What SB to Get

Hey Guys!
I've been thinking about starting to use a shaving brush, I haven't used one before, been using my finger tips all these years lol. I did get one as a gift a few years ago, but I didn't really use it at the time since I was sporting a beard so wasn’t shaving much. My biggest fear is if I’m spending some money on a brush, I don’t want it to be something that is crappy or doesn’t work properly.

I saw some options compared on this site and am leaning towards the Parker Safety Badger Brush.

http://theshaveauthority.com/category/sh...h-reviews/

What do you guys think? Trying to get some input.
Thanks for the help in advance.

It really depends on what you want and how much money you want to spend.
I would recommend a synthetic as they are quite effective and very inexpensive. Maggards Razors has some very good options.
If you don't like synthetic fibres, then a good boar brush would be my next suggestion as they are inexpensive. The only thing you have to be aware of is that they need a few weeks of 'breaking in' time for the bristles to soften, so you'll need to use more product to get a good lather.
This is probably the main reason why synthetic brushes are preferred by beginners.
Afterwards, if you want to try a good badger brush, TGN, Whipped Dog, Stirling and Maseto Shaving brushes are very good options as they offer some good, inexpensive ones.

Good luck.

I agree with celestino , start with a synthetic. They work with lots of different soaps and can be purchased for not much money.

Also, I would avoid the Parker brush. I'm sure many like theirs, but the one I had simply wouldn't stop shedding. IMO, there are many better options than the Parker... both in terms of quality and cost.

So, I'm not in the synthetic camp at least not yet. I've got a couple but I prefer badger bristle and boar bristle as well. celestino gives good advice and I would add regarding the boar to be sure to soak the bristles in warm (not hot) water for 10 minutes or so prior to lathering. If you don't soak the boars first you'll have an unsatisfactory experience trust me.

For boar you can't go wrong with Semogue - 1305 or Owner's Club. Even the cheap drugstore Omega will serve you well although you may lose more bristles off of one of those. There are some very nice Omega boars, however, but they cost double or triple the price of that drugstore model which should get you into the $25 range. Yeah, boars are a great bargain.

On the badger side among my personal favourites would be brushes by H.L. Thater in either fan or bulb shape, silvertip or 2 band silvertip your preference they're both wonderful. I'd start with a smaller knot around 25mm. IUf you want to spend a little less money than what a Thater will set you back there are plenty of good, cheaper alternatives such as Edwin Jager or Omega badgers or any number of others.

You should be forewarned, however: shaving brushes can be addictive.

Do not get the Parker. It's guaranteed to be scritch city and shed like nobody's business. I'm a big fan of synthetic brushes so that's what I would recommend. They're inexpensive, very soft on the face and make it really easy to whip up some high quality lather. They also don't stink, don't require a "break-in" period and can hold water just as well as a natural hair brush. I could go on, but you get the idea. Good luck with whatever you choose!

Either a synthetic or a reasonable priced Silvertip such as Whipped Dog.

If you don't get a synthetic and want a badger go with Stirling. I've owned Thaters and you can get a brush from stirling with 90% of the performance at about 1/4 of the price. JMO though.

I had a Parker brush. It was the first one I had purchased. I ended up throwing it away. It was terrible. My suggestion is, don't buy it. I now have a Semogue boar SOC brush. Costs less than $30.

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Ditto on the synthetic. I think they're the most forgiving brush available.

Synthetics are good these days. Everyone should try the Omega Hi-Brush. They are really great. I used to be partial to boars, and have a half dozen or so Omega boars which I love, but as mentioned above, you have to soak them ten minutes or more before using them. And boars take a couple of days to dry, if you care about that.

Also, I think a lot of the pure badgers by both Omega and those offered by West Coast Shave. And I'm sure many badgers are just as good or nearly as good. My most expensive brush was about $25.