Selecting Badger Brush

Hello everyone, I was hoping to get a little help in selecting a Badger brush. As of now I don't really have what I would call a high end badger and am looking at purchasing one of the followg:

1) DFS Limited edition with Envy White 25x52 bulb
2) Romero Rustic Chubby with Manchurian 30x50 bulb
3) Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip 28x51 Fan
4) Thater Black 2 Band 4125/3
5) I am on the Varlet waiting list for a Beehive and an Orion, should I just wait?

Right now my nicest badger is a Simpson Duke 3 in best and honestly don't use it very much at all, mostly due to what I believe the term is scritch. I have for the most part been using my Plisson L'Occitane and Stirling Kong synthetics. So what say you? Is there any reason to prefer one of the above listed brushes above another? Is there really that much if a difference quality wise or in the overall experience between the brushes listed above? Thanks for any advice as I really do appreciate it!

Just as an FYI I face lather probably 90% of the time

I don't have any experience with the Envy or Romero knots but out of the other three my favorite is the Varlet. the Shavemac 2 band silvertip is a very nice knot, mine have had fairly soft tips and moderate backbone. The Thaters I have owned, 2 & 3 band, have been soft but somewhat weak in the backbone department.
My Varlet Orion is a fantastic brush! The knot is very soft with medium backbone and is a great deal for the price compared to other artisan made brushes I have tried. I also owned a Varlet Beehive but the knot was a bit too small for me, if I could get back on the waiting list I would order a Mega without hesitation.
Good luck with your search and if you can afford it you should try them all.

The Envy White is great if you like backbone. It has soft tips too, but not as soft as the synthetics you're used to (obviously). I dont have any experience with the Romero knots but I love the look of that Rustic Chubby.

Love your #4 choice!

I have a Thater 3 band Silvertip and a Envy White 2 band DFS brush. I like both, although I haven't used the Envy much yet but it sure can load and lather with ease. I tend to like super soft brushes, which is why I use synthetics most of the time. However, my Thater is the softest badger I have ever owned and I highly recommend it if looking for softness. I haven't tried a 2 band Thater so can't compare.

I don't have any experience with the Envy or Romero knots but out of the other three my favorite is the Varlet. the Shavemac 2 band silvertip is a very nice knot, mine have had fairly soft tips and moderate backbone. The Thaters I have owned, 2 & 3 band, have been soft but somewhat weak in the backbone department.
My Varlet Orion is a fantastic brush! The knot is very soft with medium backbone and is a great deal for the price compared to other artisan made brushes I have tried. I also owned a Varlet Beehive but the knot was a bit too small for me, if I could get back on the waiting list I would order a Mega without hesitation.
Good luck with your search and if you can afford it you should try them all.

Would you choose a Varlet Mega over the Orion?

Dave, there are so many wonderful knots available, nowadays, that it would be extremely difficult to recommend, only one.
Nonetheless, if you have the funds, I would go with the Shavemac Silvertip 2-Band.
Good luck.

I don't have any experience with the Envy or Romero knots but out of the other three my favorite is the Varlet. the Shavemac 2 band silvertip is a very nice knot, mine have had fairly soft tips and moderate backbone. The Thaters I have owned, 2 & 3 band, have been soft but somewhat weak in the backbone department.
My Varlet Orion is a fantastic brush! The knot is very soft with medium backbone and is a great deal for the price compared to other artisan made brushes I have tried. I also owned a Varlet Beehive but the knot was a bit too small for me, if I could get back on the waiting list I would order a Mega without hesitation.
Good luck with your search and if you can afford it you should try them all.

Would you choose a Varlet Mega over the Orion?

I would trade my Orion for a Mega due to the larger knot size of the Mega.

I think you're barking up the wrong branches of the tree.

You like how soft your synthetic brush is?

Shavemac Finest.

Softest badger brush with absolute zero scritch I've ever had.

Softer than some silvertips.

Shavemac two band isn't going to be that soft. Might not be scritchy like you feel your Simpson in Best is, but you may not be impressed if you're comparing its softness to your synthetic.

Price isn't everything.

A TGN  grade A silvertip is incredibly soft and dense.

I enjoy Envy White knots, but can't tell you whether you will too.

It's a tough spot.

Hard to give advice to someone who has different preferences when the characteristics of things like this are so subjective. One person is going to say one thing and another will say something totally opposite about the same thing. Neither of them would be wrong either. Everyone's different.

If you go Shavemac you should email Bernd and discuss what you want. Or an artisan like Doug Korn or Rudy Vey.

These guys are able to set aside their own preferences and bias better than a lot of us can. They want you to be happy with your brush and will help you navigate the options to suit your needs.

I think it's easy to recommend something you like to others sometimes out of bias. I like Sprite and I might recommend it before Sierra Mist just because I have a strong preference. I mean analogies aside, I'm not saying everyone's giving you advice along the lines of a popularity contest and dismissing the context of your question with regards to the details you're including. But, I mean if you say the Simpsons in Best isn't comfortable, I'm struggling to understand some of the choices on your short list.

One man's scritchy is another man's firmness or density.  

It might be true though, you might never know what you'll like best unless you try a bunch.

If you're happy with the synthetic, why get another badger anyway? I'm all for variety. Not trying to discourage you or anything. Just curious.

I would have to concur with Todd's comments, above, as with everything, brushes are also very subjective when offering suggestions/advice/recommendations.