get clean enough to use.

After using a brush to shave (well, to lather) I rinse it in the bathtub because the bathtub spigot puts out a lot more water more rapidly than the sink. I want all the soap and lather gone. Rudy and others have said lather (which you can smell) left on the brush damages the hairs over time.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Ok, so about that. Ya, I screwed up there, who knows what damage I may have caused to my brush. I've learned more since then. I have a plan on what to do with my new brush.

Plan is to soak the brush in shampoo. The idea is to clean it, and rid the badger smell out of it. Then I will rinse it out. It should get rid of the smell quicker. Plus shave soap will also help making it smell better.

I'm going to get a brush stand too, so I can hang it upside down as recommended. So ya, I'm upping my brush care from my previous experience.

Additionally, I'm going to get a shaving bowl. Trying to lather the Tabac in its own bowl is proving to be a pain in the backside. I'm going to make it easier on myself.

But those are next month purchases. Not right now purchases lol.

 

[Messygoon]

I commend you for determining your needs, researching, and then making an educated decision. Maseto is highly regarded on B&B and remains on my own radar. You'll love the brush even more because of the way you reached your decision. Can't wait to read your thoughts once it arrives. Well done!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Ok, so about that. Ya, I screwed up there, who knows what damage I may have caused to my brush. I've learned more since then. I have a plan on what to do with my new brush.

Plan is to soak the brush in shampoo. The idea is to clean it, and rid the badger smell out of it. Then I will rinse it out. It should get rid of the smell quicker. Plus shave soap will also help making it smell better.

I'm going to get a brush stand too, so I can hang it upside down as recommended. So ya, I'm upping my brush care from my previous experience.

Additionally, I'm going to get a shaving bowl. Trying to lather the Tabac in its own bowl is proving to be a pain in the backside. I'm going to make it easier on myself.

But those are next month purchases. Not right now purchases lol.

Stands are totally unnecessary but if you're going to get on you want the best.

This is what I have. I was expensive for a brush stand but it's great. I am glad I got it.

This is a stand perhaps better than mine that you can make for probably zero cost in a few minutes. It will be vastly better than most brush stands. Thanks to my friend, Cal @Cal, for his marvelous invention. See his posts for tools and instructions.

Really you don't need a stand.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[linty1]

Keep us updated (with photos if you can) about which direction you go! Excited for you. And agree with Jim, I bought two stands thinking I would use them.. and nope, they are unused (one is a kent stand that came with a kent brush and the other is the sv brush stand). Now of course your experience may be different, but all mine just tail stand.

 

[hairless wonder]

Additionally, I'm going to get a shaving bowl. Trying to lather the Tabac in its own bowl is proving to be a pain in the backside. I'm going to make it easier on myself.

I also don't lather Tabac in its tub. Instead, I hold the puck (above my lather bowl, at an angle) in my left hand while I swirl my brush across it with my right hand to pick up soap. After I've gathered enough soap on my brush, I make the lather in my lather bowl.

For a lather bowl, I would absolutely recommend looking into something by Captain's Choice. The owner, Scott, is a member of this forum who goes by the username @Captain Pre-Capsize. He not only makes excellent products but he also provides unsurpassed customer service. As for his lather bowls, they're top notch! I have a cobalt Seaworthy (a discontinued line(?)) that I've used to lather hard soaps, croaps, and creams equally well. Others sing praises about his copper lather bowls (and I admit to being sorely tempted to buy one, but I like to keep my hardware at a minimum--but if my ceramic bowl breaks, I'll order a cooper one from the Captain).

 

[Phoenixkh]

I gave my second brush, a Vulfix Super Badger, to our son. I wonder if I should regret that.... I'm perfectly happy with my Executive Shaving Co. Ultimate G4 synthetic but it wasn't cheap.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

I also don't lather Tabac in its tub. Instead, I hold the puck (above my lather bowl, at an angle) in my left hand while I swirl my brush across it with my right hand to pick up soap. After I've gathered enough soap on my brush, I make the lather in my lather bowl.

For a lather bowl, I would absolutely recommend looking into something by Captain's Choice. The owner, Scott, is a member of this forum who goes by the username @Captain Pre-Capsize. He not only makes excellent products but he also provides unsurpassed customer service. As for his lather bowls, they're top notch! I have a cobalt Seaworthy (a discontinued line(?)) that I've used to lather hard soaps, croaps, and creams equally well. Others sing praises about his copper lather bowls (and I admit to being sorely tempted to buy one, but I like to keep my hardware at a minimum--but if my ceramic bowl breaks, I'll order a cooper one from the Captain).

I discovered the hard way, that trying to whip Tabac up in its own ceramic tub, is not ideal, its much harder then you think. And I think thats where some of my problems of whipping up a good lather stem from. When you start out with nothing, you slowly build up your hardware until you have everything, well, at least what you need.

Yes, I have already picked out a Captains Deluxe lather bowl. This is what it looks like...

And this is the stand that I was planning to go with cause its cheap, plus I can hang my razor on it too...

 

[hairless wonder]

I discovered the hard way, that trying to whip Tabac up in its own ceramic tub, is not ideal, its much harder then you think. And I think thats where some of my problems of whipping up a good lather stem from. When you start out with nothing, you slowly build up your hardware until you have everything, well, at least what you need.

Yes, I have already picked out a Captains Deluxe lather bowl. This is what it looks like...

View attachment 1428360

And this is the stand that I was planning to go with cause its cheap, plus I can hang my razor on it too...

View attachment 1428361

Two good choices! Just make sure the prongs in the stand are wide enough to hold the brush you've selected. I've seen prongs with 30mm openings and some with 27mm openings. The 30mm opening worked with most of my brushes, but it was too small for my SOC (unless I balanced the SOC on the ring around its knot on the stand's prongs).

 

[Sukeroku]

A little late to the game but...

First, I was going to suggest a Maseto brush but @Chan Eil Whiskers beat me to it! I have had two and
really liked them. (I ended up PIFing them to friends who I introduced to wet-shaving). I have a
dozen Rooney Supers and an M&F Finest and I think the Maseto are pretty damn close in terms
of density, softness and backbone. IMHO the best value in badger brushes. The 30mm is a BIG brush.
It will be a bit of a lather hog but you will enjoy it. I really like the Maseto Memphis 26mm two-band;
the handle is great for bowl lathering.

I also bought a Parker faux horn Silvertip as my first brush. I bought it on Amazon because I did not
know any better and it was one of the few brushes available on Amazon Japan (It sure looked pretty!)
It is a floppy brush but none more than some of my Vintage Rooney's. I keep it now for nostalgia's sake.

As far as stands go, as @hairless wonder has pointed out, prong width can be a bit of an
issue. I had problems finding a brush holder for my 30mm. What I ended up doing is taking a cheap plastic
one, heating it up gently over a gas stove and then widening the prongs with a pair of pliers. (I had a black
one so it didn't matter if I burned it a little). Or you could try soaking the plastic one in boiling water to soften
the material to widen the prongs. In any case, enjoy the Maseto!

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

A little late to the game but...

First, I was going to suggest a Maseto brush but someone beat me to it. I have had two and
really liked them. (I ended up PIFing them to friends who I introduced to wet-shaving). I have a
dozen Rooney Supers and an M&F Finest and I think the Maseto are pretty damn close in terms
of density, softness and backbone. IMHO the best value in badger brushes. The 30mm is a BIG brush.
It will be a bit of a lather hog but you will enjoy it. As far as stands go, as @hairless wonder has pointed
out, prong width is a big issue. I had problems finding a brush holder for my 30mm. What I ended
up doing is taking a cheap plastic one, heating it up gently over a gas stove and then widening the
prongs with a pair of pliers. (I had a black one so it didn't matter if I burned it a little). Or you could
try soaking the plastic one in boiling water to soften the material to widen the prongs. In any case,
enjoy the Maseto!

Good advice! However, I would caution the use of a gas stove. I recommend the use of heat guns instead, they are far safer because they don't have a flame involved. They are closely related to hair dryers, except they can get much much hotter.

When a heat gun is used at the right distance, or the proper temp setting if its a fancy one, you can heat up metal as well, just enough to allow you to bend it a little bit. I can't remember what the burning point of chrome is off the top of my head, but usually as long as you don't heatup metal too hot, you won't burn the coatings on them.

Anyways, if I am forced to bend, thats what I will be doing.