Shaving brush
Discover the shaving brushes of The Alpha Men. From classic shaving brushes with badger hair to modern brushes with synthetic hair, for beginners or advanced users. We have it.
Why use a shaving brush?
A shaving brush is a brush used for "wet" shaving. Wet shaving is the shaving with a shaving soap and a razor (preferably a safety razor). This is the opposite of "dry" shaving where only an electric shaver is used. With a shaving brush, you can create a creamy lather, making the shaving easier and more comfortable. The lather produced by the brush hydrates the beard hairs, making them softer and easier to shaving. It also applies a protective layer on the skin, allowing the blade to glide more easily over the skin and preventing shaving irritations.
Different types of shaving brushes
"Wet" shaving is very popular nowadays, and the demand for shaving brushes is therefore very high. Due to the high demand, many types of brushes are offered. This can make it very difficult to choose a good shaving brush. To clarify the choice between the different shaving brushes, we have listed the different types of brushes for you.
Shaving Brushes of badger hair
The shaving brushes of badger hair are generally the most popular type of shaving brushes available. Badger hairs are very soft, absorb a lot of moisture, and produce a rich lather that ensures a comfortable shave and a perfect shaving result. Badger hairs are harder to obtain and are therefore much more expensive than boar and synthetic brush hairs. The badger hairs last very long and are divided into three categories:
Silvertip badger hair (Silvertip Badger)
The absolute top in the field of badger hair. Silvertip is characterized by its shiny silver color and the black band running through the hair. Silvertip comes from the neck and back of the badger, the hairs are specially selected and checked before they proceed for silvertip brush hairs. The hair is very soft and has a high foaming capacity due to its enormous moisture retention. These characteristics make the hairs very popular for shaving brushes and are only found on shaving brushes of the highest quality.
Best badger hair (Best Badger or Fine Badger)
The best badger brushes are slightly stiffer than the silvertip. The hairs for these brushes come from the back and a small part of the belly of the badger. Unlike the hairs of the silvertip, these brushes are mechanically assembled by Muhle. Despite the hairs being the second choice, these best badger brushes remain of high quality. The brushes have a very good moisture absorption, allowing them to produce a full lather.
Pure badger hair (Pure Badger)
Graudas hairs come from the belly of the badger. The graudas brushes are the third quality brushes made from badger hair. Nevertheless, these brushes are still of high quality, because the belly of the badger simply contains more hair, these brushes are cheaper in price than the fine badger and the silvertip. The hairs are slightly stiffer and absorb slightly less moisture. They still have a fine skin feel and produce a rich lather.
Synthetic shaving brushes
For those who do not want to use animal products, there are synthetic hairs. The synthetic hairs are priced between badger and boar hairs. The synthetic hairs absorb enough moisture to produce a good lather and nowadays are indistinguishable in softness from badger hairs. An advantage of a synthetic shaving brush is that it dries very quickly and the hairs are perfect for people with acne and sensitive skin.
Shaving Brushes of boar hair
A boar hair shaving brush is much cheaper than a brush with badger hair. Boar hairs are thicker, stronger, and stiffer than badger hairs and therefore feel much less comfortable than badger hairs. An advantage of these hairs is that they produce more lather faster. After using the brush for a while, the hairs will wear down a bit and become softer, making them feel better. Boar hairs naturally have a white to yellow color but are sometimes dyed to give them the appearance of badger hairs. Boar hairs are easy to obtain at a very affordable price.
What is the best shaving brush?
This is personal for everyone. We know a great diversity of enthusiasts who buy a badger hair shaving brush because it works best for them. But such a large group of fans is also enthusiastic about both the boar and horsehair variants.
However, we do notice that the synthetic shaving brush is on the rise. The quality is now so good that the difference between a shaving brush with badger hair or fiber is negligible. So if you have the best interests of animals in mind, you should opt for the fiber variant.
How do you use a shaving brush?
Most shaving brushes last a very long time if used and maintained properly. Below you see in steps how to use a shaving brush properly.
- Wet the hairs of the brush with lukewarm water.
- Shake out the excess water from the brush, the brush should be moist but not soaking wet.
- Take a small shaving soap or shaving cream in your shaving bowl.
- Whip this into a good lather with the brush.
- Apply this to the areas to be shaving and let the lather work in for a moment.
- Start shaving.
- Rinse with lukewarm water and rinse the brush thoroughly to ensure no soap residue remains in the hairs.
How do I maintain my shaving brush?
If you want to enjoy your shaving brush for a long time, you need to not only use it properly but also maintain it well. When you maintain your shaving brush well, you will notice that it lasts a very long time and remains in good condition. How long your brush lasts depends on the type of brush. A silvertip brush lasts 10 years or longer, while a pure badger brush lasts 3 years. The middle ground is the best badger brush (6 years) and the super badger brush (up to 10 years). Below are some points to pay attention to when maintaining your brush, regardless of the type of hair:
- Always wet your shaving brush with lukewarm water, as hot water can damage the hairs of the brush.
- Rinse the shaving brush thoroughly after use to prevent soap residues from remaining between the hairs, which can lead to mold.
- Always shake out the excess water from the brush, as squeezing the water out can damage the hairs.
- After rinsing, hang the brush upside down in a holder, allowing the remaining moisture to drain out and preventing mold and hair loss.
- Apply a small amount of pressure when applying foam, do not press the hairs flat against your skin.
- Use a shaving soap or cream of good quality, as cheap soaps from, for example, the supermarket are very bad for your brush and cause hair loss.
- Store the brush upside down in a shaving brush holder in a dry place.
- Do not store a brush loose in a toiletry bag.
Now that you know how to properly maintain your brush, you naturally want to know if you are maintaining your brush well. And whether your brush needs replacing. You will notice this when the hairs of your brush break or fall out, mold develops, the hairs feel greasy and/or sticky, and when a cloud of dust forms when you run your hands over the dry hairs.
Buy a shaving brush at The Alpha Men
Have you become enthusiastic and want to get started as soon as possible? Time to buy a shaving brush. Order the best shaving brushes at The Alpha Men. If you order your shaving brush online before 9:00 PM, you will have it at home the next day!
