Badger Shaving Brushes What's the Difference?

[@trueblu8]

Great video! Can you make an updated version that covers gel tips?

[@robertminors7100]

Outstanding video. I'm new to DE shaving and found the different grades of badger hair to be the most confusing. Thank you for the explanation, much appreciated. Just subscribed.

[@chirhomin]

Excellent, Robert! Glad you enjoyed it! Good luck with your adventure in wet shaving! Be sure to check out my video on lathering. A good lather will make or break a brush, and also greatly impact your shave!

[@XxAlexanderProxx]

Robert Minors Hi, what has been your experience with the different “Grades” of Badger brushes? I have an “Art of Shaving” brush that came with a small bundle I purchased a few years ago. I have to shave a lot more now due to my new job. I decided to invest some money into some good quality products. I ordered an “Art of Shaving silver-tip brush” with my new purchase. I paid $195 for the brush. I don’t feel that this brush is worth the price. Everything else I am happy with. Any advice?

[@chirhomin]

It depends. I have a Fine Badger brush from Art of Shaving that I really like, but most Badger hair comes from a handful of suppliers in China. You have to be careful. The old saying “you get what you pay for” is pretty true with Badger hair. A nice two band knot in a good size is a great brush that should last a lifetime. However, As long as you care for it, any brush should last a long time.

[@XxAlexanderProxx]

I was just going by hand feel in my last comment. I used the brush yesterday, I could definitely tell the difference. I don't know if it is a $125 ($195 - $60) difference, but it is better on the skin. I will still use the other Brush for when I want more scrubbing. I also tried my new Feather safely razor yesterday, that was an interesting experience, it is going to take a while to get used to it. Thank you for the reply.

[@Guncleana]

Nathan's envy white is my absolute favorite knot thanks for the vid!

[@chirhomin]

+Guncleana definitely one of my top knots!!!

[@johnnyrbattaglio6943]

Thank you for clarifying the different types of brushes 👍

[@Waldemarvonanhalt]

Oumo brushes has some great customization and they're also experimenting with breeding domesticated badgers for shearing hairs instead of having to kill wild badgers. Not sure how well that'll turn out, but it seems worth giving it a try, since wild badgers are extremely aggressive and tenacious.

[@diyhooligan]

Great comparison video Adam. When I started wet shaving about 4 years ago I bought a couple of Silvertip badger brushes. One cost me £60 and the other £140. Like you say on the video, you do get what you pay for. The £60 brush was terrible but I must admit the £140 wasn’t much better either. Who knows maybe it’s me?! Last year I bought a very high quality (almost on par and the same size as a Simpsons Chubby 3) best badger brush and I think it’s the best brush I’ve ever bought. I love the soft but scritchy feeling as I lather my face, it’s a total pleasure to use. I also have a couple of synthetic brushes but they’re not to my liking and I only use them when travelling (thank God). It’s everyone’s personal preference which brush they like but in my case I’m rather surprised that having spent more money on high end brushes I prefer the middle ones. I’ve just bought an Omega 28mm knot boar brush now for £12 and can’t wait to try it, after breaking it in.

[@jonlanier_]

I make brushes... something else is the thickness of the knot. When purchasing just the knot you have several grades (even more) than talk about here. But there is the amount of hairs per knot. Usually gauged in mm sizes. I've seen them any where from 18mm to about 34mm. The larger... the more hairs you are going to have in the brush.

[@diyhooligan]

@@jonlanier_ where you based?

[@dappershaves]

i’ve had great success with Simpson brushes. regards dapper shaves

[@memoriesmuseum2824]

So is a best badger just a super badger? Are they the same thing? Great video, very informative

[@mikes1457]

I just got into this traditional wet shaving...I picked up a parker 22mm silvertip as my first brush ever. I absolutely love it...but 60 bucks for a shaving brush is probably super steep for most people.

[@Paul-hj1vt]

thats cheap, were did you get it so inexpensive?

[@Poet482]

​@@Paul-hj1vt Thanks to unelected Joe; What was once affordable is now unaffordable. It's a shame. I'm still in the market for a quality brush, though.

[@toddd7444]

my Simpson T3 Trafalgar is the best brush on the market today it's like buying a $200 badger hair brush, no cleaning the brush, no need for a brush stand, fast drying time, well not fall apart like a badger hair can, cheap to buy, i have owned it for 5 years with know problems wheelchair LarryMerry Christmas

[@austinschlatter4726]

I much prefer the silver tipped brush over a boar brush. I have a J Peterman 1903, got it as a gift, and I've never looked back at my boar brush.

[@VikingShaver]

You forgot to mention how density of the knot and loft can alter the charateristics of a brush totally. For instance a less densely packed bulb shaped knot in same badger hair as a very densely packed fan shaped knot will feel softer than the fan shaped knot. A hig lofted bulb will feel softer than a low lofted fan - given they share the same hair and knot size. Also, your 2-band Silvertip and pretty much all new badger brushes sold today have been treated/bleached, not only the Manchurian knot. Cheers, Claus

[@chirhomin]

+VikingShaver you're right, Claus. The reason I singled out the Manchurian is because it's not actually a separate type of hair (like a two band versus a silvertip), but just a higher amount of bleaching. I also didn't have a chance to discuss the difference between loft/density because the video was just too long. However, I'm coming out with another video comparing two of the same knots, but different size and shape. Thanks for watching!

[@chirhomin]

+VikingShaver I didn't have enough time in the video to get into all of that. However, I'm doing a second video in the near future comparing two knots: one bulb and one fan. Same hair, different size. I'll get more into the packing of the knot in that video, as well. Thank for watching!

[@Oerger89]

Never have i ever heard that the knots carrey sifferent shapes. Cheers

[@mikeb8283]

Great explanation sir. Very much appreciated.

[@the_bogeyman.]

Would you recommend Muhle badgers? I have a Muhle R89 and R41 Twist, I am tempted to get a Muhle silvertip badger for match the metal handle.

[@FerallHog]

Great video! Excellent narration and pleasant presentation. So do you use all of the brushes equally or tend to reach for one particular Brush each time you shave? 🪒

[@dappershaves]

great question, I love both boar and badger, lately using badger a lot more. regards dapper shaves

[@jlastre]

What about Don Knotts?

[@LiamEserda]

Very well explained, thank you! By the way; is it a good idea to "break in" or split the ends of the hairs of a boar brush with fine or medium sandpaper?

[@BuffaloNickel9]

No, I would say let it happen naturally it's a beautiful thing when it does! You can speed it up by just running your brush under very warm/hot water when you wash your hands and use some of your hand soap to kind of make a quick mock hand lather, brush also helps spread the hand soap, exfoliate, and clean your hands better while washing, then just rinse clean and dry. I did this several times a week when washing my hands or with a mild shampoo breaking in one of my favorite boar brushes. it now has soft natural split ends from use with tons of backbone boar are known for- I couldn't ask for more. If you have any older shaving soaps you don't really use or trying to get through, you can make a lather a few times a week just to help break it in even if you're not shaving.. a well broken-in boar brush with split ends is a beautiful thing and softens up tremendously from where it started..

[@LiamEserda]

@@BuffaloNickel9 Thanks for your reply. I dry all brushes I have , after whipping them out above the bathtub, by whiping them several times on a not too soft towel. I think thath helps too.

[@knifesharpeningnorway]

Are the muhle silvertip brushes any good?

[@The_Spectre.]

I bought a Parker badger brush, but it seems to be way too soft for me. Maybe it's not a better grade brush, I don't know. The bristles are all black. I normally face lather, and I definitely prefer the backbone of my Semogue boar brushes. Thank you very much for the video. It was very informative.

[@chirhomin]

+The Spectre interesting. I have a black badger brush (not featured in this video) that I love. Has a decent amount of backbone, but certainly not like my boar brush. If you're used to a boar, no badger will quite compare, but it's a personal difference, for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@awesomeandstuff4698]

Hi youtube friend , I loved you’re video and wanted to ask a question. I want the stiffest brush possible that is small and good quality. Any recommendation on a certain brand or type?

[@jonesy2234]

Semogue...great price ...check out the 610,620, or 630. Hope this helps cheers

[@diyhooligan]

Ahmed, by looking at your name I take it that you’re probably a Muslim. I don’t know if it would go against your faith but boar hair (pig hair) brushes are definitely the stiffest so I would suggest those first. Omega, Semogue and Zenith do some great ones. Personally I prefer the knot size to be 26 or above. If you can’t have a boar brush I would suggest the PURE BADGER. Again this is only because of the stiffness. Pure badger are very cheap compared to Silvertip badger so go for a Simpsons brush.Yaqi brushes seem to be quite popular at the moment too. Again, try to keep the knot size no lower than 26. Hope this helps.

[@dappershaves]

pinching down on the knot will increase stiffness (backbone). regards dapper shaves

[@richardpowell4281]

I actually prefer bore over badger because it tends to be a little more course and rough and I find it wakes my pores up better.

[@chirhomin]

+Richard Powell Boar bristles are definitely different than Badger. I still use my boar regularly, too.

[@wadepatton2433]

Hah, I get that you (and others no doubt) prefer Boar over Badger, but I bought a boar knot and now I use that (and one not-so-plush Badger) for knocking the dust off electronics consoles and screens and such. And they're very good at it.

[@chirhomin]

Lol! Love it!

[@DjCapnWolf]

Very useful information! Thank you kindly!

[@JohnBarrow1961]

Where do you buy the knots without the handles? Or used brushes?

[@jonlanier_]

I make shaving brushes as a hobby. For friends and family. (I'm a wood turner so ... I just turn the handle) Here is where I buy my knots. They have enough variety... and sizes to choose from. And as you'll find out. Just about all the badger knots come from China... so another company may claim better badger hair and charge a lot more. But its not... they are all coming out of the same factory. And I have found this company very reasonable. Oh... made in China because they've got badgers out the wazoo there. Hope this helps: thegoldennib.com/wet-shaving/shave-knots/

[@jonhawkins2374]

ARE WEST COAST SHAVING BADGERS ANY GOOD?????

[@pa_maj.MARTINI-van-MAN]

Very good video, I have recently fancied getting a good ( or should I say better ) knot, that's better than what I have at the moment, and pairing it up with a nice balanced handle. Something tells me it would be good :)

[@chirhomin]

+pa maj excellent! I hope that this video has helped you make an informed decision! Thank you for watching!

[@karolis112assassin]

What can you say about simpsons super badger brushes? Im thinking about chubby 2 in super or best

[@zhpottery]

Lots of good points I would totally agree with. Good video! Cheers

[@chirhomin]

+zhpottery thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@rptempmail1]

Hi and thanks for your great overview. You ranked the envy white above the simpsons 2band. could you please specify if in your mind you ranked the envy white above because of the better relative value/price vs simpsons or just pure performance/face feel? i am considering to buy the envy white because i can't find a simpsons 2band and seems very pricey too so would love your thoughts the envy white comparison. Also i would love to know your thoughts on the envy Luxury silver tip badger brush, as some reviews say it is on the floppy side for face lathering? thanks again for your great reviews and insights!

[@chirhomin]

+rp, I wouldn't say that I like the white better, but most people would rank a white above a two band. The Chubby 2 is a larger knot than the 26mm Envy White. So, it's not exactly apples to apples. However, I would say that for the money, you can't beat the Envy White. You can buy a whole brush for around $100, which is far better than the $300 for a Simpson. As far as the luxury silver tip, I can't speak to it. If it's like the original Nathan Clark Silver Tip (Nathan Clark does Envy Shave), it's too floppy for me. However, if it's set deep enough in the handle, it'll feel a lot stiffer. I'm coming out with another video on knots on Tuesday. It talks more about placement in the handle, loft, and density. I hope you check it out!

[@rptempmail1]

thanks for your prompt and helpful response! you are awesome!

[@chirhomin]

Anytime! I try to keep up with the comments! I appreciate you watching. I'm always open for discussion. :)

[@EmmanuelChriqui]

Great. Learned a lot with this video. Thank-you !

[@aussieexpatwatches]

How long will these... high end low end, boar, badger, ... last? Is this a one and done for the rest of my life or, is this a once a year type purchase?

[@GilaMonster971]

I have vintage badger brushes that have been around fit 50+ years.

[@bronek7729]

Can you tell me Whats the difference between Pure White High Mountain Badger and Pure European White Badger brush?

[@chrissithiphong]

What do you think about omega 636?

[@chirhomin]

I have yet to try it! I hope to try one soon!

[@VishalGupta-od5mf]

Have you tried the Kent BLK 8 shaving brush by any chance?

[@chirhomin]

I have not tried any Kent brushes!

[@greenerick]

I know it's not right still using a badger Badger brush now 🙄. Not going to throw way because it's a waste. Plus great video

[@hanssiegel9882]

Does a badgers diet affect brush quality ? Who raises badgers for their hair ?

[@jrockofages5413]

Huh? Who doesn't???!

[@dappershaves]

great video sir. regards dapper shaves

[@JohyeahM]

I can't find white tip brushes on any websites, and all the sites I visit says that silver tip are the top tier you can get. Are whites super expensive, ultimate secret elite, not on display brushes or something????

[@burkebair]

Great video. Thanks!

[@chirhomin]

+Burke Bair thanks for watching!

[@jonhawkins2374]

Where does Super Badger fall into this category????

[@Sig.Valter]

Good review!

[@ShubhamVerma-el7wl]

You missed super badger ie. Better than pure and best but lower than silvertip.

[@kensurfs]

👍👍

[@chirhomin]

+Kensurfs 👍👍 back at ya!

[@dennisodrane4428]

Great info, thanks.

[@chirhomin]

+Dennis ODrane you're welcome!

[@fahimmirza5430]

from where i can find the real badger shavig brush in saudia arabia (ksa) please tell me if somebody knows

[@SteelRoninTT]

You can't, only online (amazon etc)

[@marcbagwell6109]

Very informative

[@GolenieBrzytwa]

Cool

[@jonlanier_]

I make brushes... something else is the thickness of the knot. When purchasing just the knot you have several grades (even more) than you talk about here. But there is the amount of hairs per knot. Usually gauged in mm sizes. I've seen them any where from 18mm to about 34mm. The larger... the more hairs you are going to have in the brush.

[@Coreycry]

"This is a knot badger, it's pretty badass...."

[@ShubhamVerma-el7wl]

Silvertip badger is the best

[@bluebirdsigma]

Ah badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger MUSHROOM MUSHROOM

[@elephantricity]

Once I tried a boar brush, I never went back to the badger.

[@chirhomin]

+Elephantricity I've had three boar brushes, and I've loved every single one of them!

[@thomasanderson6426]

If those were sitting on any wood other than oak I wouldn't take this seriously.

[@johnlamb4465]

5 badgers voted this awesome video down.

[@azshooter348]

Brushes are for producing lather; washcloths or facial brushes are for exfoliating skin. A spendy badger still won't produce lather any better than a cheap synthetic.

[@GilaMonster971]

Not true in my experience. Synthetic brushes are more fit painting on a lather than creating a good one.

[@AdamWoody-q4n]

Not pig hair the wild boar and a pig are way different animals!

[@philking6213]

I'm taking a knee in protest

[@susanformby2546]

What the hell is wrong with you people!!?? Do you think a shaving brush is worth the violent death of a beautiful, sentient creature Evil and pathetic.

[@Retroweld]

I have one made from puppies! So soft.

[@GilaMonster971]

They eat them in China just like we eat cows and pigs.

[@wtre428476]

Well let me bring you back to reality....people change over time...If you had a 50 G sound system..you could not hear the high and low sonic differences the system could produce..because most people have lost 20 to 30 % of their hearing by the time they reach 40...same with the skin..it loses sensitiveity ...their called .."Wrinkles"...so why pay extra for feel....I promise you my shave's feel just as good as yours for 50 bucks then 300 plus....it all has to do with age and and your ability to feel texture...which declines with age ..catch 22..when your young..you can't afford 300 Brushes...when your old..you can't feel them...lol

[@nhojcam]

boar over badger

[@ianforster9269]

I think it’s about time to boycott badger hair brushes. Check out PETAs video on China and badger hair. Horrendous.

[@yellomate-tv2pc]

PETA is Horrendous.

[@GilaMonster971]

PETA kills more animals than most other industries. They don’t want people owning pets so they kill them instead of adopting them out. If you are using PETA as a baseline you are seriously uninformed.

[@technicallybrilliant2760]

too much money on a brush .

[@chirhomin]

+Technically Brilliant lol!

[@technicallybrilliant2760]

+chirhomin ;^/

[@wadepatton2433]

what money? I used an antiques store junker, reknotted it with a premium knot and could NOT be happier. Paid half or 1/3 whatever kids are paying these days for a fully assembled rig of good quality.

[@toddd7444]

my Grandfather's Gillette Bulldog Razor in a green canvas pouch with mirror He had from WW1 heavy well made it glides on the face smooth shaver adjust the head a little adjust the shave angle $40 CHEAP Muhle r89 safety razor WITH Muhle r89 HEAD ONLY WITH IKON HANDLE better shave wheelchair. larry