Shaving brushes were first produced in the 18th century in France, when there was a trend for men to remove facial hair. Beards have come and gone over the centuries, usually because of some fashion directions by the influential people in the particular society. Today, men can choose any number of facial hair options. A shaving brush is an ideal gift for any man who shaves.
It was found that using a lathered soap on the skin when shaving, made the shaving process easier. Razors or shavers that are used in this process have also developed greatly during the last few decades. The bristles of the beard are still much the same and the use of a lathering soap or gel is still part of the shaving process. The lathering soap is usually applied with a brush, known as a shaving brush. There are many different types of shaving brushes, ranging from inexpensive (less than ) to very expensive (around ,000). The range in price usually relates to the hair that is used on the shaving brushes.
The finest brushes are made using the hair from badgers, whilst the cheaper shaving brushes are made from nylon bristles. Many intermediate qualities result form a blend of natural and synthetic hairs. The quality of a shaving brush depends on the water/lather holding capacity and the softness.
Firstly the badger shaving brushes are available in several grades:
1. Silvertip badger hair is very, very soft and the top of the range in shaving brushes. The hairs are the softest and longest available from the neck of the badger, and are the most consistent as they are hand picked and brushes are hand trimmed. The brush will have an off-white coloring in the tip.
2. Super badger hair is a high quality brush, usually looking like the silvertip brush, but the tips have been bleached, giving them a silvery, rather than off-white look. The super badger brush is also very smooth.
3. Pure badger hair is white/brown in color and is machine graded and manufactured. These brushes are slightly stiffer than the silvertip brushes. The pure badger hair brush is regarded as the industry benchmark.
4. Best badger hair is a more consistent color brown than the pure badger hair brush and is the most commonly purchased shaving brush
Synthetic and boars hair shaving brushes are also available, and will do the job. They are significantly cheaper and are also available in varying blends with badger hair.
