Badgers Brushes...talk to me.

Fido said:
It's now nearly seven years since I published this blog.

http://fidosshavingbrushblog.blogspot.co.uk

It's now well out of date so doesn't refer to some of the excellent new suppliers. But if you really want to do some thorough research you should find something of interest if you scroll through the blog. The research I did enabled me to set up my brush business which I closed last year.

If you are prepared to spend up to a hundred pounds you will get a brush that should serve you well for many years. My strictly personal choice in your price range would be a Simpsons Duke 3 Best Badger. It's not by accident that Simpsons have been around so long. But if you want a one off you will obviously go for a custom made brush and you already have suggestions for that.
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Thank you for the link. I'll have a good read through it.

Funny you should mention the Duke 3. I think it might be the one I go for. I've been scanning the forms today and the Duke 3 seems to get great reviews. Put it this way, it's in my basket at Executive Shaving.

I'm looking at various options including the shavemac and Thäter.

I think it might be wise to hold off on a custom until I know what I like and don't like.

Thoughts anyone?
 
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Blackmass said:
Thank you for the link. I'll have a good read through it.

Funny you should mention the Duke 3. I think it might be the one I go for. I've been scanning the forms today and the Duke 3 seems to get great reviews. Put it this way, it's in my basket at Executive Shaving.

I'm looking at various options including the shavemac and Thäter.

I think it might be wise to hold off on a custom until I know what I like and don't like.

Thoughts anyone?
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I don't think you can go wrong with a Duke3 or a brush from shavemac or Thater. As concerns shavemac, you might consider the Beehive with a finest knot. I think shavemac finest is just as good and possibly better than Simpson's best; both are very good value. I have a Duke3 best and a shavemac Beehive finest and they are both lovely brushes. I also have a Thater 3-band silvertip, which is an excellent brush too. As concerns going custom, my inclination would be to hold off until you have a better understanding of what you like and dislike in a brush. I have several brushes that sat in the back of my shaving cupboard because I didn't like them during my initial shaves with them. I was on the verge of selling them when I decided to give them another go; surprisingly, after 3-6months of no use I found these brushes to be very much to my liking, go figure. Nevertheless, if you do buy a brush you just can't warm up to you'll have little difficulty selling it on this forum, particularly if it comes from a well regarded maker, custom or stock.
 
Fido said:
It's now nearly seven years since I published this blog.

http://fidosshavingbrushblog.blogspot.co.uk

It's now well out of date so doesn't refer to some of the excellent new suppliers. But if you really want to do some thorough research you should find something of interest if you scroll through the blog. The research I did enabled me to set up my brush business which I closed last year.

If you are prepared to spend up to a hundred pounds you will get a brush that should serve you well for many years. My strictly personal choice in your price range would be a Simpsons Duke 3 Best Badger. It's not by accident that Simpsons have been around so long. But if you want a one off you will obviously go for a custom made brush and you already have suggestions for that.
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Great blog fido, I really like the Kent BK8 too.
 
Blackmass said:
Thank you for the link. I'll have a good read through it.

Funny you should mention the Duke 3. I think it might be the one I go for. I've been scanning the forms today and the Duke 3 seems to get great reviews. Put it this way, it's in my basket at Executive Shaving.

I'm looking at various options including the shavemac and Thäter.

I think it might be wise to hold off on a custom until I know what I like and don't like.

Thoughts anyone?
Click to expand...
Yea, don't forget the TSR12 code to get your 10% off at ES
 
+1 on the Duke 3. It's an excellent all round brush. I exclusively face lather and this has good backbone and density without compromising flow through. Just a thought Blackmass, but as you say that your struggling with your lather and you bowl lather, have you tried face lathering? I too started with a bowl, which is now entirely redundant as I find face lathering so much better at preparing the face and skin for shaving.
 
@Mr. Blonde It's a bit of a funny one. Sometimes I've started lathering in the bowl and the lather would be a bit thin or start to dissipate, so I did do a bit of face lathering....the term "adapt or die" springs to mind for some reason.

Cheers for another recommendation for the Duke 3, much appreciated.

How do shavemac, Thaters and Simpson differ? As in what characteristics does each bring to the Party.

I've see a Thäter 4125/1 I like the look of too....:rolleyes:
 
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I've no experience of synthetics so I can't really advise too much as I don't really know a great deal about the characteristics of lather building with that type of knot, basically practice, and maybe use more product.

I have one Shavemac, the unique knot from the last group buy arranged by Nishy. It's a 2 band silvertip and its phenomenal. Two band hair is a bit thicker/coarser and has great backbone which is achieved without needing an overly dense knot. I had read about "gel like tips" before buying that brush, but experiencing that feeling with the knot is truly luxurious.

Simpsons brushes are top quality but Shavemacs are in my opinion, and limited experience truly a step above. Having said that a Duke 3 is a really great starting point, particularly if you've got the bug and are likely to progress to a high end brush like Shavemac or Thater, but if you want to go that route now, I'd read up a lot more and consult with people who have greater knowledge than me on the matter, which is probably 99% of members on here!
 
Blackmass said:
@Mr. Blonde

How do shavemac, Thaters and Simpson differ? As in what characteristics does each bring to the Party.

I've see a Thäter 4125/1 I like the look of too....:rolleyes:
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Of the three shavemac offers the most flexibility in terms of badger knot grade (offering six), knot shape (offering three: fan, flat-top and bulb), knot size (both diameter and loft), handle design and handle colour. If you go into the Experts section of the shavemac website you'll see what I mean; I believe Bernd also will make an entirely custom brush beyond what's available in Experts. Simpson offers four grades of badger and a synthetic, several different knot sizes (but no flexibility to vary diameter and loft in one knot), three knot shapes (fan, hybrid and bulb), limited selection of handle design and colour. Thater's offering, I believe, is similar to that of Simpson. As I said elsewhere, shavemac's finest badger and Simpson's best badger are on a par and both are very good value. I would put shavemac's, Simpson's and Thater's 3-band silvertip and 2-band silvertip on a par; Simpson calls its silvertip Super. In terms of overall quality, all three are as good as it gets. I own several brushes from each of these three and I wouldn't part with any of them. My preference these days, however, leans towards shavemac and artisan brush-makers such as Cadman, since I can customise a brush to exactly what I want.
 
@Rufus Many thanks for the detailed explanation. I've been on the shavemac ‘expect' section this lunch time. The first badger brush I really liked the look of was the Thater with the black octagon handle. I've now noticed shavemac do the same type of handle too, which got me thinking…. which obviously leads to even more questions and quandaries.:rolleyes: I really didn't think this shaving lark would get so complicated.:confused::p



I'm thinking the Duke 3 in ‘BEST'. It seems the safest bet at the moment. I will see how I get on with it and look into a custom brush at a later date.



I've been putting together a custom brush on the ‘expert' section on shavemac and it's getting a bit silly (money wise):eek: for something I have no real experience or knowledge of.



If anyone would like to make the case for the shavemac I'm all ears. :p





Another question. Fan or Bulb knot? I can see the visual difference to the shape but what difference does it make to how you use them? :confused:
 
Bulb, it'll remain firmer for longer.

It's all very well "collectors" (and I was one) loving the fan and I agree they have arguably the better face feel initially
but they also probably get used once a year in rotation by the looks of many of them. The shorter stiffer hair of the bulb around it's circumference adds a supporting quality to the knot so it will not suffer extensive splay if used frequently.

If it were me I'd go with a TGN finest knot over the Duke 3 in Best. That knot has served me very well for a number of years and it looks like you can still import handle and knot from TGN if you want to DIY or go for a Cadman build.
 
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A great write up on shavmac's, but so many choices and untill you know what you want from a brush it can seem a little bewildering and you can end up spending an awful amount of money on a brush that may not suit the user, to buy one of these fine brushes sometime down the line when you know what you want from a brush, sure go for it , they are fine brushes, untill then to find what type of brush suites would probably be a better idea.
 
The Duke3 best is a fine brush and it's hard to find fault with it; I believe it was Alexander Simpson's favourite model. If you want to try a shavemac consider the Beehive finest; the knot is a tad smaller than the Duke3's and they're both about the same price. I have both brushes, but would give the edge to the Beehive because of the handle shape and face feel. However, don't overlook the Simpson Colonel best; a great all-rounder at a very good price. This might be your best introduction to high-end badgers: great performer, fantastic face feel and impeccable quality all at a very affordable price"
 
I never particulary cared for Simpson Best hair and I've had many and sold them on, what you need to know is a TGN Finest knot will be firmer and because the hair is also courser while also allowing for better lather flow through. Set the loft shortish and it'll take a few weeks to break in.
 
the choice is yours, I don't envy the decision one little bit, but I will say this when came back to DE shaving I started off with a cheap best badger brush that suited me well enough untill I had made my mind up about what I wanted, I've whipped up many a good bowl of lather with it. Best of luck to you. @Blackmass
 
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