newbie to shaving brushes, need help please

grabbed this synthetic for a couple of quid from lidl, feels very much like the body shop synthetic shaving brush, similar size and feel

IMG_20211120_152717.jpgIMG_20211120_152639.jpgIMG_20211120_152656.jpg
 
Pretty sure that's the same brush that Body Shop used to sell. I had one on more than a couple of occasions and yes, it's a good 'un! Hopefully that one will be.
Nice one, yeah seems to be Identical especially the wooden handles
 
Hi Saj,

i would recommend to find out what you like first and then dive deeper into that space of your liking.

Find out if you are a Face latherer or a Bowl Latherer. Do you like to paint on the lather or are you a face smasher. do you like smaller knots or larger knots. How often do you shave, daily or not, do you use different soaps or always the same.

typically i would suggest to have more then one brush even though you may not want to be a collector as such. this allows for better drying of the brushes inbetween shaves and also allows you to try out some different models. Also if you are still looking for the optimum i would try some of the current Chinese offerings like Yaqi. If you travel often I would at least advise 1 Synthetic brush as this could be used traveling as well.

Personally i'm a face latherer and a "face smasher" so i like my brushes large and dense and tend to go towards two band badgers. I would recommend a Simpsons Trafalgar 3 for the synthetic brush (or 2 if you prefer smaller) and for a badger i like the Yaqi 26mm Moka Express two band badger as a relaqtively cheap good brush.
but again it very much depends on how you want to apply lather to your face!
 
I think Saj might actually be a "head smasher"! So a nice big knot with some loft for dome foam would be my choice.

Much as it almost pains me to say, I have a few brushes but that Yaqi Moka Express (mine is the synth) is actually the one I use the most.
 
Last edited:
I think Saj might actually be a "head smasher"! So a nice big knot with some loft for dome foam would be my choice.

Much as it almost pains me to say, I have a few brushes but that Yaqi Moka Express (mine is the synth) is actually the one I use the most.
Hi hotmetal,

i also have quite a brush family but keep grabbing the Yaqi Moka Express as well, if you like Badger as well i would get that one as well, its very good and fairly affordable!
 
so just thought I'd read about the different types of badger brushes, I have only one badger brush and that's a pure badger by muhle

I wanted to ask those of you experienced badger brush users if there a big difference between the pure badger and the silver tip? Or is there not a lot in it?

Btw I'm so gutted I can't use boar brushes as I loved the omega I had before, I'm actually surprised boar brushes dont get as much love as the badger brushes
 
Semogue, Omega & Zenith.
which do you prefer?

want to try horse hair but i got a beard brush which is horse hair and its way too soft so was thinking the shaving brush maybe way too soft as well
 
which do you prefer?

want to try horse hair but i got a beard brush which is horse hair and its way too soft so was thinking the shaving brush maybe way too soft as well

Saj, you should give the Yaqi Cashmere synth a go. It's supposed to be like a well broken boar brush in the use.

Also keep an eye for the Yaqi sale, they have decent badger brushes on sale for not a huge amount. Occasionally you will see a silver tip for less than £20. Send Boycie a PM though, he seems to know a lot about MIC badger brushes, I'm sure he can provide some pointers.

Btw, there is a difference between Pure Badger and Silvertip, the latter is supposed to be softer, Pure Badger scritchier.

Semogue, Omega & Zenith.

I agree with those. IMO the latter two's unbleached boar brushes are my favourites.
 
Saj, you should give the Yaqi Cashmere synth a go. It's supposed to be like a well broken boar brush in the use.

Also keep an eye for the Yaqi sale, they have decent badger brushes on sale for not a huge amount. Occasionally you will see a silver tip for less than £20. Send Boycie a PM though, he seems to know a lot about MIC badger brushes, I'm sure he can provide some pointers.

Btw, there is a difference between Pure Badger and Silvertip, the latter is supposed to be softer, Pure Badger scritchier.



I agree with those. IMO the latter two's unbleached boar brushes are my favourites.
I've ordered about 4/5 yaqi brushes all synthetics but not that one specifically

What's your preference? Badger, boar, horse or synthetic?
 
I've ordered about 4/5 yaqi brushes all synthetics but not that one specifically

What's your preference? Badger, boar, horse or synthetic?

I never got around to buying a horse, used a badger once, I use boar brushes and synths equally.

If I was you, and was shaving my head, I'd bowl lather and use a large synth. I find with a medium sized Yaqi synth, it's almost difficult to make a bad lather.

Which Yaqi synths do you have? I don't find them very interesting, they are the same whichever day you use them, boars on the other hand break in as you use them over time, quite a unique and enjoyable experience, but boars shed, sometimes eat lather, or can be floppy mops. I find my boars do not work with all soaps, but synths are always consistent.

They have their pros and cons, but for making a lather with the least amount of soap/work, it's difficult to beat a good synth.
 
Back
Top Bottom