Most of the Shavemac brushes I have seen in the past featured the distinctive European bulb-shaped bristle loft. While many wetshavers like this shape because of its compact nature, I personally prefer fan-shaped brushes because I enjoy the feeling they provide on my face during my shaves.  While exchanging e-mails with Bernd Blos at Shavemac, I learned that the company also produces fan-shaped brushes and I was immediately interested in giving one a try.  This article takes a closer look at the Shavemac Series 167 D01 Silvertip Badger Shaving Brush.

Recently I was offered a trade for a vintage Simpsons Chubby 3 Best Badger and I was excited about receiving the brush. It was originally purchased for around $325 about 10 years ago and was never part of a regular rotation. Because it is a Somerset shaving brush, it could still be valuable to collectors and could easily be priced over $200 on the used market.  I was very disappointed to receive the brush and discover that many bristles in the inner core of the loft were broken off.  When I made the dreaded phone call to the brush’s owner, he was very gracious. He said he had not given much thought to brush care and he did not know that the brush loft was not supposed to sink in after use. He is not alone; it is common to see online pictures of raggedy used shaving brushes. The goal of this article is to inspire wet shavers to use their brushes in ways that do not indent or invert the brush lofts.

The shaving brush is the single biggest factor in achieving an outstanding shave. You can use a safety razor, straight razor, or cartridge razor; lather on soap or shaving cream. However, the one aspect of wet shaving that cannot be overlooked is the use of a shaving brush. This article explains the benefits of shaving brushes and offers some tips on choosing the right brush for your shaving style and your budget.

When shopping for a shaving brush, one can quickly become confused with the different grades of shaving brushes on the market today. There are several types of brushes available, such as badger hair, boar bristle, and synthetics, but badger hair is by far the most ideal material for a shaving brush because of its natural water absorbing capability. Unfortunately for the newcomer to wet shaving, brush manufacturers do not have an industry standard in place that specifically defines grades of badger hair. The grade designations vary from one brand to the next, so it can be difficult to understand shaving brush quality and pricing. This article breaks down the basic classifications so that you can easily understand the different characteristics and benefits of various badger hair grades.

Hair shedding – the phrase alone is enough to enrage a badger shaving brush owner. I recently contacted several of the most respected shaving brush manufacturers in the world and asked them about their return policies. This article offers some insight about normal vs. abnormal brush shedding and address common misunderstandings. Recognizing the causes of shedding can help you know when to contact your retailer and how to keep your shaving brush looking brand new for years.

The most important part of maintaining proper care of your brush is to dry it after shaving. Taking a few minutes to dry your shaving brush will not only maximize your investment in a quality badger brush by dramatically increasing its lifespan, but will maintain the shape and quality of your brush so that you can have an enjoyable shave day after day.

One of the most common questions we get from fellow wet shavers is, "What brush should I buy?" Having put together a collection of various sizes and grades of brushes, it becomes very clear that certain brushes are better suited for certain shaving applications than others. The first thing that needs to be established when choosing a brush is the type of use you need out of it. Do you prefer to shave with a hard soap, or a soft cream? What about new styles of shaving, such as Method Shaving? As convenient as it would be, the fact of the matter is there just really is not a "one size fits all" model shaving brush. Aside from personal preferences on the physical aesthetics of the brush such as size, handle material, and color, etc., there very distinct categories for different styles of brushes.