If you had $100 for a brush, what would you recommend?

honkdonker · Post by **honkdonker** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 2:22 pm

In your view, what is the best brush that money can buy for $100 or less?

If possible, please elaborate why this brush is the best.

Thanks.

tigert · Post by **tigert** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:03 pm

my vote is for the savile row SR12T, honorable mentions would go to vulfix 2236 or one of the shavemac L series

SR12T has a 30mm knot for under $100 plus the tortoise imitation handle looks cool IMO..

The SR8T is an amazing bargain too at just over $50 if you don't need a 30mm knot..

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:07 pm

tigert wrote:my vote is for the savile row SR12T, honorable mentions would go to vulfix 2236 or one of the shavemac L series

SR12T has a 30mm knot for under $100 plus the tortoise imitation handle looks cool IMO..

The SR8T is an amazing bargain too at just over $50 if you don't need a 30mm knot..

I agree. Savile Rows are a great value.

j

nteeman · Post by **nteeman** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:12 pm

Saville Row SR241. (Vulfix 41) at QED. 30mm knot, great brush.

rtaylor61 · Post by **rtaylor61** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:25 pm

I would also agree that the SR241 from QED is an awesome brush. But Shavemac also offers a variety of brushes around that century mark.

Randy

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:05 pm

...and those are huge brushes. Don't buy a huge brush unless you actually like it better than the smaller ones. They can get hard to maneuver.

Any bigger and you could just borrow the neighbours' cat.

Coche_y_bondhu · Post by **Coche_y_bondhu** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:08 pm

Hello Randy,

A Savile Row.

I can personally vouch for the Savile Row. These brushes can take a beating and still keep on ticking (like your Timex miniatures).

My next brush will be a Savile Row, probably with a 26mm knot, no larger than a 28mm.

Cheers,
Richard
A Very Satisfied Savile Row User in Texas

rtaylor61 · Post by **rtaylor61** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:12 pm

Richard,

I plan to pick up one of the Saville Row tortoise hogs soon. The SR 241 is a 30mm knot. It is a bit unwieldy at times, but man, does it hold the heat!

Randy

Post by **Sam** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:27 pm

i with dr chris. depending on the exchange rate, you could pick up a kent bk8 from the gentlemen's shop in england and shipping for say $115. big knot and i am fully satisified with it.

maybe you can find some guys with the SMF group brush, one was down to $85 and that would allow you $15 for some taylor cream and that, my friend, is the best bargain available.

sam

honkdonker · Post by **honkdonker** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:24 pm

Thanks for the ideas. I already own a Floris brush which is made to BK8 specifications. It is in best badger.

Can anyone quantitatively and/or qualitatively share with me how a silvertip or super badger will provide me with a better shave? Just an objective opinion.

I am still afraid that the SMF brush might be somewhat prone to laquer wear out, perhaps not now or in the near future, but over time.

Are shavemac silvertips the be all and end all that some have proposed them to be, now that the hype is over? They sure look great.

I appreciate any other input.

thanks.

PS. I cannot find the SR241 on the QED site. I suspect it has been renumbered.

rtaylor61 · Post by **rtaylor61** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:33 pm

Honk,

All three of my brushes are silvertip, 2 from Shavemac and a Saville Row 241. The SR241 is a 30mm knot, and at times, almost seems to big, but it does generate a ton of lather, and it holds the heat well. i don't know what it is about the Shavemac brushes, whether it is the shape or the density, but they apply lather differently. Somewhere, someone posted that it is like they "suck up" to our face. A valid description. As far as the laquer concern, I have experienced no problems, but should they occur, I see no reason that I could not fix the problem with a bit of careful wetsanding and then re-applying a finish. In fact, I wish that my SMF was just a bit darker, so one day in the distant future, that may be a project that I undertake.

Randy

Post by **Sam** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:44 pm

honk: ive not had a problem with my smf brush either. the kent bk8 i have is suppossedly in silvertip, or so it is advertised, though the brush itselfs says pure badger. it is more in coloring to my simpsons persian jar 1 in best than the SMF brush, which is silvertip. i find the SMF brush to be softer.

it does kinda suck the face better. its bristles to splay out as flat as the kent brush or even the simpsons. it tends to hold the heat of the water longer, and hold more of it. by the 4th pass, it may run out of cream at times, so it may need a recharge, but on soaps, does not appear to do that. the lather is more watery when i squeeze it to the top after the last pass for my touch up then when i do the same with the same cream with my kent

hope that helps

sam

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:02 pm

Kents apparently ALL say "Pure badger", simply meaning "No pig, squirrel, or fish".

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:12 pm

Last month I bought a Simpson 58 for $105. I could not be happier with this brush! I have cancelled my plans to buy a silver tip from Shavemac.

Craig

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 10:09 pm

Honk, If you mean an appreciably 'better' brush, then the Kent-made Floris that you already have, for $100 or less, I don't know that you can. A brush that you personally liked even better? Sure, possibly, but that would be pretty personal, pretty hard for any of us to know in advance, what that might be. That Floris brush, is more of less equivelant to the Vulfix/Savile Row 2235/2236 brushes. The genuine silvertips, from Simpson and Plisson ( and now Rooney ) are, as you know WAY more expensive. For someone who didn't have a good brush, and had a top of $100 ( and absolutely no more ), I would recommend the Vulfix/Savile Row 2235,376, or 377 ( the 2236 is a bit large for some guy's hands ), or the Savile Row (Kent) T8. I've never seen one of those Savile Row T8s personally, but they look to be a phenomenal buy. There may also be some very good choices within that price range, from Rooney, but we don't really have enough information yet, to make an informed selection from that quarter. Regards, Gordon

drP · Post by **drP** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:17 am

If i would go bankrupt and had to sell all my brushes i definitely would keep my Shavemac #436 because:

-it is abundantly filled with bristles
-it has a firm bristle loft
-it is very soft on my skin
-it lathers like hell
-it has a handle which is not too big, not too small
-it looks like THE prototype of a shaving brush imo

(and the Simpsons and Plissons would make me more money

)

But then again, this is only my humble personal preference

Peter

prisondoc · Post by **prisondoc** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 12:27 pm

Just ordered my Savile Row SR-208. I'm hoping there will be an appreciable difference between the SR-208 and the Omega that I am currently using. With any luck it will arrive along with the samples that I requested from the the 3 T's (Trumpers, Taylor and Truefitt).

bobakalfb · Post by **bobakalfb** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:55 am

I think you will be happy. I bought the same brush and have used it for a couple of weeks now. It makes great lather with creams and soaps. I can't imagine the lather that the SR-212 would create. My first brush was a Vulfux 2197 which has now been put aside for travel purposes. For $58 plus s/h I don't think you are going to find a better deal. The only question now is which brush comes next? Not because I NEED another one...but variety is nice. Why else would we have so many different creams, soaps, balms and fragrances???