I'm looking a the Omega silver-tip brushes on Gio's site, all considerably cheaper than my C&E super, which I can't wait to return due to its extreme size.
At any rate, what are the best brushes out there, and which offer the best bang for your buck?
Is buying a brush from C&E comparable to buying a razor from AOS?
Ripped Off Again?
By all accounts, the C&E BBB is one of the best values around. The Super doesn't get quite as much love, but I've not heard any complaints before. The Omegas are more known for their boar brushes, but the reviews of the badgers I've seen seem pretty positive. I've considered one myself, but I think I'm going with a Vulfix/Simpsons...
Before you buy your next (or first!) brush, I think it's important to decide what it is you want--firm vs. soft, big vs. small, soap vs. cream, etc. and THEN look. I'm in the middle of researching my first "premium" brush buy, and it's a lot of thinking...and a lot of fun!
Before you buy your next (or first!) brush, I think it's important to decide what it is you want--firm vs. soft, big vs. small, soap vs. cream, etc. and THEN look. I'm in the middle of researching my first "premium" brush buy, and it's a lot of thinking...and a lot of fun!
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M6Classic
- Posts: 1460
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:12 am
- Location: Not as near Colonial Drug as when they were at Harvard Square, but near enough.
Kaveh...
It seems like you're getting a tad overwrought on the acquisition of a shave brush. First of all, there really are no standards, only preferences. How much can you spend? How dense a knot do you prefer? Boar versus badger versus synthetic? Do you prefer a more or less flexible knot? To what extent do the aesthetics of the handle matter to you? Does it matter to you that your brush have brilliant white tips?
It is a complex formula with several unknowns that only you can establish. You can search the list archives and read what many members have said about brushes they do and do not like. If you are fortunate to live near Colonial Drug or whats-it in New York City (Pasteur's?), you can drop in and examine various brushes. If you are near Jermyn Street in London you can see and feel them all (except most Plissons).
If you are concerned about being "ripped off," the only solution is to do some foot work...spade work...on your own and, in my estimation, stay out of Art of Shaving shops. Consider, also, shopping on the forum sale and trade list, there are some very good bargains to be had from various members' overstock. Many of us buy, trade, and sell with great regularity.
Good luck on you1
Buzz
It seems like you're getting a tad overwrought on the acquisition of a shave brush. First of all, there really are no standards, only preferences. How much can you spend? How dense a knot do you prefer? Boar versus badger versus synthetic? Do you prefer a more or less flexible knot? To what extent do the aesthetics of the handle matter to you? Does it matter to you that your brush have brilliant white tips?
It is a complex formula with several unknowns that only you can establish. You can search the list archives and read what many members have said about brushes they do and do not like. If you are fortunate to live near Colonial Drug or whats-it in New York City (Pasteur's?), you can drop in and examine various brushes. If you are near Jermyn Street in London you can see and feel them all (except most Plissons).
If you are concerned about being "ripped off," the only solution is to do some foot work...spade work...on your own and, in my estimation, stay out of Art of Shaving shops. Consider, also, shopping on the forum sale and trade list, there are some very good bargains to be had from various members' overstock. Many of us buy, trade, and sell with great regularity.
Good luck on you1
Buzz
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Ouchmychin
- Posts: 1595
- Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:03 pm
I must agree with Buzz. I have a couple of Omega badgers and I like them. But they are the type of brush that is more loosely packed than my little Simpson Duke II which is very tight. Which is more right for you is up to you. The info. you want is already here and at badgerandblade.com. Do some reading.
Ouchmychin (Pete)
Ouchmychin (Pete)
Kaveh, the EJ Super is a very good brush and worth its price, particularly if you bought it on sale at C&E. It is, as you have pointed out elsewhere, large. I believe the knot is 26mm. The loft is also relatively flexible, meaning that it blooms a lot and splays quite a bit on the face. If you don't have much facial real estate, I guess you might not prefer this. That said, there are several members here for whom this is a favorite brush. I believe it's pretty much the only brush that Wendell (jww) or Andrew (drumana) use, and it's a regular in my rotation. And while my head may be large, I daresay none of the three of us have oversize faces. There are certainly bigger brushes and brushes with more bloom that are used routinely by members here, and of course there are brushes that are even more flexible and don't have quite the backbone of the EJ.
At any rate, the Omegas would have some similarities to the EJ in that they are flexible. However, the knots are not quite as firm as EJ brushes, at least not the ones I have handled. Some gents have also reported shedding issues with Omegas, though I'm sure Giovanni would get you a new one if this became a problem.
Bottom line, if you spend over $60, you'll get a good brush. Beyond that, it's down to personal preferences, which you'll have to discover for yourself. But objectively speaking, you didn't get ripped off on the EJ. You can recoup most of your expense by selling it, or you can hold onto it in case you change your mind about brush preferences down the line. In the meantime, sure, try a smaller, scrubbier brush. You'll have done the far ends of the spectrum then and can work toward the size and density and firmness you want from that point.
Regards,
At any rate, the Omegas would have some similarities to the EJ in that they are flexible. However, the knots are not quite as firm as EJ brushes, at least not the ones I have handled. Some gents have also reported shedding issues with Omegas, though I'm sure Giovanni would get you a new one if this became a problem.
Bottom line, if you spend over $60, you'll get a good brush. Beyond that, it's down to personal preferences, which you'll have to discover for yourself. But objectively speaking, you didn't get ripped off on the EJ. You can recoup most of your expense by selling it, or you can hold onto it in case you change your mind about brush preferences down the line. In the meantime, sure, try a smaller, scrubbier brush. You'll have done the far ends of the spectrum then and can work toward the size and density and firmness you want from that point.
Regards,
Regards,
Tim
Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
Tim
Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
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Zach
Brilliant advice, overall, but I snip this part of Tim's reply, the synopsis; why not try the $16 Omega 10048 professional, or the sharp looking 20480?TBoner wrote:In the meantime, sure, try a smaller, scrubbier brush. You'll have done the far ends of the spectrum then and can work toward the size and density and firmness you want from that point.
Scrubby, but soft, and not a large investment.
I guarantee you that they will work for you.
Re: Ripped Off Again?
The handles on the C&E brush are made by Edwin Jagger and the knots are made by Muhle-Pinsel. I believe there are "better buys" out there, but the C&E brushes sell for the same (or less if you use the 20% coupon) as you could buy them from another retailer. AOS takes a standard Merkur and tacks on a 30% markup. That's the difference.Boyextraordinare wrote:At any rate, what are the best brushes out there, and which offer the best bang for your buck?
Is buying a brush from C&E comparable to buying a razor from AOS?
Best buys are the Kent BK4 (Soft and flexible but can lather anything), Vulfix 375 or 2234 (Soft, flexible, and great with creams), Rooney Super's (Firmer brush, dense knot, with a shorter loft), or the Simpson's X2L or X3 (Firmer brush, not as dense as the Rooney's)
While these are the brushes typically recommended because they all good quality and fall within the $50-$85 range, brush preference is very personal and only you can decide your preferences. Since you find the C&E too big, is there anything else you might like in a brush? I typically recommend the Kent BK4, but from what you have said so far I would probably recommend a Rooney Super in either Style 2 or 3 as they don't bloom much while in use and won't spread out all over your face. Either one would be much firmer and scrubbier than you current brush, so take that into consideration as well.
Clint
Last edited by goose on Mon Nov 24, 2008 9:02 am, edited 2 times in total.
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notthesharpest
- Assistant Dean SMFU
- Posts: 9449
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:32 am
- Location: Vancouver, BC
Re: Ripped Off Again?
How big a knot is it?Boyextraordinare wrote:I'm looking a the Omega silver-tip brushes on Gio's site, all considerably cheaper than my C&E super, which I can't wait to return due to its extreme size.
What they said.At any rate, what are the best brushes out there, and which offer the best bang for your buck?
No, I don't think so.Is buying a brush from C&E comparable to buying a razor from AOS?
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M6Classic
- Posts: 1460
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:12 am
- Location: Not as near Colonial Drug as when they were at Harvard Square, but near enough.
Not True!!!Blades wrote:I was hoping picking out a brush would be easy.
Now I see why everyone seems to have 5 or more brushes. Too many choices.
I'm going to pick up a cheap Wal-Mart brush for now. Try to decide what I want from there, put it on my Christmas list.
I am certainly not the only list member who owns just one brush. I did own and use a second brush for a couple of months in about 1982, but it didn't work out.
Buzz
This is such a matter of personal preference and changing desires that brush advice is more elusive than almost anything else. IMHO.
I have eight brushes. Which ones do I prefer?
The Rooney 3,1 above all.
Tweezerman Boar's hair brush
Shavemac (mainly due to its long handle, though I love the badger)
The Rubberset brushes that came with old Gillette cases. Really. These are actually very nicely sized brushes for most men's faces. The bristles are a little stiff and scrubby, but you shouldn't be scrubbing your face with the brush, either.
I wonder, now, why on earth I bought a Kent BK4 (way too soft and poofy) or the Rooney 3,3 (my face isn't that big).
The BK4 and the 3,3 still get used from time to time. Just to see if my tastes have changed. They do work well with creams, too. But not so great with soaps.
So you've got a lot of variables to consider: soap vs. cream (or a brush that will handle both); how big a brush; how soft a brush; how floppy a brush.
You will probably end up acquiring several before settling down on one you really like. The Rooney 3,1 was one of my first brush purchases and the one that I ended up coming back to.
I have eight brushes. Which ones do I prefer?
The Rooney 3,1 above all.
Tweezerman Boar's hair brush
Shavemac (mainly due to its long handle, though I love the badger)
The Rubberset brushes that came with old Gillette cases. Really. These are actually very nicely sized brushes for most men's faces. The bristles are a little stiff and scrubby, but you shouldn't be scrubbing your face with the brush, either.
I wonder, now, why on earth I bought a Kent BK4 (way too soft and poofy) or the Rooney 3,3 (my face isn't that big).
The BK4 and the 3,3 still get used from time to time. Just to see if my tastes have changed. They do work well with creams, too. But not so great with soaps.
So you've got a lot of variables to consider: soap vs. cream (or a brush that will handle both); how big a brush; how soft a brush; how floppy a brush.
You will probably end up acquiring several before settling down on one you really like. The Rooney 3,1 was one of my first brush purchases and the one that I ended up coming back to.
Brent
Tondeo ergo sum.
Tondeo ergo sum.
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Boyextraordinare
Ok, so I'll go back to C&E and swap this for something smaller, by the same mark.
If I can't find that easily, how are Trumper's brushes?
I found a nicely-sized one in "Super" for $60.
The thing is, for my first brush, I have to store-buy it.
I picked out the C&E based on its elegant look but didn't realize it'd overwhelm my face.
Now I test in store...
If I can't find that easily, how are Trumper's brushes?
I found a nicely-sized one in "Super" for $60.
The thing is, for my first brush, I have to store-buy it.
I picked out the C&E based on its elegant look but didn't realize it'd overwhelm my face.
Now I test in store...
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notthesharpest
- Assistant Dean SMFU
- Posts: 9449
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:32 am
- Location: Vancouver, BC
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Boyextraordinare
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notthesharpest
- Assistant Dean SMFU
- Posts: 9449
- Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:32 am
- Location: Vancouver, BC
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Boyextraordinare