Hi :) First post - Brush recommendations, please :)

Rottie

Rottie

Messages
95
Hi all,

I've just decided to make the switch from disposable, fixed head razors, to a DE.
I've recently purchased a Parker 65R, from that famous auction site, along with some Bluebeard's revenge shaving soap and some Derby blades.

My question is this: Currently, I'll be getting a Wilkinson Sword shaving brush, but I imagine that I'll soon outgrow this and look for something better quality.
I've been looking at the vast array of brushes available, but the more I look, the more confused I get, so could some of you nice folks please recommend a decent brush in the £20-30 range?

Thanks,
Kev.
 
Cant go wrong with a plisson synthetic stunning brush or its cheaper cousin the razorock plisoft,

If you want a boar brush go for a semogue 830 awesome little brush when broken in!

A semouge boar and a razorock synthetic will cost 30quid for both so u could see what u liked and sell the other here! (Or keep both)
 
Shavejourneybadger said:
Cant go wrong with a plisson synthetic stunning brush or its cheaper cousin the razorock plisoft,

If you want a boar brush go for a semogue 830 awesome little brush when broken in!

A semouge boar and a razorock synthetic will cost 30quid for both so u could see what u liked and sell the other here! (Or keep both)
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Thanks for the reply. :)
Funnily enough, I was looking at Semogues the other evening and the one that caught my eye was the 1230, but then, I was talking to someone at work and they suggested getting a badger hair bursh?

So many choices.. So much to learn..

**EDIT: The model was 1305, not 1230 **
 
Something i didnt know when i first started was that there are different grades badger brush "pure badger" being the lowest grade and silvertip badger being the highest....

So a lower end badger wont be as good as a good quality boar, but its all a matter of opinion of course....
 
Shavejourneybadger said:
@Rottie do you prefer to face lather or bowl?

As some brushes do one better than the other and visa versa
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Good point! :)
Right now, I just use gel shave foam and lather in my hands before doing battle with the dreaded disposables (Parker, blades and soap should arrive early next week), but I do want to learn to use a bowl and brush.
 
Youtube.com there are some super videos on how to bowl lather and face lather correctly... our resident youtuber @Kevy has some under kevvy shaves on youtube also two other great channels are "shave the man" and "nick shaves" nick has a beginners guide to double edge shaving...i watched all of his vidoes of this subject and learnt a hell of a lot
 
Shavejourneybadger said:
Youtube.com there are some super videos on how to bowl lather and face lather correctly... our resident youtuber @Kevy has some under kevvy shaves on youtube also two other great channels are "shave the man" and "nick shaves" nick has a beginners guide to double edge shaving...i watched all of his vidoes of this subject and learnt a hell of a lot
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Thanks. I'll have to check out those channels, when I get a chance over the weekend. :)
What's your opinion on the Parker 65R, please? Do you think it's a good starter, or have I bitten off more than I can chew?
 
Ummm, its not bad but personally i feel the edwin jagger de89 is one of the best razors for beginners, i still use mine 1.5 years on! Its beautifully made and honestly ive never cut myself with it....so forgiving for a beginner learning proper technique
 
Welcome Rottie. To make things simple in the early stages the suggestion above to get a synthetic is a good one (in my humble opinion).

The Edwin Jagger is another popular synthetic to add to your list of possibilities. (Muhle is pretty much the same....very slight detail differences and a couple of shillings difference in price). The Plisson is great too. (I have three Jagger synthetics, in different sizes, and a 22mm Plisson and they're absolutely fine). The 22mm Plisson is a sensible size and the Jagger is just that tiny bit bigger at 23mm. I personally think 23mm is a good starting point. I have the bigger Jagger (25mm) too and it's also great but the 23mm is probably a better option....and a bit cheaper. You get to choose the colour and handle shape but the bristles (the knot) are made from the same material. You get more bristles in the bigger size and they're a shade longer too...but you don't need to jump in with too big a brush until you get to know what suits you.

Synthetics lather up a treat and you can't go wrong in maintaining them whilst you're learning. You don't need to soak them before each use either.

The choice of badger, boar, horse is truly bewildering but there are popular manufacturers whose names you will hear over and over again. A badger or boar can be as cheap as chips (as you've found out) and I would say goes up to something like £120 as a sensible maximum. Obviously they go higher still but I think you should wait for a goodly time before even thinking about spending that sort of money. The current very popular higher end badger is a 'shavemac' two band silvertip badger. If you were to look at that sort of thing you'd perhaps be looking at approx. 23mm by 50 or 52mm size. A new one from shavemac is around £100. For example this one is £88 plus postage from Germany (approx £9) ....http://www.shavemac.com/products/Sh...ving-Brush-177-Handmade-Silvertip-Badger.html

But my money would be on a good quality synthetic for around £30. It'll last for ages and you can expand your collection as you feel the need. Don't forget there are discounts from most of the suppliers in the UK and some offer free postage over a certain amount (approx £30 or £40).

Enjoy your time here. And be prepared to spend way, way more than you ever imagined. :)
 
The 65R, Derby extras and the WS brush arrived this morning. :)

Did a three-pass shave this morning, with four days' worth of growth and I have to say, I am VERY impressed; I got a closer shave today than I would ever have gotten, using the disposables, with only four or five very minor nicks, which I think are down to two main things, namely (1) the virgin blade and (2) the fact that my shaving foam refused to lather, using the brush - I got a "pasty" mix in the bowl and when it went on, it was more like a translucent glaze on my face.

The 65R is a beautiful razor, not just aesthetically, but the weight and build quality, to my mind at least, seem spot on and I was able to control the razor with very little effort, getting an exceptionally clean cut, even on the first pass. :)

The Wilkinson Sword brush, on the other hand, is way too stiff for my liking out of the box and felt a little coarse and "scratchy", whilst lathering up, even though I soaked the brush for about 10 minutes or so in hot water, before first use.
Hopefully, it will soften up with a bit more use, but if it doesn't then I can look into some of the options above.

Thanks to everyone who posted. Your comments are greatly appreciated and I will definitely sign up for the pass-around box a little further down the line. :)
 
DevonStan said:
Good to see you're making progress. Just to say there's a lovely XL Jagger synthetic on BST at a good price at the moment. Alternatively Jagger have a 20% off sale on their website which includes brushes (with free postage too).

http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/edwin-jagger-xl-synthetic-brush.35529/

http://www.edwinjagger.co.uk/edwin-jagger-imitation-ivory-synthetic-fill-shaving-brush.html
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Thanks for those links. :) I'll BM them and have a proper look, when I get a chance. :)

Took a trip up the High Street and looked in the local "Savers", where I picked up a tube of Nivea Men "Originals mild shaving cream" and a tub of Erasmic shaving soap, for £1.49 and £2.49 respectively. :)
They also had a small Erasmic brush, for £3, but it felt even coarser to me than the WS, when I ran it across my palm, so I decided against that.

I might just have to take a trip to my local Wilko - I've heard they do a nice, own-brand post shave balm. :)

That's me stopped spending for now - So far, I'm in the hole to the tune of almost £55 and I only got paid yesterday! :eek:
 
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