Choosing your shaving brush

A shaving brush is basically a little brush used to apply shaving soap or cream on the face while shaving.
They are made out of two part, the handle and the bristles.

1. The handle

Handles are very often decorative and may be composed of fine material like ivory, horn, porcelein, wood, etc.

Although modern shaving brushes look similar to their centuries-old predecessors, they are very different.
Most modern handles, even the expensive ones, are often made out of synthetic materials. These kind of materials are more resistant and are less prone to be damaged by moisture.

A shaving brush handle, regardless of its composition, rarely affects the overall performance of the brush.

2. The Bristles

A shaving brush value is more determined by its bristle load.

A. Synthetic

Synthetic shaving brushes have bristles made out of nylon.
Nylon bristles have a poor capacity of holding water, have a prickly feel and rarely produce a high quality lather.
These type of brushes will usually be found in the lower end of the price and quality range.

B. Non badger hair

Bristles can also be made out of horse or pork hairs.
Slightly better than synthetic, these hairs hold more water, but are usually harder that badger hairs.
They also have a tendency to break more easilly.

C. Badger hair

Badger hair is the finest and most luxurious material possible for a shaving brush.
The water retention capacity, smooth sensation on the face, and durability are unmatched by other synthetic or natural materials

Three common gradations of badger hair exist: Pure Badger, Best Badger, and Super Badger.

1. Pure Badger

"Pure Badger" describe badger hair brushes using common hairs from the underbelly of a badger. This type of hair covers about 60 percent of a badger's body. This hair varies greatly in softness and pliability. It is is usually dark in color, but varies from a light to black.
The hair is coarser than 'Best' or 'Silvertip' hair due to its larger shaft.

Brushes made exclusively with pure badger hair cost significantly less than finer badger hair.

2. Best Badger

"Best Badger" is the term used to describe brushes made with the finer and more pliable hairs from 25 percent of the badger's body.
It is longer in length and lighter in color than "Pure Badger" hair.

A "Best Badger" brush is more densely filled with hair than the "Pure Badger" brushes and will produce a better lather.

3. Super Badger

A "Super Badger" brush is a more expensive than either "Best or Pure Badger".
Some call this hair "silvertip", but it is often highly graded "Pure badger" hair bleached on the ends to resemble "silvertip".

"Super badger" brushes are graded and sorted to such a degree that their performance are superior to that of "Best badger" brushes.
The brush is not prickly!

4. Silvertip Badger

"Silvertip Badger" is the most expensive and rare type of badger hair. The tips on this hair appear white naturally, without bleaching.
Due to its water retention capacity, a "Silvertip badger" brush can create a good lather quickly and easily.

3. The Sizes

Finally, when choosing a brush, pay attention to the sizes. The following image sumarize the most common dimension.