Introducing Fido's Shaving Brush Blog

Please note - every brush in my collection was purchased by me. There are no "freebies" here. Each brush has been used by me to enable me to write a wholly impartial review of how it has performed.

And there's more!

Preface

After completing this blog  I decided to use some of the knowledge I gained from my research and from using the wide variety of brushes described here. As a result, New Forest Brushes has now been established. The purpose of this venture is to enable me to design, have made and supply a small number of popular brushes that will meet the needs of enthusiasts at an affordable price. This is has been achieved by dealing directly with an established manufacturer, and a local craftsman and selling direct to customers. My brushes will be listed from time to time on the website below.

New Forest Brushes

This blog makes no other reference to these brushes.

Blogs need to be read backwards, so it's a case of finding the oldest post and working back to here.

This is about shaving brushes in general and my collection in particular. I decided to assemble a collection of brushes across a range of prices and makers and brands, to provide some details about each brush and to express my opinions about them. Where I have found them, I have added links to other reviews to provide a more balanced assessment.
As with many things, it takes time to appreciate a shaving brush. As it gets used it settles down and you find the best way of using it to suit your preferences. So I will keep the blog updated if I discover new things about a brush. Treat all reviews with caution. I am judging brushes against my own criteria. After using many different shapes and sizes and brushes with different degrees of firmness I know what I like in a brush. I like to feel in control of the brush head. So I prefer smaller and shorter knots - no more than 22mm or much above 50mm loft. You may prefer larger, softer brushes - its all down to personal preferences.
I also like to feel I am getting good value. Brushes vary widely in price. And there isn't always a direct relationship between quality and price. But this too is a very personal thing. You pay your money and make your choice.
I hope you find something of interest here. I am not an expert. I don't go into great detail in my comments - just general impressions - you will find much more information in the many reviews to which I provide links.
If you have anything you would like to say, please do add comments to the post about which you have an opinion. It will be much appreciated - even if critical!

I love using my shaving brushes. Casting an eye over them to decide which one to use each day is part of the fun of this crazy obsession of ours.

Thank you for looking in.

Best buys

I have thought about expressing an opinion about best buys or my favourite brushes in each price range. Looking through my reviews indicates what I think about each of my brushes. They are all good. I bought most of them because other people rated them highly. It is very difficult to decide the 'best' in each price range. They are all so different.
I have no hesitation in recommending the Vulfix 404 badger/boar mix as a brush for everyone to buy. It shows that you do not need to spend more than £10 to get a very decent shave using a brush.
If money is no object I can happily advise you to try a top Plisson, Simpson or Rooney. But don't expect it to be good value for money compared to the 404.
Real value in my opinion can be found in the £45 to £75 price range. These are perhaps where the real stars can be found. Brushes like the Savile Row 3120, Simpson Duke, Persian Jar Best Badgers, the Vulfix 2234, the odd Rooney and one of my special favourites the Kent BK8.

But I doubt two of us would agree!

Fido's verdict

Here are a few thoughts about the brands I have covered so far. I may add more.

Edwin Jagger
Jagger are great at marketing and presentation. They make no secret of buying ready made knots and show how they make the handles and complete the brushes in a video. A nice range of brushes that will appeal mainly to cream users. They are soft and floppy but have the soft and luxurious feel that you get with such brushes. They make some lovely handles.My pick would be their 21mm medium silvertip.

Kent Brushes
Some of the better Kent brushes are excellent. They have a wide range - many retail at less than £10.
My pick. The Kent BK8 silvertip. One of the very best brushes in my collection.

Progress Vulfix
Vulfix probably make most of the brushes sold in the UK. The Vulfix range of brushes are great value across a wide range. And they are made in the Isle of man. They are open about their operations, receive visitors and talk to you openly if you telephone them. Many of the branded brushes in the London shops are made by Vulfix to a high standard. And they now make Simpson brushes to their traditional specification.
My Vulfix pick - the 2234 - deceptively soft yet firm enough for all uses. But surely the 404 badger/boar mix is the best value first brush for anyone new to wet shaving?

Plisson
A legendary name in the world of shaving. An incredible range and choice of brushes. But very expensive. If their name and quality enables them to sell at these prices, good luck to them. The parameters I set for my collection demanded that I should have at least three Plissons. They look beautiful. But apart from the High Mountain White, their performance does not match up to the hype. Even the High Mountain White I have - a small 20mm knot - is far too expensive for what it is. My little 21mm Edwin Jagger silvertip is a close match at about a third of the price.
There is only one Plisson contender to be my pick - the High Mountain White. And it is very good indeed, if I forget the price tag.

Savile Row
I have two examples of this exclusive range of brushes available only in the USA from QEDUSA. The outstanding reputation of the brand is richly deserved.

shavemac
shavemac (with a small s) have an outstanding reputation for customer service and fine quality brushes. Take a good look at their website and you will find a brush or be able to have one made to your specification. My 177 silvertip is a superb all round brush.

Omega
A huge range of great value brushes. The boars are very popular in the shaving community. My two examples didn't impress me. But it would be unfair to judge the rest on that basis. They cannot be so popular by accident.

Semogue
Many rave about these great value brushes. The 1305 and 2000 boar brushes have many advocates. I admire their marketing. My best Semogue is the 2009 Limited Edition. An exceptional boar brush. But I have to confess - I'm a badger fan - still.

Acca Kappa
I mention them because i have just one of their brushes. It is beautifully made and presented - but £120 - no wonder it only got sold at half price. And even at that price it's not a lot of brush.

Rooney
 The famous R A Rooney & Sons Ltd that enjoyed an outstanding reputation no longer exists. Rooney is a brand name. Unlike Vulfix, who now own the Simpson brand, there is no one to communicate with about the Rooney brand except some on line retailers.

What about the brushes?  I have several Rooney brushes. They are fine brushes. I thought that in the Heritage stubby 2, I had found my dream brush. After a few uses I found others I preferred.
My pick? The Rooney 3/1 silvertip. I think it outperforms the more expensive super grade and is a great little all round brush.

Simpsons
I have left my best to last. I have twelve Simpsons brushes. And I have seen and handled most of the extensive range. These are superb brushes, very well made, a delight to use and own and are made by a manufacturer willing to back up retailers with excellent customer service. And a manufacturer willing to communicate directly with users. The brand richly deserves its world wide reputation.
As to price. There are some expensive brushes in the range. But look at the prices of top of the range Rooneys and Plissons. The real value in Simpsons can be found in their smaller best badger ranges. Brushes which are more than big enough and superb performers like the Duke and Persian Jar best badger grades. Shop around and you will find great value here with a brush built to last.

Savile Row 3824

Winner of a recent brush wars on the Badger and Blade Forum, this is a Finest Silvertip available only through the QED website. It has an incredibly soft brush head - no sign of the  scritchyness of my 3120 from the same stable. It shows how brushes can vary. When wet, both brushes have soft tips. This has great backbone making it a versatile brush. This is about the largest brush I find really comfortable to use. Quite superb. Said by many to be good value. All things are relative! It's still an expensive brush but a delightful one to use.

Knot 24mm

Loft 54mm

Handle 52mm

Height 106mm

Price $115 USA

Other reviews

TSR

B&B

Savile Row 3120

Out of the box and after use alongside an older brother, my shavemac 177. It is not surprising that it is widely thought that Savile Row brushes are made for QEDUSA by shavemac, the German brushmaker. Savile Row enjoy a reputation for outstanding quality and value for money. Some of their brushes are said to be rather soft and floppy. This isn't. At 20mm knot with a loft of 48mm ( Advertised as 50mm) it has a firm backbone which makes it a versatile brush to handle soaps and creams with equal effectiveness. The silvertip hair makes it soft on the face and it is a perfect size to retain control over face lathering. It is a third of the price of the same size High Mountain White Plisson. Yet it feels just as luxurious. If the Plisson is the Queen of my brushes and the Astor Simpson the King, this is the Prince. It's a pity it is only sold in the USA.

Knot 20mm

Loft 48mm

Handle 46mm

Height 96mm

Price $85 USA ( exc tax)

Other reviews

B&B

H L Thater 4125/0 Chubby 1

The 4125/0 is a small high quality silvertip that was around £87. Handle just 42mm, 22mm knot and 48mm loft. Not a lot of brush for the price. The knot is dense and soft with more than adequate backbone. So this is an excellent silvertip that will handle creams and soaps alike. A pleasant size for face lathering. At first, I found the handle uncomfortably small. But as always, once you get used to a brush, it will generally serve you well. I'm pleased to have this in my collection. Once again - not available in the UK. So why make the effort to buy if a brand is not easily available? It's really not that good, and it's expensive. 

Just two final points. I was told before ordering this brush that the loft was 52mm. It's 4mm difference is a lot. It's a different brush to my expectation. I was later told that it should have been 50mm. That just doesn't tie in with the website data (Straight Razor Designs) The handle also had two specs of white paint which should have been spotted by someone at the factory before shipment. When you pay a high price for something you don't expect this. But it's still a fun brush to use.

Knot 22mm

Loft 48mm

Handle 42mm

Height 90mm

Price £87


Other reviews


SMF

Muhle synthetic silvertip

This is a synthetic brush claimed to have the characteristics of a real silvertip shaving brush. First, the basics. This has an excellent resin imitation horn handle. The brush fibres bear some similarity to silvertip but without particularly light tips. When dry, the fibres feel soft to the touch. The brush looks good, feels good when dry, has a nice springy backbone and creates superb abundant lather. Paint the lather on and it's effective. But the brush is a little stiff so doesn't feel as luxurious as a genuine silvertip. As long as you don't mind prickly tips it's good for face lathering with circular and scrubby motions.
This is a synthetic brush which does its job. But it is not equivalent to a silvertip. It may look like one, but it doesn't perform like one. If you have scruples about using animal hair it's a way in to traditional shaving. I'm pleased to have the brush as an example of a synthetic brush made by a top quality brand but it will not be used much in comparison to my badger and boar brushes.


The brush comes with good quality packaging and a tiny brush which I haven't tried to use - yet!

Knot 21 mm, loft 51 mm, handle height 47 mm Price 35 euros plus 7.50 shipping.