Shopping for a badger

I need some recommendations for a Silvertip badger brush, no larger then 26mm and $100 is my budget. Looking for best quality for the $$ with a sterling reputation. I've always been a boar and synthetic user. I have owned a AOS badger Silvertip and didn't really like it much as it was really scratchy on the face compared to my Semogue boars.

Saville Rows, Pick your own size, some are under $100 http://www.qedusa.com/shaving-brushes-si...33_47.html

Talk to one of our excellent craftsman, and have them build you a brush. You can get something that really trips your trigger, and in your price range if you don't get extreme. Nathan Clark, Doug Korn, Rudy Vey..... Just looking at their galleries will make you drool.

You can get a Thater 4125/1 in three band for around 115, which is a little over your budget, but they are probably the softest brush I have ever used.

Talk to one of our excellent craftsman, and have them build you a brush. You can get something that really trips your trigger, and in your price range if you don't get extreme.  Nathan Clark, Doug Korn, Rudy Vey..... Just looking at their galleries will make you drool.

You can get a Thater 4125/1 in three band for around 115, which is a little over your budget, but they are probably the softest brush I have ever used.

I agree and in addition look at Simpsons.  I believe the main thing you should consider is the availably.  But keep in mind if you have to pay shipping which you may not on a $100 purchase you may still have to pay sales tax.  Take your time and make your decision wisely.

Talk to one of our excellent craftsman, and have them build you a brush. You can get something that really trips your trigger, and in your price range if you don't get extreme.  Nathan Clark, Doug Korn, Rudy Vey..... Just looking at their galleries will make you drool.

You can get a Thater 4125/1 in three band for around 115, which is a little over your budget, but they are probably the softest brush I have ever used.

I agree and in addition look at Simpsons.  I believe the main thing you should consider is the availably.  But keep in mind if you have to pay shipping which you may not on a $100 purchase you may still have to pay sales tax.  Take your time and make your decision wisely.

+1. A great suggestion if Best is going to be as soft as what the OP wants. I have no experience with AOS brushes, so I can't recommend based off feel.

I love Simpson best knots, and if I have to rate their softness from one to ten, the crappiest pure I ever owned being a 1, and Thater 3 Band a 10:

I give the best an average of about 7 to 7.5, depending on the batch, and the knot loft.

The Commodore X3 is a great brush that can be shipped for well under budget. The Duke 2 another that is available right at that $100. If a guy keeps his eyes open Duke 3's go on sale once in a while within budget, but who know's when that will happen..

Fun to window shop either way.


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If you want softness with backbone, I would highly recommend spending that littel bit extra, if you at all can deal with that.

My recommendation is to get a bulb Thäter in either 2-band or 3-band in 26 mm, to get the backbone while still feeling softness.
Or get a custom Shavemac in 2-band Silvertip, in either bulb or fan - will give you great backbone and great feel too.
Shavemac D01 3-band Silvertip in fan is also a great feeling brush, but a littel more steep in price.

Simpson is alwys nice, but to get a good quality brush from them, you need to spend more than you budget allows, I think.
You could buy a Simpson Duke 3 in Best, but that is hit and miss with Best hair in the Duke 3.

I have owned 3 Duke 3 in Best hair, one was ultra soft and nice with backbone, the other middle of the road in softness, the last was one kind of harsh in feel.

Badger hair is natural hair and difficult to get the same hair in every batch. But somehow Thäter and Shavemac seem to be able to provide a better unity in the hair they use year after year, than Simpson can.

Example:
All my Thäters bought in a span of 4 years all have that same soft feel to them. No one has ever felt just remotely close to rough in feel.
All my Shavemacs bought since 2012 in all the 4 different top badger hair types from them, all seem to share the same uniform quality.
My Simpsons tend to differ somewhat more in the badger hair quality.
My Chubby 2 Best from 2012 limited edition is the second softest brush in my den with the best backbone, only rivalled by my Chubby 2 Silvertip 2-band.

My Chubby 2 Super 3-band 2015 is rougher and denser in feel, and the hair seem to be of less qulity than my Chubby 2 Best, still great knot, but it just goes to show the difference.

My new Chubby 3 Best is from the old batch, back when they had the older labels, and this brush is almost as soft in feel as my Chubby 2 Best limited edition from 2012.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE SIMPSON brushes - but they seem to differ more in badger hair batch quality than the brushes I have owned from Shavemac and Thäter.

The limited edition DFS with the silver tip or envy white knot.

Will not be disappointed.

The limited edition DFS with the silver tip or envy white knot.

Will not be disappointed.

For only 10 bucks over budget, I don't see how you can possibly go wrong with that recommendation.


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If you are concerned about money, then Whipped Dog or TGN knots + handles would be optimal choices.

I'll be honest with you, after purchasing about 5 silvertip/silvertip two-bands, my opinion is you get what you pay for when it comes to badger brushes. I'd save for another month or two and get a Shavemac or a Thater. They are just going to be the very best, most consistently solid silvertip brushes you can buy. My absolute favorite brushes are two Shavemac 2-bands and a Thater 2-band I own. They were well worth the price. Treat yoself.