Badgers Brushes...talk to me.

I have to agree with blademonkey on this. If anyone uses poor quality knots it is the mass produced stuff. I'm not naming names but we all know them. If you buy a Shavemac, Cadman, Whipped dog, Romera, Pantarei Paladin etc then you are getting the very best knots available on the market. If not then they would soon be out of business. When was the last time you heard of an Edwin Jagger/Muhle group buy?
 
wayne mattison said:
Hi Blackmass,
Just a couple of questions to help you, hopefully.
Why do you want scrub and backbone?
What are you looking for, mass produced eg Muhle, Edwin Jagger Simpsons or something made just for you?
Firstly Badger brushes aren't scrubbing brushes and achieve a better lather because they hold more water and heat in the natural hairs this helps in the building of the lather. You then don't scrub the lather in to your face, rather you apply and build it by painting it on. Believe me the lather will build rapidly to a thick luscious slick lather. Depending on the soap of course. I wouldn't be looking at anything but Silvertip and I'm sure when you get a good one you will never regret it. Also rather than following the herd I'd want to have one made from a maker like Mervyn Cadman. Have a look on his website. Give him a ring and he will talk you through the process of knot types and their characteristics and the various shapes and sizes. Believe me, he is a really lovely bloke with tons of patience and he want to make you happy with your purchase. No airs and graces. A handmade Cadman in 26mm Silvertip would come in around the £70 mark so mid budget too.
Nothing wrong with mass produced brushes of course but the disadvantage is that by ordering online you just don't get exactly what you want and it is a bit of a leap in the dark.
Anyway. Hope that helps in some small way.
Cheers
Wayne.
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@wayne mattison Thank you for your detailed replies, really appreciate it.

Ok first things first. "Why do I want scrub and backbone?" If I'm being completely honest I have no idea what I want. I've got nothing to compare to the Razorock Plissoft, hence this thread.

My main objective is to help me produce better lather. I'm very new to DE shaving so it's all new to me.
I'm having better success with creams but really struggling with soaps.
I know a workman should never blame his tools, so I don't want it to come across like that.
As well as looking at different brushes I'm also going to try a different bowl. I'm currently using the Aesop stainless Steel bowl. My thinking is I need a ceramic bowl with ringes?

So are you saying go for Silvertip? I only ask as the majority have said go for 'Best'?

I really like the idea of going for a custom made brush. Thing is I have no idea what type of knot to go for.
I'm only getting my head round the various grades if hair. I still don't know what the difference is between a two and three band.
Is it just the colours of the hair? Is it how deep the knot is set into the handle or how many hair's are packed into the knot?

As for the mainstream manufacturers. I like the look of the Simpsons ones. The Colonel and 'The Duke 3' as recommend by @Jel999 via a PM.

As for Boar brushes. I will pick one as they are pretty cheap. Keep the recommendations coming.

I hope that answers a few of your questions Wayne?
 
If you're after a boar as well, I also recommend a Semogue. I have the 2000 and it's great. Lathers really well, looks good, is a bit scrubby (which I like), but needs a decent sized bowl as it's huge.

Bought a muhle fibre tip, which I've only used a few times because I like the boar so much.

I may well get a Semogue again when I get around to buying a badger - the SOC is about £55 if you fancy having a look.
 
Blackmass said:
Phoenix & Beau 'Spitfire', Saponificio Varesino 'Tundra Artica', OSP and Whickhams...basically very soap I own.
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Go back to cream. I use cream 95% of the time because I find I make a noticeably better, more cushioning lather with cream than with soap. Having said that, you might want to try a shaving soap stick. I find that I can make a very good lather with a stick by rubbing it on my wet face and lathering on my face; I've used this method with a cake of shaving soap too and I make a better lather than I do when I load my brush directly from the cake. Cream, however, remains my favourite and life's too short to shave with less than optimal lather.
 
Wow! they aren't difficult soaps to lather, no offence meant in any way. Do you bloom them? By that i mean place a small amount of warm water on the puck of soap and let it sit there whilst you shower or whatever. this achieves two things. 1st it softens the top of the soap prior to loading the brush. 2nd it provides a lovely slick water to use on your face to help glide and soften the whiskers.
Once bloomed then you need to load the brush for a minute or so, get plenty on the brush then transfer to the bowl and lather it adding more water half a teaspoon at a time until you get a thick full lather that is glossy, thick and without bubbles. As you are using a synthetic brush it doesn't hold the water a badger or boar does so a little more water in the bowl will help too. Don't be afraid to work the lather for a good two minutes or more. The more you swirl it the better the result. Try it mate. It may just help. Just practice lather a couple of times. It only uses tuppenceworth of soap.
Wayne.
 
wayne mattison said:
Wow! they aren't difficult soaps to lather, no offence meant in any way. Do you bloom them? By that i mean place a small amount of warm water on the puck of soap and let it sit there whilst you shower or whatever. this achieves two things. 1st it softens the top of the soap prior to loading the brush. 2nd it provides a lovely slick water to use on your face to help glide and soften the whiskers.
Once bloomed then you need to load the brush for a minute or so, get plenty on the brush then transfer to the bowl and lather it adding more water half a teaspoon at a time until you get a thick full lather that is glossy, thick and without bubbles. As you are using a synthetic brush it doesn't hold the water a badger or boar does so a little more water in the bowl will help too. Don't be afraid to work the lather for a good two minutes or more. The more you swirl it the better the result. Try it mate. It may just help. Just practice lather a couple of times. It only uses tuppenceworth of soap.
Wayne.
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No offence taken at all Wayne.
I've bloomed the soaps before use. I'm finding that I struggle to get a decent lather and it also dissipates quickly on my face.

Heres my lather using TOBS sandalwood cream today.

 
As for boar brushes, I'm a convert. I've been shaving for 50 years and only on the last two years have I ventured into the world of boars. My first boar was an Omega B&B Essential boar, which I liked very much; so much in fact that earlier this year I bought a Semogue Owners' Club. This is an outstanding brush although it's pricey for a boar, but well worth it. Both these boars compete very well with my 28 badgers, but badger remains my preferred knot hair. Whilst we're on the topic of knot hair, I'd point out that there is no common grading standard or nomenclature for badger; for example Simpson best is very similar to shavemac finest and shavemac 3-band silvertip is similar to Simpson super. I could go on with examples, but the point is not to get too preoccupied by what brush-makers name their knots; what you want to focus on are the characteristics of the knot.
 
If you are struggling lathering with a synthetic a badger isn't going to improve things. A synth has got to be the easiest brush to make a good lather with. I would recommend one of whipped dogs high mountain brushes if you want good backbone. That said I'd concentrate on technique for now as a synth should lather a brick.


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Blackmass said:
No offence taken at all Wayne.
I've bloomed the soaps before use. I'm finding that I struggle to get a decent lather and it also dissipates quickly on my face.

Heres my lather using TOBS sandalwood cream today.

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That's a lovely lather you've got there, you are not doing too much wrong, as a matter of interest what if any pre shave product do you use?
 
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