whats the difference

D

David7307

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2016
Location
Encounter Bay South Australia
I have a Proraso brush and i think its made with boar bristle, only brush i have used
but there is badger and synthetic brushes, there is brushes from $2 to $200 maybe more
what is the difference in them and how do you tell a good one from a cheap bit of trash,

I would like to buy a smaller brush than the one i have to put in a toilet bag, for when we head off in the caravan , and was thinking synthetic, any help would be great
 
OK - this is definitely a can of worms and you could write books about it...

The proraso brush is made out of boar

There are IMO huge differences between types of brush hair (badger, boar, horse, synthetic) - but you should read up more about them and then ultimately try them out to see for yourself. Everything I or anybody else for that matter can tell you will not substitute for personal experience.

Badger: the most expensive but also the most luxurious, retains water and heat very well
Boar: there are basically 2 companies (Omega - your brush - and Semogue) - cheap, but need a longish break in period. Hair soaks up water (rather than the knot), do not retain water and heat so well
Horse: only one company (Vie-Long), so hard to get what you really want, cheap, some great brushes IMO, but many don't like them
Synthetic: new kid on the block, retain no water and heat, relatively cheap, easiest to lather, lacks facefeel

There is a reason why some brushes cost 2$ and some 200 (or even 300, 400, 500...). Are they worth their price tag? Well only you can decide...

As for your travel brush: I think synthetic is a great choice, as it dries way faster than natural hair ones - ideal for the road. They also are the easiest to lather.

Some I have tried and can recommend:
Whipped Dog - comes in different sizes and relatively cheap - and shipping to Australia is only 5$
Stirling - comes in 2 sizes and again is relatively cheap - shipping is more expensive but it can be combined with some great soaps
RazoRock Plisoft from Italianbarber: haven't tried it myself but get's great reviews, cheap and shipping to Australia is modest.
Plisson: the original of this type of hair (3rd??? generation synthetic hair) - you can only get it from them directly and is definitely the most expensive choice

There are many more - the boss here (@Monsta_AU ) also recommends the one from Body Shop - it's way too prickly for my taste - but you can go into a store here and have a look/feel for yourself.
 
Boars are inexpensive, that doesn't mean they're trash. Unless they're Semogues of course.

Cheap badgers from the famous brands can be thin and floppy, because they're skimping on the expensive ingredient, badger.

Expensive badgers are usually big brushes, well stuffed, and some are handmade. That makes them very expensive.

Synthetics work very well and are fairly cheap to make. For a travel brush the above suggestion in a good one. The Body shop is firm and flicky, but cheap and easy to find one and works well. I use it whenever I go away because it can easily be replaced if lost. For a long termer Synthetic, the Edwin Jagger or Aesop branded brush feels more like a brush than the Plisson.
 
I originally had an EJ/Muhle Travel Brush in Pure Badger like this. I enjoyed it especially after it was broken in, still a little scritchy but that is OK I reckon for a change.

Then the synthetics came out so I upgraded to this. Same brush in the new synthetic fibres. Dries quickly, great travel brush!
 
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