Is that really necessary such a shaving brush? To make your own shaving foam from a shaving soap or shaving cream, you do indeed need a shaving brush. Shaving cream allows your beard hairs to absorb moisture and become softer. It also makes them stand up more, making the hairs easier to shave off. The foam creates a protective layer on the skin, allowing the blade to glide more easily over the skin. All together, this results in a better shave. Shaving brushes feel very comfortable and distribute the moisture and lather well between the beard hairs.
Hairs used in a shaving brush
The bristles used in a shaving brush can be divided into three types:
- Pig bristles
- Synthetic hair
- Badger hair
These are generally the three most important types of bristles used for shaving brushes. Pig bristles are the cheapest and badger bristles are the most expensive. The difference is mainly in the softness and thickness of the bristles and how much moisture the bristles retain. The amount of moisture affects how rich the lather is that you lather with a shaving brush.
Pig bristle shaving brushes
Shaving brushes with hog hair are a lot cheaper than badger hair. In terms of price a lot cheaper dam other brushes. Pig hair is a lot stronger, thicker and harder than badger hair. It gives a harder feel with shaving but does absorb hard shaving soap more easily because the bristles are a lot harder. Some men actually like those hard massaging motions. After frequent use of the shaving brush, the hog bristles will soften a bit as the tips split. The hog bristles hold enough moisture to make a rich lather. The brushes are often yellow to white and available at an affordable price.
Shaving brushes made of synthetic bristles
Those who do not want to use animal products can use a shaving brush with synthetic bristles. These shaving brushes are in between badger hair and hog hair in terms of price, but today have the same softness as badger hair. They retain enough moisture for a good shaving cream. Another advantage is that the bristles dry faster which is easy when you are traveling. The synthetic bristles are ideal for people with acne or allergies because of the hygiene of the brush.
RazoRock' s Plissoft brush bristles are the best synthetic brushes at the moment in terms of price/quality.
Badger hair shaving brushes
Badger hair is generally the most popular among men who shave wet. The bristles hold a lot of moisture which makes it easy to create a rich lather and are incredibly soft. This makes shaving very comfortable and the brushes also last a very long time. The bristles are harder to come by and therefore a lot pricier than hog bristles and synthetic bristles. Badger hair can be divided into several categories.
Silvertip
The Silvertip is the highest quality badger hair. The selection of these hairs is very strict and only a small number of badger hairs meet this quality. The silvertip gets its name from the white tips the hairs have. These badger hairs give the most comfortable shaving result thanks to the softness of the hairs and their great ability to retain moisture. Shop a Silvertip at Mühle or Merkur, for example!
Super Badger
Top quality hairs that are just a little thicker than the silvertip. The hairs come from the back of the badger. Shop a Super Badger at Simpsons or Taylor of Old Bond Street!
Best Badger
Derived from the belly of the badger and still top quality. Just slightly thicker than the bristles of the super badger and silvertip. Also produces a rich lather. Shop a Best Badger at Captain Fawcett or NOM, for example!
Tips for shaving brushes
Bristle
The Goodfellas' Smile - The Wild Hog
Synthetic bristles
Rockwell Synthetic Shave Brush
Badger hair
Captain Fawcett Badger Shaving Brush
Taylor of Old Bondstreet shaving brush - Superbadger