For a while I recommended the Ecotools Finishing Kabuki (at left in photo) as a good but inexpensive shaving brush for the frugal novice. At the time, the Ecotools was $7.50 at Walgreens (in the cosmetics section) and I found it worked well—and I particularly liked the handle.
But that was then, and now a frugal novice can choose among a number of really good actual shaving brushes that sell at a modest price. Moving from left to right in the photo, following the Ecotools:
RazoRock Plissoft synthetic – $10. This may be a temporary price (it’s shown as a markdown from $15). An excellent brush with good feel and performance. It has a 24mm knot and feels fuller on the face than the Ecotools—as indeed do the other synthetics shown.
Omega S-Brush S10005 – $9. Omega called the S-brushes “synthetic boar,” and they do have a bit more face feel than more recent synthetics, but the knot is still very soft. Important note: while the regular-size S-brushes are excellent (and some cost less: the S-10019 is just $7, even less than the Ecotools), the pro-size S-brushes are (for me) totally unsatisfactory: a springy knot that doesn’t feel good on the face and lathers poorly. I really like the S-brushes in the regular size, but I strongly advise avoiding the pro size.
Maggard 22mm synthetic – $10. Maggard also has several 24mm synthetics for $12. There’s no difference in performance, no material difference in lather capacity (both sizes hold plenty of lather), and only a slight difference in face feel.
And, speaking of how things change, I would say today that a synthetic brush may well be one’s first choice as being every bit as good as natural-fiber brushes in terms of performance, better than many in terms of feel (though that depends on personal preference), and generally less costly—and have no break-in period (as boar brushes do) and dry more quickly than natural-fiber brushes since synthetic fibers don’t absorb water.
Filed under: Shaving
