Fido's New Forest Superior Badger 2201

antdad

antdad

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A few have been bought now so it shouldn't take too long to form an opinion and get things rolling.

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I was fortunate to have an early prototype and a current production model and can vouch for small variance in production, they're handmade, it's going to happen and no two badgers are alike.
Dense and firm with soft tips, this brush makes an ideal soap and face lathering brush although it is equally adept at lathering with creams.
Soap pick up is very easy and the face feel satisfying, the Simpson "PJ2 like" handle isn't my favourite aesthetically but it's very comfortable and easy to hold and at this price you'd be mad not to get one, it's a boar buster.

I'm very familiar with Simpson 2 band hair and this Superior Badger hair is comparable, expect it to soften, bloom and improve with use, given the current brush trends I'm astounded some of the other manufacturers haven't produced something similar.

Congratulations to Fido.
 
Just had my first shave with "Nigel" the Fido 2201. Soaked it for 10 minutes and was surprised there was no smell (the AOS Pure Badger I received via Ebay stunk something awful!), this almost smelt like it had been pre-washed. I washed and rinsed it a couple of times with shampoo just in case and used my usual face lathering soap, La Toja.

Brush holds more water than the Vulfix 404 I am used to so it was a little wet to start but soon lathered up nicely. I was surprised how soft it felt as it feels quite prickly when dry but is very gentle when wet which was rather pleasant. Very nice, close shave using a Gillette Super Slim adjustable loaded with a Jewell blade (3 shaves old).

Brush held enough lather for 3 full passes and a couple of touch ups.

I am not experienced with badger brushes of bulb shaped knots but I think I will have much pleasure getting used to both.

Overall first impression is that it is a very nice brush and well worth the modest amount that Fido is charging.
 
It would be handy to have a comparison to brushes at similar price point. I'm thinking about brushes like the popular Edwin Jaggers for example. After a long stint of being boar-only I am considering a badger. I must say that I prefer wooden handles and expect if Fido did decide to offer these they'd be more expensive.
 
Pig Cat said:
It would be handy to have a comparison to brushes at similar price point. I'm thinking about brushes like the popular Edwin Jaggers for example. After a long stint of being boar-only I am considering a badger. I must say that I prefer wooden handles and expect if Fido did decide to offer these they'd be more expensive.
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OK - here you go....

In comparison the EJ BBB (£23) is floppy & non-dense... this feels much more like my Rooney 2/1 super, not quite as soft on the tips, but the Rooney always struck me as being too soft. It's got the face feel of a Kent BK4, but the knot feel (or backbone) of a Vulfix 404 mix (which if you add them together cost about the same as 2 Fidos :D )
 
Pig Cat said:
It would be handy to have a comparison to brushes at similar price point. I'm thinking about brushes like the popular Edwin Jaggers for example. After a long stint of being boar-only I am considering a badger. I must say that I prefer wooden handles and expect if Fido did decide to offer these they'd be more expensive.
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PC, basically this brush is a Simpson PJ 2 clone where the Simpson would normally cost you £100 and that would be the best comparison I can give because I can tell you from experience of using both that they are indistinguishable. Fido isn't turning these out individually to order on a lathe back home, he's ordered a quantity from a manufacturer to his "own" specification and he has kept the retail cost low because he want's it that way. I'm blowing the trumpet for this brush because it is the best value/performing badger brush I've come across, if your considering a move from boar to badger I wouldn't hesitate. Of course it won't feel quite as special as an individually made custom brush but the Superior Badger knot is well just superior to the TGN Finest in my opinion and that would cost you nearly twenty quid on its own.

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That's great chaps, thanks for the comments. I'm very interested now. I prefer wooden handles and have heard a rumour that Fido will be producing a version in wood so I'll try to hold out until then.
 
Yes he definitely said that but I don't know if it still stands considering the issues he had with logo. I'm sure he'll chip in and clear that up....
 
Fido said:
I'm keeping this first lot of brushes at £25 for TSR members. I'll soon list on some other forums. Once the first batch is gone, I'll review.
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do you have a few left Fido, i want to get one, just waiting to sell some stuff on e-bay them i will buy one from you :D
 
I'd concur with most of the above. I don't have any big name expensive brushes to compare it with (I don't somehow think a BK4 quite counts), but it's nicely turned out and seems to produce remarkable amounts of lather given its size and being almost brand new. Mine is showing some signs of blooming and I'd expect it to keep on improving for some time. It isn't quite as effective with soaps as the best badger Neo made for me (yet...) but that's a bigger, scrubbier affair altogether. All told, Fido seems to have got the spec just right, and the price makes it quite obviously a bargain, so there's no reason to hesitate.

For the future, I'd like to see an alternative handle shape, and possibly a small travel version with something like an 18mm knot: I'd have one of those like a shot.
 
hunnymonster said:
Go on PC, buy one. Peter's a retired gent and needs the income to keep him in bells in his dotage :shave
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I get the feeling that this is one business where making money is not the only motivation. Fido's got high standards and, from the positive comments already made, you can tell.

And yes, I shall be acquiring one of these fine brushes. I'm just holding out for a wooden handle which I'm told won't be available for a little while. :shave
 
Let me pick up some issues from the last two posts.

I'm not setting out to create a typical business with the aim of maximising profit to make a living. All the work needed will be done by me with a little help from the family if needed. I simply thought it would be a good idea for a shaving enthusiast who has taken a keen interest in brushes to come up with some high quality brushes likely to appeal to fellow shavers at an affordable price. Anyone who has seen the attempt to produce a TSR brush will see the problems of designing a brush by a "committee". So after considerable research I decided that around five or six types of brush would cover the needs and aspirations of most enthusiasts. I decided on a handle shape and material that is generally popular and comfortable to use and brush dimensions that should give an excellent all round lathering performance. Two band and Finest Silvertip are the only grades I intend to supply - they are the very best.

I'm sticking with the handle shape for my first phase of brushes. In that way, I can keep prices low. If all goes well, I'll consider additional handle shapes and one off projects of limited numbers.

I'm delighted by the early feedback. The fun will really start when I list on other bigger forums and elsewhere. And I'm keen to order the next two brushes. But this is such a busy time of year.

I'll tuck one away for you Sunbury - just in case.
 
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