Architect,
There are myriad of ways manufacturers grade their brushes so I'll include those I know well and those I've come to know about:
Simpsons
Pure
Best
Super
Super Extra (Manchurian, White-just discovered this )
OLD Progress Vulfix
Boar
Pure Badger
Super Badger
Omega
Pure Bristle
Synthetic fibre
Pure Badger
Finest Silvertip
Plisson
Chinese Gray Badger
European Gray Badger
European White Badger
High Mountain White
Brush grade explaination here and
HERE
Rooney
Pure
Best
Silvertip
Super
Finest
Brush grade explanation
Semogue
2000
White Premium 90% tops mixed with White Super 70% tops
1305 and 830
Banded imitation badger Premium 90% tops
1800
Banded imitation badger Extra 75% tops mixed with Banded imitation badger Premium 90% tops
620 and 1520
Banded imitation badger Extra 75% tops
1250, 1460 and 1470
White Best 90% tops
LE 2009/SOC ( I added these two since SOC was just released mate )
Special Grade Boar
Leon/Bruno's 1st post from top
Vie-Long S.L.
Bristle
Horse
Horse/Bristle
Horse/Badger
Gray Badger
Black Badger
Silvertip Badger
White Badger
If I'm off on these pardon as I'm adding on to what I know from recent discoveries. What threw me off the most was Rooney. I reckon not all vendors ascribe to the manufacturer's grading system as silly as it may be and sometimes add their own bloody nomenclature. Case in point Classic Shaving description of "Genuine" Silvertip for a Silvertip grade. Compare that with Vintageblade. But since I've never spoken to a Rooney rep or its owner I reckon Classic's - "Genuine" Silvertip, Vintage and Executive's "Silvertip" are pretty much synonymous.
To answer your question it's all subjective. Differing beard types, skin sensitivity expectations, lathering skills ( believe it or not ), lather style ( bowl/mug latherer, face latherer, paint latherer ) can vary significantly from one shaver to another. Furthermore, with brushes generally being "natural" not even 2 models under same brand will perform the same. Different worker, different batch of knots, different day...Varying loft settings, brush density. Essentially what I'm saying to you my friend is you can read exhaustively as you clearly pointed out in your initial post and still be confused. Don't worry you are not alone.
To explain aforementioned reasons, someone's expectation of "backbone" ( I use "shaft" or "spine" ) or even density differ. Take for instance one member claiming that his Vie-Long 16590 Black badger wasn't as dense as it should be.
For me it's very impressive. Granted the centre when you push your finger down isn't as "dense" as my Simpsons B4 Pure. In spite of this I prefer my 16590 Black over the Pure because of it performed to my specifications while the B4 did not in spite of it being "dense."
Pure badgers tend to be of coarser texture and sometimes prickly tips to start with. These don't get packed in same manner higher badger grades do. Since the latter is much finer they are packed tighter. If it's shorter loft you have a dense tough spine. Too long of a loft and you have a flaccid brush. My Golden Nib ( TGN ) 22 Silvertip knot as soft as it is very much embody this trait. If it had been set to say
50-55 instead of 58 then perhaps I would favour it. It was my fault though. In any case this particular knot is too bulbous for my taste. It's flair is ginourmous and as impressive as that is, does not work for me. It's a soap and cream whore due to its density. So I never bothered using 24 and 26 knots ( truth be told the latter isn't mine anyway for at the time I fancied smaller knots ).
I'm a soap guy who enjoys creams as well. The ideal brush for me: scrubby not prickly, dense with stiff shaft but not overly stiff, have enough flex or spring rate for piston-loading ( if necessary ) from puck. So flaccid brush would be an epic FAIL.
My style of lathering is face lathering with rotary motions in conjunction with to and fro ( paint ) strokes. Rotary motions exfoliate your face more if you've tough tufts. If you paint lather then it wouldn't matter if you had sensitive skin for the prickly tips won't really ( if at all ) touch your face.
Believe it or not there are people who bowl lather creams. I don't because that is time wasted when I could be working the lather in my face. If bowl lathering cream work for you great may you shave in good health. It doesn't work for me.
As for soaps I load the brush and face lather with either boar or badger. Soaps really is virtually idiot proof and I mean that in the most complimentary way. Too much water? No problem you just have to compensate by loading the brush more. Too dry? Dip into hot water and continue to load. Cream on the other hand is not so forgiving, too much water and you have meringue-like bubbly lather. Too little-you end up looking like a cheap caked faced hooker in downtown.
Fan/Bell or Bulb/dome?
I've never thought about this until recently. General advantages in my experience with Boar is that a bulbous shape's outer bristles would be supporting the inner thus providing good "backbone." Disadvantage is that it may not tackle the bowl well if you are a bowl latherer. In the past I was very much like this. If I'd continued to do so, I would have given up on boar entirely. Since I said to myself "F this I'm gonna try something different and face lather." As such all problems were solved.
Fan-shaped brushes tend to splay more so than bulbous shaped. This would be ideal for bowl lathers. Face lathering I found that the outer bristles didn't massage my face the way bulbous one would. Further the bulbous would provide soothing suctioning sensation when you do piston movements on your face if you were working cream in there. Speaking of which let's talk about Peter's ( Fido ) New Forest Superior 2201 for a moment.
Since I don't have many badgers with similar specs I'll compare it to my Omega 81056 boar briefly. I'd use the Semogue 620 since it's the same knot size and of bulbous shape but I didn't use it enough. Anyway, both are virtually identical sans knot and loft difference:
Omega #81056 Banded Boar ( sold as mod 31056 )
Ht: 100 mm Loft: 50 mm Base: 50 mm Knot: 23 mm
*Ht: 100 mm Loft: 50 mm Base: 49 mm Knot: 23 mm
New Forest Superior Badger 2201
Ht: 100 mm Loft: 50 mm Base: 50 mm Knot: 22 mm
*Ht: 102 mm Loft: 52 mm Base: 50 mm Knot: 22 mm
As dense as the 81056 is the finer yet exfoliating properties of 2201 is on par with performance if not more so.
To spare you a novella regarding Boar's characteristics I'll be concise. Boar as you know is tougher by comparison it's like a fishing line versus the fine hairs on your arm. Boar to be fully appreciated need break-in until then you might be met with subpar if not average performance or worse-"lather hog" which can be used to describe badger as well. When the tips split becoming trident-like fork only then will the tips become softer and hold more lather thus reaching maximum efficiency. Since it is scrubby from the get go you now have a scrubby soft tipped boar that splays enough to bowl lather soaps. Due to its density and scrubby features its good for creams as well.
The 81056 is fan or trapezius shape if I didn't mention that already. Again, never really thought about bulb vs fan until of late. All I cared about was performance and not the loft shape.
2201 is packed to the max. It's just as exfoliating as the 81056 but it's softer given the Badger's characteristics. It feels like you can lather all day without getting skin irritation. The shaft is stiff as my Simfix Wee Scot but with longer loft. It retains it bulbous shape only being grossly deformed like any brush during rotary motions. I can only imagine how the fan/bell shape counterpart would perform and I sure as hell look forward to it. You can count on that.
BTW, I neglected to mention I have sensitive skin. One member as I recall isn't comfortable with bulb shape brush ( badger IIRC ) as such he prefers fan type more for he too had sensitive skin. But I'm not this way.
In truth, I use boar more but recently begun to use my badgers and with Peter's release of New Forest Superior 2201, I've appreciation for badgers as a whole much more so than in the past.
