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Video: How To Buy A Shaving Brush

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As you may know, I have been doing some videos for the launch of a British grooming website, Ape to Gentleman.  The latest one, about how to select and buy a shave brush, got me thinking that it has been a while since I discussed shaving brushes on my own video channel and here on the blog.  So with A2G’s inspiration I re-edited the video slightly and I’m posting it here.
You may think they’re old fashioned or foppish but the truth is using a shaving brush can make a huge difference in the quality of your shave.  Unfortunately selecting and using a shaving brush can be a little confusing to the uninitiated.  So lets try to make a little sense out of the options.
The most obvious selection criterion is price.  You should be able to find a brush with virtually any budget so set yourself a maximum price and stick to it.  Bear in mind that many shavers who use shaving brushes eventually get another brush after they have used one for a while and have decided they have a preference for a particular aspect or type of brush.
The next criterion of selection is brush size and shape.  Brush dimensions are typically expressed in millimeters and are often divided into three sections: loft, knot, and over-all height.  The loft is the length of the actual hair from the top of the handle to the tip of the hair.  The knot is an indication of the amount of hair packed into the handle.  By the way, the knot dimension can be a little sketchy because hair can be packed in tightly or loosely.  Finally the length of the handle is factored in to determine the over-all height of the brush.  Very generally speaking larger brushes tend to work better lathering large areas more quickly while smaller brushes offer more control.  Brush sizes cover a very wide range but I think its safe to say that the average loft is about 50 millimeters and the average knot is about 20 millimeters.
Two additional factors of brush size and shape are a little more ambiguous.  The first is the tips of the loft can be shaped into a fan-like shape or into a bulb-like shape.  Each style has their advocates who claim one shape is better than the other but there’s not real agreement about it.  The second is the size and shape of the handle.  Size and shape is yet another personal preference, but in the absence of knowing what you want I suggest measuring the distance from the palm of your hand to the pad of your thumb and let that be the maximum length of the handle.
The final criterion is the type of hair in the brush.  Shaving brushes generally come in one of three types of bristle: boar hair, badger hair, or synthetic.  Very recently brushes with horse hair have started to return to the market after a hiatus of nearly 100 years due to an anthrax scare around World War 1.  Boar hair brushes–often called “natural bristle” brushes are the most commonly seen in mass market outlets such as drug stores and groceries.  Most of these brushes are not very well constructed and tend to require more work to get a decent lather out of as well.  However that is not to say that all boar hair brushes are substandard.  Quite the contrary, a well-made boar hair brush will provide years of service and work quite well after a break-in period.  They work particularly well with shaving soaps, though you can use them with shaving creams as well.  Sometimes these brushes are dyed to look like badger hair brushes.
Badger hair brushes are generally regarded as the preferred material for shaving brushes and they can generally make a lather more quickly, and retain more heat and water than brushes of other types.  However there are a number of different grades of hair, and unfortunately there is no standardized grading process between manufacturers.  Be that as it may, there are some general guidelines you can use.
The lowest grade of badger hair is generally referred to as “pure.”  This grade is characterized by a dark color and thick, relatively stiff, coarse-looking hair.  Some manufacturers will bleach the hair slightly to give it the look of a higher grade but the hair itself will still look coarse.
The next step up is usually called super or fine.  These brushes are generally better constructed and the hair is finer-looking, softer, and lighter in color.  Super badger brushes retain water and heat noticeably better–sometimes dramatically better–than lower grades, and can make a better lather, more quickly.
The highest grade of badger hair is generally labelled “silvertip.”  These brushes are usually made to the highest standard, often with hand-crafted workmanship, commanding the highest prices.  Silvertip hair is often cream colored on top with darker bands of color below and very fine but still fairly flexible hairs.  These brushes will retain even more water and heat than super badger brushes, but is a less dramatic improvement.
Finally there are synthetic brushes.  These can range from brushes with nylon bristles those with more specialized synthetic material.  Their price and performance usually fall between those of boar and badger brushes.
Let me mention a few additional thoughts about brush hair.  First, because boar hair retains less water than badger hair, selecting a boar hair brush with a higher loft will help compensate for water retention.  Second, boars and badgers are killed to harvest their meat and hair so if that is a concern you will want to select a brush with synthetic or horse hair.  By the way, almost all of the badger hair used in shaving brushes come from China, where the badger is considered a pest and controlled under license.  Finally, shaving brushes are made to use with traditional shaving soaps and creams.  But some people use them with brushless creams and gels as well.  Bear in mind that the ingredients of some brushless products may damage a brush’s natural hair so if you are unsure of the ingredient reaction consider using a brush with synthetic hair.
A note about video distribution.  I have previously mentioned that I have pulled back the number of distribution channels I send videos to.  It just got pulled back a little further: Veoh decided that my last video was too “commercial” and terminated my account.  I sent them an email to get a little more information and to appeal the decision but never got a response.  So I’m off Veoh.  Not a big deal–I only got 1 or 2 video views per day from them–but still annoying, particularly that they wouldn’t respond to my request.

Author

Shave tutor and co-founder of sharpologist. I have been advocating old-school shaving for over 20 years and have been featured in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Lifehacker. Also check out my content on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!View Author posts

8 thoughts on “Video: How To Buy A Shaving Brush”

  1. Michael G – Yes, give the brush a thorough washing with pet shampoo or even MILD dishwashing liquid. You can also soak it in a solution of one part distilled white vinegar to 9 parts hot water for 10 minutes. Either way, rinse very thoroughly and allow to dry. That should help!

  2. Mantic – I just upgraded from a synthetic MenU brush to a Crabtree & Evelyn pure badger bush but I'm finding it doesn't retain the shaving cream lather, heat or anything – I'm almost about to switch back to the synthetic brush! Are you meant to do anything with them before use or do they improve with use?! Thanks in advance for your help!

  3. Thank you for being so detailed in your approach, and the vidieo is also very helpful, nice upload, your effort is highly appreciative

  4. Hi mantic59!

    There are also 2-band-brushes. Do you know, if they have all the "same" grade of badger hair?

  5. Nice video, Mark. You should post a link to it on Badgerandblade.com.

    In addition to the materials you mentioned, there are a few brushes that have a combination of materials.

    For example, I have two Caswell-Massey brushes that contain "bristle and badger" and a T&H Travel Brush that contains the same combo. All three do a good job – although I prefer my Silvertip or Best Badger brushes.

  6. Mark, nice summary of "brush basics."

    You may want to revise your badger hair grades into Pure, Best, and Super/Silvertip as that more accurately reflects the terms used nowadays by major manufacturers. Super is not considered a mid-grade AFAIK.

  7. Word Freak – thank you very much! I was unaware of that syntax–sort of like "data" vs. "datum," eh? Nothing I can do about the video narration but I have changed the blog text here.


  8. The next criteria of selection is brush size and shape.

    M59:

    I don't want to be a dick. But I like the blog, like the videos, and think you're smart.

    So I wish to correct you.

    The next criterion of selection is brush shape. . .

    Criteria is the plural. It's always plural. There can never be a sentence that says "The criteria is. . ."

    One criterion for intelligence is a fundamental understanding of language.

    The criteria are demanding.

    And yes, lots of people make the mistake.

    Lots of people use disposable razors, too. Wouldn't you like to change their mistaken ways?

    Me, too.

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