Thread: C & E Best Badger Brush: the Wapi of Brushes

Newcomers to wet shaving frequently ask the question: "what would be a good starter brush?" Well, this is IT. The Crabtree and Evelyn BBB (small), at $35, is probably the best buy in brushes (hey, that's works out to BBB, too!).

For a long time, this was my one and only brush. Despite more than a year of daily use, it has not shed a single hair. It lathers soaps and creams like a champ. It works well for facelathering, too, although with some splay, though less so and with more backbone than say a Kent BK4 or a vulfix. It has excellent flowthrough, and does not require obscene amounts of product to make a good lather.

I think it is a good brush for beginners (but not only for beginners) because it is so easy to make good lather with it. Easier than with a boar. Better with soap than a floppy vulfix. Excellent with creams.

The bristles are soft, not luxurious, with just a bit of scritch. It is typical of best badger, not silvertip.

Form-wise, the handle is a pretty persian jar shape. It is on the small size, but not too small. It makes a perfect travel brush for if and when you find yourself "graduating" to other brushes. After over a year of using my BBB daily, I bought a shavemac, which is just plain luxurious, then some other brushes. But not out of necessity, more out of the same reason we end up buying other razors. In fact, if this had remained my only brush, I do not think I would be missing out on much.

Now, my BBB lives in my dopp kit. But everytime I travel and use it, I find myself saying, "damn, this is a good little brush." I will never part with mine.

I have the EJ BBB(Same brush) and have been using it for almost 2 months now.

It felt soft to me when i got it, but it has softened even more. I use it with Soaps and creams no problem. Builds lather very easily

My previous brushes were Omega Boar which i PIF'd with a gilette SS and a tweezerman pure badger, which is now my travel brush.


But if i was staring out i would definitely spend the extra $15-20 over the tweezerman for this. If you decide wet shaving is not for you, you can probably sell it pretty easy without losing too much money.

I am interested in *real* differences between brushes from various vendors (not just the trade marks + minor differences in handles). I am quite sure that Vulfix brushes are the same as the ones from Taylor's. This one looks remarkably similar to my Taylor's, too.

How many actual manufacturers are out there? To whom do the cater to? I think this would be worth a dedicated thread / wiki topic.

nice review, this is exactly why i wanted one, but was told that tis model is discontinued, they now only offer a very scratchy pure badger for $35

Originally Posted by currentman

nice review, this is exactly why i wanted one, but was told that tis model is discontinued, they now only offer a very scratchy pure badger for $35

The English Shaving Company - Edwin Jagger shaving accessories, shaving creams and aftershaves

Ok, so the C&E brush has been discontinued, but the Edwin Jagger is the same brush? Is it still possible to find the C&E brush somewhere?

Way to call it, Ray. I got a really pretty super silver tip with maple burl custom made by an old member back when I thought I would primarily use creams for my skin. Wet shaving in general changed that and Colleen finished the notion with her leatherneck soap and so now I'm still using my great E A Jagger most of the time. I have lost a few hairs over the years though. Not many, maybe a half dozen in three years. I shake the brush well and it stands up.

X

Originally Posted by Zeus

Ok, so the C&E brush has been discontinued, but the Edwin Jagger is the same brush? Is it still possible to find the C&E brush somewhere?

Yes, and yes. EJ makes the CE brushes. theenglish... is their store front. You can find old stock at some remote C&E store somewhere or on the classifieds. Either case, buying direct from EJ is not a bad experience at all. Maybe a little bit more waiting, but you get a nice sampler with every shipment. = ). Nice customer service people too.

I've got the BB medium and a synthetic medium. Why? Because...it happened that way.

Thanks, Ray and Ben. I have three drugstore-quality boar brushes; no complaints about them for my purposes, but I've been thinking I'd like to get a best badger before too much longer, and this looks like just the thing. (I actually think I'd prefer a best to a silvertip; I use soap and like a slightly stiffer brush.)

For my fellow budget-brush buyers (<---BBB, see? nyuk nyuk nyuk), Duluth Trading Company has what looks like the same Jagger for $39.50 (plus shipping), Fendrihan in Canada for $33.99 Canadian, Crabtree & Evelyn for $35; and, hey, it looks like EJ has it on sale for £15.00 in imitation horn.

All right, enough window-shopping for now ... but I'm definitely keeping this brush in mind.

Rich

Good review Ray. This brush was my first real badger brush and I still use and like it. It has held up well and still looks good. EJ is a fine brush maker. Recommended.

bj