Shaving Brushes

Shaving Brush Education

Shaving Brushes have dual functionality. First they are used to create great lathers from shaving creams and shaving soaps. Second, they lift the beard and exfoliates the skin, to allow for a better shave.

Differences in Shaving Brush hair types

There are 4 common types of hair: Badger hair, Boar hair, Horse hair, and Synthetic hair. Badger hair is considered the best type of hair because of its superior ability to hold water and heat, allowing for a better lather. Boar and Horse hair tend to be less soft and hold less water, a great option for someone starting in wet shaving. Synthetic is also a great option for someone who wants a vegan option.

Pure, Best, Super and Silvetip Badger Hair Brushes

There is a range of quality of badger hair brushes going from the lower end Pure Badger to the higher end Silvertip Badger. As you go up the range, the hair becomes softer and the brush usually retains more water. Also the coloration tends to lighten as you go up the range, with Pure badger being the darkest in color, Best badger usually with different bands of color, and Silvertip with a more white color.

Shaving Brush Knot, Loft and Backbone

The knot refers to the diameter of the base of the hair. The larger the knot, the more hair there is...usually. Some knots are more densely packed than others. Loft refers to the height of the hair from the base of the knot to the top of the hair. Backbone refers to how strong the hairs stand up to pressure. Backbone is a combination of knot, loft and type of hair. The larger the knot, the more dense it is, and the shorter the loft, the more backbone it will have. Boar and Horse tend to have more backbone than badger hair. A brush without much backbone is considered "floppy".

Which stands does my brush fit into?

We are updating the information for every brush to show which stand it fits into. Look on the other information section of the product page.