Recommend starter Badger brush

dawgvet · Post by **dawgvet** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:36 pm

I've gradually been working on my shaving technique and equipment. Looking to upgrade from my starter boar brush from WalMart. What is a reasonably priced ($30-$50) middle of the road brush for soaps (Harris) to start on?
Thanks
Jedidiah

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:08 pm

i would say a vulfix

clive

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:54 pm

How about an Omega or Semogue boar? Lots of backbone, soft tips, and excel with hard soaps.

jww · Post by **jww** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:03 pm

Best budget badger brush would be a Tweezerman. Somewhat more expensive, but still not an extravagance would be a C&E Pure Badger at $35 --- or better yet one of their C&E/EJ Best Badger at $65.

Hodari D. · Post by **Hodari D.** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:27 pm

For about $50 you can get a Simpsons Berkeley in best badger from www.westcoastshaving.com. The discount code BandB will net you 10% off.

kronos9 · Post by **kronos9** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:24 pm

Correction to this post at Tue Jan 04, 2011 8:56 am

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:29 pm

Yep, for $44 the Edwin Jagger (aka C&E brush) brush is a steal. It performs like a brush costing four times more.

M6Classic · Post by **M6Classic** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:54 pm

Well, Jedediah, is clarity emerging? Look, about all you can do is buy a brush, almost any brush, use it, learn from it...form your opinion...based upon which you will buy your next brush. The advice we give you will never substitute for your own experience.

Buzz

drumana · Post by **drumana** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:29 pm

Hodari D. wrote:For about $50 you can get a Simpsons Berkeley in best badger from www.westcoastshaving.com. The discount code BandB will net you 10% off.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Simpson has a few brushes in the $50 range with their best grade hair, which is really nice. thesuperiorshave.com is another good site to browse Simpson brushes. Good luck!

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:06 pm

Dale wrote:How about an Omega or Semogue boar? Lots of backbone, soft tips, and excel with hard soaps.

Oops! I neglected to read this thread's title closely.

function · Post by **function** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:50 pm

I haven't owned/experienced a Simpsons, but if their quality is comparable to a Rooney then I would concur with their quality in Best. Having just received a Rooney in Best, the badger quality is great at feel, better than the "silvertip" I purchased from a China based manufacturer/seller on ebay(DeLong).

You could also consider, and this may be a bit much of you are new, building your own. I have a custom brush from Rudy Vey that uses a Finest from The Golden Nib, and I love the knot. TGN also carries handles, so you could put your own together for the price range you are looking for.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:23 pm

I agree with Clive. In that price range, something from Vulfix. Their very nice Pure/Best models fall in that price range for the most part, and even a few of their smaller Super models are around $50 I think. You also might check for pre-owned Simpsons and Rooneys in our Buy/Sell/Trade section.
Regards,
Gordon

druphus · Post by **druphus** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:35 pm

bernards66 wrote:I agree with Clive. In that price range, something from Vulfix. Their very nice Pure/Best models fall in that price range for the most part, and even a few of their smaller Super models are around $50 I think. You also might check for pre-owned Simpsons and Rooneys in our Buy/Sell/Trade section.
Regards,
Gordon

+1 to this. Listen to Clive and Gordon.

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:32 am

kronos9 wrote:I think the C&E Best Badger is history. However, the current incarnation is here. Other vendors also carry it. Mine is maybe four years old and still performs like it did when new. For the small price difference, I'd take it over the Pure Badger version.

Actually, C&E are indeed still selling the EJ-brand brushes here. I meant to include the link with my previous post.

I have owned a C&E/EJ Super Badger for a good few years -- and it's been the best badger brush I have ever owned.

kronos9 · Post by **kronos9** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:56 am

jww wrote:
kronos9 wrote:I think the C&E Best Badger is history. However, the current incarnation is here. Other vendors also carry it. Mine is maybe four years old and still performs like it did when new. For the small price difference, I'd take it over the Pure Badger version.
C&E still selling the EJ-brand brushes here.

You are correct, sir. I was a little quick on the keyboard.

Yes, C&E was the first place I looked because that's where I bought my Best Badger for $35. Then it became unavailable. Now's there's a new $65 EJ Best Badger (CE logo) in cream/ivory that is identical to mine, even to the small ridge at the top of the handle (missing in the BG version as far as I can tell). The BG version has the EJ logo.

In a side by side comparison, I would agree that the new C&E is the same as the old C&E, at nearly twice the price. However, at that price point there is a bounty of brush alternatives.

Double checks for spelling, punctuation, historical accuracy, visual comparisons, special fonts, hyperlinks, emoticons. Okay, good to go.

dawgvet · Post by **dawgvet** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:48 pm

Thanks for the input so far. My main concerns were finding a decent quality brush that is not too far to one extreme or the other. Like I said, I primarily bowl lather with soap. Like to EJ recommendation but looking into Vulfix or Simpson. Any input appreciated.

gil3591 · Post by **gil3591** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:10 pm

dawgvet wrote:Thanks for the input so far. My main concerns were finding a decent quality brush that is not too far to one extreme or the other. Like I said, I primarily bowl lather with soap. Like to EJ recommendation but looking into Vulfix or Simpson. Any input appreciated.

do you make lather with the puck in the bowl or load the brush and then take it to the bowl? i've totally gone to loading the brush and then going to my face and add water as needed. even with creams now.

dawgvet · Post by **dawgvet** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 4:32 pm

Alright gents, this is getting close. I'm narrowing it down the the EJ medium best vs. one of the Vulfix but a super seems to be closer in price. Which Vulfix would you recommend? Thanks for all the help.

jww · Post by **jww** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:06 pm

Succumb to the addiction -- just get them "all" --- whatever all means to you at the moment.

gil3591 · Post by **gil3591** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:18 pm

dawgvet wrote:Alright gents, this is getting close. I'm narrowing it down the the EJ medium best vs. one of the Vulfix but a super seems to be closer in price. Which Vulfix would you recommend? Thanks for all the help.

vulfix 2234