OK, I'M DESPERATE!!

[InjuryLaw]

The Saville Row brush I want is backordered and I may not get it for a month. But I'm sick of trying to lather by hand. Has anybody ever tried one of those Surrey boar bristle brushes from Walgreens or CVS? Will it just absolutely suck?

[Chris]

I used one on vacation. Worked fine for me. Not as good as a badger, mind you, but passable.

[Sage]

Get that to tide you over, and then order the group brush. Can use the cheapo on vacations and such. Also, if you have a Bigelows or anything similar in the area, they sell better brushes too.

Andy

[growler]

It will tide you over, yes.

Though see if you can find somewhere that sells Baxter's products. They make a low-grade badger brush that goes for about 20 dollars.

[guenron]

The Saville Row brush I want is backordered and I may not get it for a month. But I'm sick of trying to lather by hand. Has anybody ever tried one of those Surrey boar bristle brushes from Walgreens or CVS? Will it just absolutely suck?

Without sounding snippy, the brush you use is really an issue of many things, not the least of which is your skin type. Boar is just fine, short-term, if your facial skin can handle it. Are you near a Crabtree & Evelyn store? For $35 you can pick up a good, small Edwin Jagger Best Bager brush at C&E. You can use it for a spare, travel, dusting electronic components, whatever after you receive your Savile Row.

[InjuryLaw]

Well, I have very sensitive skin that is prone to razor burn and irritation. Will the boar brush tear me up? Not sure where to look for Baxter's but I'll check around. As for the C&E brush, at that price point I'll just have to suffer until my $58 SR brush comes in.

Does Muhle-Pinsel make a decent brush?

[lint]

if you pickup a board brush as a temp, hit it a few times in the shower with some hair conditioner. it will significantly soften up the bristles and make it more manageble.

Nowhere near as soft as badger, but for the time being, itll get you through.

todd

[guenron]

Well, I have very sensitive skin that is prone to razor burn and irritation. Will the boar brush tear me up? Not sure where to look for Baxter's but I'll check around. As for the C&E brush, at that price point I'll just have to suffer until my $58 SR brush comes in.

Does Muhle-Pinsel make a decent brush?

I was looking into a Muhle-Pinsel horn handled brush and asked the same question. I saw a thread in Wet Shavers dealing with that question and the answer was that there were some failures. Now what does that mean? It means that I have enough other sources of goods that I will not complicate my life unnecessarily with an MP.

[rtaylor61]

I actually preferred my $12.00 Tweezerman Badger brush to the Omega I had. It was much softer. That may be something you can pick up locally. It is small, but it got me started!

Randy

[mike]

I have a Muhle-Pinsel brush with a 21mm knot as well as a Vulfix 2236 with a 26mm knot. I particularly like the M-P when using soaps. For some reason its smaller knot size allows me to get a very consistent great lather without much effort. I use both brushes regularly and enjoy both. The Vulfix provides a more luxurious shave, but not necessarily better shave, than the M-P.

mike

[Classyjack]

IL: I haven't used the Surrey brush, but how bad could it be for $6 (here at CVS - saw it yesterday)? You need a brush to succeed with your Proraso. Do it. Best, John.

[clownjuggles]

Surrey Brushes SUCK! I bought one for a trip when i forgot my brush (Don't ask), and It has a giant glob of glue in the center of the brush. It dumps water even more than my burma shave brush did. It was like shaving with a porqupine! That went into the trash without even trying to finish lathering!

[guenron]

Surrey Brushes SUCK! I bought one for a trip when i forgot my brush (Don't ask), and It has a giant glob of glue in the center of the brush. It dumps water even more than my burma shave brush did. It was like shaving with a porqupine! That went into the trash without even trying to finish lathering!

Hmmm. Now what did you say were their fine points?

[InjuryLaw]

I went over to Marshall Field's today and picked up a decent little badger brush made by Muhle-Pinsel for only $20. The handle is some plastic tortoise shell thing, but overall it actually doesn't look too bad. Hopefully it will give me an idea of how all this stuff is supposed to work.

I'll go get the hot pot this weekend - this shaving thing is gettting totally out of control with all this equipment!

[bernards66]

Hear! Hear! Joel is right. It's only "out of control" from the perspective of disposibles and cans of Edge ( and even they cost more then you think, over a period of time ). ' Injury Law' is your handle, you are a lawyer then? Please! $58 for a genuinely good brush, is a steal. $20 for something useable to tide you over is nothing. Pshaw! How much is a good pair of properly made shoes? Or a dinner out for two?, or a single bottle of wine that's gone in one night? What about GOLF, for God's sake!? ( glad, I'm not into that one ). I think you made the best choice for an interum brush, it will at least work properly, and shouldn't annoy your skin. I used a boar bristle brush for about eight years, but it was a good boar bristle brush, that cost as much as the little badger number that you just picked up. When I switched to a badger brush, it was one of those 'Ah ah!' experiances. Now, Chris F. or Peter, those guys ARE out of control, ( not me though, I can stop any time I want...I just don't want to...hmmm ), but you've got a very long way to go to get to that. Regards, Gordon

[InjuryLaw]

UPDATE - As I posted in another thread, this cheapo badger turned out to be a complete success! I finally understand the allure of the whole brush-and-cream process.

P.S., This little brush actually does a pretty nice job! Maybe the bristles could be a little softer, but it's no big deal.