Cheap vs. Expensive Shaving Brushes: Tips for the Best Shave

#shaving #brushes #notsponsored

SHOP THE VIDEO:

GUIDES YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS:

VIDEO CREDITS:
→ Script: E.J. Daniels
→ Camera: Lukas Mooney
→ Editing: Jonathan Oster
→ Supervision: Preston Schlueter
→ BFI
→ Metro-Godwyn-Mayer
→ United Artists
→ Sony Pictures
→ ITV
→ Da Vinci Artist Brushes
→ WayneAvenue Woodshop

IMAGE CREDITS:
→ Romantic Circles
→ Shave Straight and Safe
→ Gaar Williams, the Chicago Tribune
→ The Shave Nook
→ The Gentle Shave
→ The Superior Shave
→ Arno Shaving Brush

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Gentleman's Gazette

00:00 Cheap vs. Expensive Brushes Introduction

A shaving brush is a tool used to work up a lather and then apply it evenly on your face or body. We’ll teach you what qualities you can expect from shaving brushes at various price points to help you find the brush that’s right for you.

01:50 A Brief History of Shaving Brushes

Modern-style shaving arose during the late 17th century and was first popularized in the 18th century. They became a fixture in 19th-century barber shops in France. Men began shaving at home in the late 19th and 20th centuries.

02:56 Why You Should Use A Shaving Brush

A shaving brush is a beneficial but not necessarily essential shaving accessory that will improve the quality of your shave and contribute to your greater enjoyment of the entire process. Essentially, using a shaving brush will help you have the best possible shave.

05:10 Bristles

The single most important part of a shaving brush is the bristles because they retain the water and cream that will generate your lather and transfer it to your face while softening your beard hairs, opening your pores, and exfoliating your skin. The most common bristle fibers are synthetics and badger, boar, and horse hair.

11:38 Handle

Shaving brush handles can be made from any number of materials with common examples including bone, ivory, metal, horn, wood, ceramic, resin, and various plastics. In many cases, the handle of a shaving brush is a decorative choice.

15:09 Shaving Brush Construction

Shaving brush construction represents the intersection where the bristles meet the handle and is the second-most important consideration when buying a shaving brush.

The most important component of the construction is the knot. Knot assembly refers to how the knot is put together and there are two main methods:
→ Knotting
→ Gluing

18:27 Conclusion

Now that you know what qualities distinguish an expensive from a cheap shaving brush, we hope that you’ll be better able to make an informed decision as to which brush is right for you. Let us know in the comments what hallmarks of quality you look for in a shaving brush and any of your favorite brands.

19:03 Outfit Rundown

[TheRustyRazorOriginal]

As a person who's used brushes for 44 years now in may shapes and forms, all that really matters is what you enjoy. I have a 8 dollar synthetic that used the most due to the feel in the hand and face. Once in awhile I'll break out the badger brush for softer shave, but they soak up the lather more than say a synthetic brush. I have a horse or boar brush with lots of loft for using in a deep mug when shaving with Williams and using my grandfathers razor and mug. Just need to soak the natural hair brushes for a few minutes before using to get the most out of them for a soft feel on the face.
I really enjoyed this video as its near and dear to my daily activity of shaving with a classic DE razor. Thanks for sharing!

[nataldoe]

I have synthetic Simpson brush and it’s amazing. Super soft, doesn’t shed and retains lots of water. Plus it has timeless ivory style handle.

[christianoliver]

I took a vacation to London as part of my college graduation present in 1994 and I bought a very high quality shaving brush at Truefitt And Hill.
I used that brush with both shaving soaps and foaming creams every single morning since then until six months ago when I accidentally dropped it and the base cracked.
It might have still been the same in 28 more years.
I followed the care instructions and that brush was just as good and functional in 2022 as the day I bought it.
I remember it cost £125 and at that time and the exchange rate wasn't anywhere near as good as it is now so it was almost a $300 purchase for me which was a major extravagant splurge for me at that time.
But looking back that £125 purchase 28 years ago it's only cost me about $10.75 per year.
This is a perfect example of why you should always buy the best you can afford because over time I got to experience a very luxurious lather every day plus it reminded me from time to time of the wonderful trips I've had to London.
I thing taking this approach in both apparel and accessories is the right way to go and luckily I learned this from my father and grandfather.

[randyshaves]

What a lot of people don't know, when dealing especially with badger hair brushes, while there are different grades of badger hair, most times the knots are produced in China where all the badger hair originates and then placed in brand name handles through a contract with that company. What I mean by that is a $25 badger knot is sold to a company with a famous brand name in the wet shaving world and placed into a handle and sold for $150-$300. That very same $25 knot produced by the same company can be placed in a no name, or lesser known name handle and will be sold for $50. The business end of the brush is the knot and that is a brush's most important component. Many people get ripped off by big name companies who make tons of money off of wet shavers who think they are actually getting something better when they're not. That is a fact.

[johnflynn]

Very informative Preston, great job! It is encouraging there is somewhat of a revival in traditional shaving methods.

[CaptainBill]

I'm a novice with a brush and soap, but I like my Simpson Trafalgar T3 and Prorasso soap.

[ZenRazorJapan]

Impressive knowledge regarding shaving brushes Preston! 👏 Great presentation and explanation! I'm happy to see more shaving content on the channel!

[truthreigns]

Thank you Mr. Preston. I needed this information.

[tanvirrahman]

Great that you're getting into shaving/grooming. You guys should do a video on quality double edge razors.

[Pumpkinshire]

Exactly what I was thinking about looking up! Perfect!

[vincentmartin]

I use a Taylors of old Bond street silver tip shaving brush with their shaving creams.A start for the day.

[robertross]

I have a 26 mm Yaqi synthetic brush that I love. Great backbone and is super soft.

[jmgerraughty]

I really like Mühle’s offerings in razors and brushes

[janolvegg]

Nice video, but I feel it neglected one important accessory. I recommend buying a brush stand with any shaving brush. It gives you a place to safely store the brush and allows it to dry properly.

[daimena.cianci]

What serendipitous timing! Mine broke this morning 😂

[Dleihs]

I bought a Kent shaving brush with pure English badger hair back in 06 for $30. I used it daily for over a decade before growing my beard out. Now its used every few weeks when I shape my beard. It has produced a quality shave and a fine lather all these years. It is only in the last few months that some of the bristles have started to come loose, however that has seemed to stop. I am sure its not the best shave it could be but for the price the quality far and a way more than one would expect. Highly recommend all Kent beard care products.

[brucer]

I have two silver-tipped Badger brushes. At home, I have a Kent and for the road I have one purchased on sale a West Coast Shaving. The Kent is slightly superior in feel and performance, but given the difference in cost, the WCS brush is a deal. I tried boar, which I found too stiff, and was underwhelmed by synthetic brushes. I have never tried lower grades of badger. I do both bowl (scuttle) lathering and face lathering, depending on how much time that I have. It is all good.

[spaghettiking]

This channel must be run by mindreaders, because they always manage to upload a video of something I was seeking help with.

[johnmartin]

I have a number of really expensive brushes and prefer my regular 26 mm boar. If you are having issues with your boar, it might be because it isn't broken in.
Pro tip- In order to break in a brush, use a hair brush on. That can save about 3 months of break in time.

[samanthab]

I don’t know what they were made of but they had Made in England inscribed on them. My dad was a bit of a dandy so I’m sure they were top of the line. He was very dark & had a mustache all my grown life. Shaving was important. Used Noxema & a regular two sided razor.