Badger Brush recommendation

CrowdedHouse

Mine is the 730

It's quite soft at the tips,it not prickly to me at all. Seems to be firm enough for soaps.I've used it with Tabac & Mama Bears with no probs,so is probably a good all rounder(it has only got 5 or 6 shaves so far)


It's about 100 mm in total,handle about 42mm

Amalgam

A group of new Semogue brushes popped up at Vintage Scent.

2040 - Silvertip

2040HD - Extra Dense Silvertip

2020 - Best Badger

1800 - Boar

1460 - Boar

1470 - Boar

1250 - Boar

I like the handle on the 2040HD. The 1250 is like a 2000 with the mushroom handle, almost perfect.

bothyhead

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Yep - washed it with both human and dog shampoo(4 Paws Magic Coat )

Oh dear Lord! I would never have of thought of using doggie 'poo, no wonder it smells

Did you sterilize it in any way? I'm not sure about the best way to do this; I reckon that boiling it would not be good for the glue that is used to hold the knot in place. I myself have a bottle of Hibiscrub lying around the house, which I have used on previous occasions - though this would be a wee bit expensive to buy just for a one off occasion (15 eur or so when I purchased it a couple of years ago).

A word of warning if you are using Hibiscrub, make sure to rinse your brush thoroughly after using it, as the active ingredient is quite dangerous to mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth)

Gran Hermano

I use some shampoo and then whip some batches of strong smelling lather with Tabac and/or Proraso helps speed up the break in and the pong passes
in less than a week. No way I'd use boiling or near-boiling water. My 2015HD smelt like badger road kill left out for a month in the sun when I first got it.

CrowdedHouse

bothyhead wrote: »

Oh dear Lord! I would never have of thought of using doggie 'poo, no wonder it smells

IIRC I think Mantic recommended pet shampoo,besides if it's good enough for my girls it's good enough for a badger



The pong is almost gone now anyway thanks to Tabac and Mama Bear

Shaving.ie

Amalgam wrote: »

A group of new Semogue brushes popped up at Vintage Scent.

I like the handle on the 2040HD. The 1250 is like a 2000 with the mushroom handle, almost perfect.

I think this is a positive move in terms of price also. The price of the 2000 has moved almost into badger territory with the recent price increase. The 1250 looks to have a similar type of hair, a stunning looking handle and a more reasonable price. Im also liking the 1800..

Gran Hermano

If anyone is wondering which of the boars have the same hair/knots
Leon posted the following elsewhere:

The 1520 and 620 have the same bristles, yes.
The 2000 has the thicker bristle, while the1305 has a different bristle.
So, right now there are 3 different boar grades
1) The 1520 and 620
2) The 2000, 1250, 1460 and 1470
3) The 1305 and 1800

Amalgam

Just curious, is it possible to buy a Silver Tip shaving brush with a short loft, or shorter than your typical brush?

I like the Semogue brushes but they look like they might be floppy. I want the softness at the tips, but not necessarily the full lenght of bristle.

CrowdedHouse

The Rooney 1/1 is pretty short - loft on mine is approx 43mm
total length about 80mm.

The Simpson chubby is short too I believe

I wouldn't call my Semogue 730 floppy,has a good backbone works well with soaps and creams and is soft tipped.

I have a Trufitt & Hill Wellington - that's floppy but good for creams

Amalgam

Uh oh.. http://www.shavemac.com/shop/shop_content.php?language=en

Amalgam

I received an order from Chris @ http://www.shaving.ie/ this morning. I finally got around to buying a Semogue 2000 Boar shaving brush.

The tips are softer than you would think, they taper off instead of being 'cut' sharp, certainly feel smoother and less prickly, than say, a new budget best\mixed badger brush.

For some reason, the brush seems to have more bulk on the photos online, when it is sitting in front of you, it does not come across as bulky at all, well proportioned, to nestle between forefinger and thumb. 'Dinky' could be a word to use.

Nice grain and a hefty varnish. Packaging is minimal, as you can see below.



Some sense of scale, using a 1 euro coin.



Pleased with the purchase, I'm well familiar with this type of brush, as I have my grandfather's brush with identical hair and loft, but unfortunately it is shedding, due to its age. The Semogue will be used as the other brush goes into retirement.

DonJose

Amalgam wrote: »

Uh oh.. http://www.shavemac.com/shop/shop_content.php?language=en

Theres no chance of getting a fake if you purchase directly from the shavemac website, they make an EXCELLENT brush.

tinner777

looking to spend about€50 on a new brush, ideas?

Gran Hermano

tinner777 wrote: »

looking to spend about50 on a new brush, ideas?

What have you got already?
Are you planning on using soaps or creams or both?

tinner777

am using this at the mo,

Pure Badger Shaving Brush



Quality hand turned handle will add elegance to your bathroom!
View Product
£16.99

use creams more than soaps

Cabaal

I'm using this since January

costs £43

I bought this this week

costs 16e

I've yet to try it

Amalgam

Video link taken from B&B. Footage includes coverage of the Semogue factory.

tinner777

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OMEGA-silvertip-badger-shaving-brush-gift-box-stand 618_W0QQitemZ130310867337QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_212?hash=item1e57220989#ht_500wt_956

anyone used one of these?

Shaving.ie

tinner777 wrote: »

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OMEGA-silvertip-badger-shaving-brush-gift-box-stand 618_W0QQitemZ130310867337QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_212?hash=item1e57220989#ht_500wt_956

anyone used one of these?

I have not tried it myself but I have had very positive feedback on the 626 which is a little higher in the range.

tinner777

Shaving.ie wrote: »

I have not tried it myself but I have had very positive feedback on the 626 which is a little higher in the range.

when will you have it in stock?

Amalgam

---

http://vintagescent.com/shaving-brushes-c-5/excelsior-boar-limited-edition-2009-p-75

---

Vintage Scent are selling a limited run (100) Semogue Boar Brush. Very nice handle, not that keen on the two tone boar hair, it has to be said, I like them blonde.



Seems like an offspring of the Semogue 2000 (left) and the Semogue 2010 (right).

seosamh

This brush might suit if you or someone special is feeling quite generous this Christmas!

Cabaal

Badger & Blade have these brushes on sale for the next 3 weeks

CrowdedHouse

Cabaal wrote: »

Badger & Blade have these brushes on sale for the next 3 weeks

Yea - but $165 plus VAT/duty probably(unless you get lucky),bit too rich for me I think

Gran Hermano

I too was tempted by the B&B LE brush, but as CH said above the price is a tad high
US Price already includes Customs/duty because they're imported into the US but
you can be sure UPS will come knocking looking for their fee and customs
when it arrives here in Ireland.

My next brush for 'mad money' will be a Simpsons 2 band and I'll try and source one in Europe to avoid customs charges. Until then I'm looking forward to the LE Semogie boar - not that I really need another!

Amalgam

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

..bit too rich for me I think

Too right, you're at the price of 2x Shavemacs, if not more, after everything is dealt with, sod that.

seosamh

Was anyone tempted by the 1,500 euro Plisson brush in my previous post. Makes everything else look like a bargain!

CrowdedHouse

seosamh wrote: »

Was anyone tempted by the 1,500 euro Plisson brush in my previous post. Makes everything else look like a bargain!

..err.. the size 20 Plisson is too big...anyway..
It's bad enough having to accept badgers being killed for shaving brushes without adding elephants too.

Cabaal

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

It's bad enough having to accept badgers being killed for shaving brushes without adding elephants too.

agreed, the mrs was none too happy when I told her my shaving brush was made from badger hair and to be honest thats understandable....a part of me ain't too happy about it either.

Cabaal

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Yea - but $165 plus VAT/duty probably(unless you get lucky),bit too rich for me I think

Works out about 104e if you factor $30 shipping and you don't get hit for customs, its alot of money and I think I'd rather go for something like this first...unless somebody can recommend something better?

CrowdedHouse

What's that Cabaal a BK4 ?

If you're looking for a great all rounder for creams and soaps,I'd recommend a Simpson PJ2
(About 65 sterling in best badger)

It's probably my favourite

Cabaal

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

What's that Cabaal a BK4 ?

If you're looking for a great all rounder for creams and soaps,I'd recommend a Simpson PJ2
(About 65 sterling in best badger)

It's probably my favourite

It is alright,

PJ2 seems pretty good and decent enough price, when I started shaving I started with soap and it was a disaster so I switched to creams and have been using them up until last month when I tried soap again.

I now find I'm getting better shaves with soap then cream so was worth switching back,

PJ2 seems a pretty decent sized brush

imme

I bought a Taylor of Old Bond Street (Jermyn St) in London for £17.95.

CrowdedHouse

Cabaal wrote: »

PJ2 seems a pretty decent sized brush

Here's a bad snap of mine,a Nokia 6300(same height),11C and a Kent BK2 beside it for scale

seosamh

Cabaal wrote: »

agreed, the mrs was none too happy when I told her my shaving brush was made from badger hair and to be honest thats understandable....a part of me ain't too happy about it either.

Yes, in fairness it does give me pause for thought, how badger hair is sourced. However when I was in the Body Shop recently I mischievously asked the question 'so this brush is synthetic then?'. You can imagine the response. But when you see on e-bay that silver-tipped badger brushes available for about 15 euro from China you know the care of the poor badger is not a factor in the price.

Anyway I ordered a Kent BK4 a few days ago and hopefully this will limit my badger 'footprint' for quite a while.

Amalgam

Bruno at vintagescent.com has lined up a Semogue brush based on the 100 limited run released in 2009.



http://vintagescent.com/shaving-brushes-c-5/semogue-owners-club-brush-p-99

The blonde boar Semogue brushes are a deceptive lot, rough to the eye, but soft like velvet at the tips, once wet, with more backbone than a badger brush.

Lovely handle on this brush.

Gran Hermano

The last Semogue LE is a beautiful brush and a great performer. The varnish on it is an improvement over the other wooden handled Semogues I bought prior to it and it protects the wood better against ships/scratches.

Whilst I have no need for another Semogue boar, I'm seriously tempted to add this to the collection! (Think I prefer the darker wooden handle of the last LE though).

Guramoogah

Does anyone know of an Irish or UK seller of Rooney brushes? I'm interested in buying a Rooney Style 2 (the 'persian jar' shape) in Finest Badger but the seller on Amazon UK only does that brush in Best or Silver Tip.

oscarBravo

Cabaal wrote: »

agreed, the mrs was none too happy when I told her my shaving brush was made from badger hair and to be honest thats understandable....a part of me ain't too happy about it either.

I've been meaning to follow up on this for a while. According to Wikipedia, that most reputable of sources, badgers are so plentiful in parts of China that the government licenses village co-ops to shoot them, because they damage crops. It's these badgers that provide the hair for shaving brushes.

Amalgam

I don't mean to go all Peta on the thread, but I remember seeing something on Channel 4 about them being 'farmed', it didn't look pretty..

Amalgam

The following link popped up on Badger & blade. Hard to know what is being offered, but it seems to be a varied selection of Semogue brushes. Some lovely colours and shapes.

http://www.vivaeureka.com/pages/cont/index.php?id=14

There's a 'flat rate' for shipping within Europe.

Click on your selection to the (left) side menu. Tejón Gris, Tejón, Tejón Plata etc..

Then click on the main picture showing the full selection of brushes for that menu choice, which will then show up a particular product, that you can browse going left and right using the arrows above the picture.

There's a few brands, Semogue, Argos, I think I spotted some Mühle too.

Shaving.ie

Or you can just select the english option

Amalgam

Shaving.ie wrote: »

Or you can just select the english option

I'm using Firefox, with the site unblocked. The flag buttons don't work. Just checked with Internet Explorer, they work fine with IE, but not Firefox..

Edit: The image maps in Firefox don't seem to work either.

Shaving.ie

Its a pity there are no pics of inside the shop. Id say they have a few great things in there:

Deedsie

What's the cheapest badger brush you could get? I have very little money to spend. Would you get one for €15 anywhere?

hitemfrank

Shaving.ie has a badger brush for €15.95

http://www.shaving.ie/products/HJM-Pure-Badger-Value-Shaving-Brush-Selection.html

I have one myself and I quite like it.


Boots also sell shaving brushes which I think are about €15.

MediaTank

Amalgam wrote: »

I don't mean to go all Peta on the thread, but I remember seeing something on Channel 4 about them being 'farmed', it didn't look pretty..

They are just another protein source in that part of the world. The meat is eaten and the neck hair sold.

Deedsie

hitemfrank wrote: »

Shaving.ie has a badger brush for €15.95

http://www.shaving.ie/products/HJM-Pure-Badger-Value-Shaving-Brush-Selection.html

I have one myself and I quite like it.


Boots also sell shaving brushes which I think are about €15.

You would never get one cheaper than that, the reason I wanted to get into safety razor shaving was to save money. I have almost €50 spent and I can't even shave yet. It's pretty expensive.

Amalgam

MediaTank wrote: »

They are just another protein source in that part of the world. The meat is eaten and the neck hair sold.

Oh, I accept that, but it was all a bit 'barren'.

Amalgam

Deedsie wrote: »

You would never get one cheaper than that..

Check your local Chemist. I have seen Vulfix and one or two other brands sold. Granted, the brush boxes might have a little dust on them.. but they generally do have a little shaving section.