A Brief Guide to Badger Hair Shave Brushes
When you think of expensive shaving gear you might think of a titanium electric razor or some fancy high-tech invention available from an exclusive retailer.
Did you know that the ultimate in high-end shave equipment is also the ultimate in 'old school' shaving? Badger hair shaving brushes have been coveted and cherished for hundreds of years for their long and sturdy hairs that distribute the shaving cream or soap evenly while delivering a pleasurable experience for the wetshaver at the same time.
A higher end badger hair shave brush does not come cheaply.
You can pay upwards of $100, or even quite a bit more if you are a real wetshaving enthusiast! One of the reasons badger hair is so valued for shaving brush bristles is that it has such a high capacity for retaining water, which means that when the shaver swirls the brush in shaving dish a luxuriant lather can be whipped up in no time.
Although there are plenty of synthetic imitators, most wetshavers would prefer real badger brushes, which come in three classes: pure, best and super.
'Pure' badger is the cheapest, with hairs that come from the underbelly of the animal, which is coarser and often have to be trimmed to the proper shape, which makes the brush a bit rougher.
'Pure' badger hair is usually dark but sometimes the tips are bleached to make the brush look more like a more expensive cousin.
The next level up is called 'best' badger hair and although not everyone agrees that there is an enormous difference between best and pure, a 'best' brush made by a discriminating brush maker will be lighter in color, the hairs finer and the ends will not have to be trimmed to fit so the feel of the brush will be softer.
Then there is the 'super' category, the most expensive of all the badger brushes.
'Super' brushes are hand tied, using only the finest of badger hair, and are never trimmed.
The feel of the brush is soft and silky, yet the fine hairs hold sufficient water to make a superior lather.
One of the most cherished possessions of the upscale wetshaver would be the almost decadent silver tip shaving brush, the priciest in the category of super, easily identified by the off white coloring at the end of the hairs.
These handmade brushes were once reserved for royalty and the wealthy, but fortunately nowadays everyone can enjoy the luxury of badger's hair brush shaving.
Try it.
It can turn shaving drudgery into something akin to a celebratory morning ritual.
Did you know that the ultimate in high-end shave equipment is also the ultimate in 'old school' shaving? Badger hair shaving brushes have been coveted and cherished for hundreds of years for their long and sturdy hairs that distribute the shaving cream or soap evenly while delivering a pleasurable experience for the wetshaver at the same time.
A higher end badger hair shave brush does not come cheaply.
You can pay upwards of $100, or even quite a bit more if you are a real wetshaving enthusiast! One of the reasons badger hair is so valued for shaving brush bristles is that it has such a high capacity for retaining water, which means that when the shaver swirls the brush in shaving dish a luxuriant lather can be whipped up in no time.
Although there are plenty of synthetic imitators, most wetshavers would prefer real badger brushes, which come in three classes: pure, best and super.
'Pure' badger is the cheapest, with hairs that come from the underbelly of the animal, which is coarser and often have to be trimmed to the proper shape, which makes the brush a bit rougher.
'Pure' badger hair is usually dark but sometimes the tips are bleached to make the brush look more like a more expensive cousin.
The next level up is called 'best' badger hair and although not everyone agrees that there is an enormous difference between best and pure, a 'best' brush made by a discriminating brush maker will be lighter in color, the hairs finer and the ends will not have to be trimmed to fit so the feel of the brush will be softer.
Then there is the 'super' category, the most expensive of all the badger brushes.
'Super' brushes are hand tied, using only the finest of badger hair, and are never trimmed.
The feel of the brush is soft and silky, yet the fine hairs hold sufficient water to make a superior lather.
One of the most cherished possessions of the upscale wetshaver would be the almost decadent silver tip shaving brush, the priciest in the category of super, easily identified by the off white coloring at the end of the hairs.
These handmade brushes were once reserved for royalty and the wealthy, but fortunately nowadays everyone can enjoy the luxury of badger's hair brush shaving.
Try it.
It can turn shaving drudgery into something akin to a celebratory morning ritual.
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