Edwin Jagger1EJ256SDS Traditional Imitation Ebony Super Badger Hair Exfoliating Shaving Brush with Drip Stand for Shaving Soap or Cream for Men and Women (Medium)

This brush is my third shaving brush. I have two Savile Row pure badger brushes, one is a travel brush. I should back up and explain the grades of badger brushes. Badger is used because of its water absorbing capability. It is superior to boar. The badgers killed in this process are mainly from Asia, especially China, where the animal is plentiful and considered a pest. Synthetic bristles are available for those who object to the use of animals There are 4 grades of badger brushes:Pure Badger - the cheapest and most readily available hair. If you are a beginner, start here. Don't spend money until youknow you like wet shaving. It is the coarsest in texture of all grades. Great for exfoliation as well.Best Badger - a definite step up. Less coarse, better water absorption. Still a reasonable price.Super Badger - finer, no scratchiness on the face. Dense, soft, luxurious feel. Of course, more expensive. In my opinion, thebest choice for the committed wet shaver. Still reasonable compared to the highest grade with littlediscernable difference from the most expensive.Silvertip - rarest and highest grade. Thus, most expensive.However here, you must take care of the brush to avoid bristlesbreaking.In my opinion, a Jagger brush, along with Simpson and Trumper's, are the best brushes you can buy. If you do a web search and compare prices, you will find that Edwin Jagger is the most reasonably priced of the three. Jagger's super badger (this brush) is just as soft to me as a silver tip brush, with a lot less expense and fragility. This brush makes an exquisite lather, far superior to my pure badger, yet not a lot more money. The holder is also good quality and easily holds the brush to dry without much effort.If you really want to spoil yourself, keep your lather warm in a shaving scuttle. An artisan website like Etsy is a great place to find them.

I am a big fan of Simpson brushes, as well as Thater, Vie Long, Morris & Forndran, and Kent. I purchased this brush to see what Edwin Jagger had to offer in the world of higher end shaving brushes. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this Super Badger Shaving brush performs.Density - As I said before, I am a fan of Simpson brushes, which are known to be incredibly dense. The Edwin Jagger Super Badger isn't incredibly dense...but all of my other high end/high dollar brushes aren't incredibly dense either. This brush has just enough density to give it a solid backbone for soaps and creams alike.Floppiness - I wouldn't consider this a very floppy brush. It's not floppy, but it's not rigid. I find that it is a great balance between the two.Softness - This is a very soft and comfortable brush. Whether I'm face lathering, bowl lathering (most common for me), or hand lathering, this brush creates a nice soft feel when I apply the lather. It's a different softness than my Simpson Best Duke 3. It has a good amount of scritch which exfoliates nicely when lathering up.Lather - This thing is a great balance between a nice and hearty lather while not hogging the lather. It creates enough lather for a 3 pass shave with enough left over for a touch up.Size - When I purchased this brush, I noticed that some folks were a little surprised by the size of the brush. Some have even commented that it is on the small side of brushes. While it is not as large as my Simpson Chubby 2 or 3, it's a good size that doesn't feel too small in my hands. And I have XL hands. The shape and ridges of the handle really make the smaller size a non-issue for me. It's a very comfortable size for my hand.I've used this brush on soaps and creams alike as well as super lathers, and with everything I throw it's way, this EJ Brush excels! If you are wanting a great brush at a great price, check out this Edwin Jagger Super Badger. If you have a little bit bigger budget, and can spring on a brush in the $100-$175 range, I would recommend Simpson, Thater, Vie Long, or Morris & Forndran. But, in this price point, this is an excellent brush!

I own three brushes: pure grade, super, and silvertip badger. You can't really tell that much of a difference between the super and silvertip, although the silvertip does hold more water and is a little softer. I've had this brush for a little over a month and have only lost one hair. It holds a lot of water, which is good for wet shaving. Make sure you clean your brush every few months or more often if you have extremely hard water like I do. Use a few tablespoons of borax and soak your brush in hot water for a few hours. One more tip, just be very gentle with this brush. The hairs are soft and firm, yet delicate, so you don't need to shake the brush like crazy to try to get water out. Give it two shakes, dab it on a clean towel a few times, and HANG DRY!As far as performance, it does a heck of a job! I exclusively use L'Occitane en Provence Cade Shaving Soap and finish up with L'Occitane Baume Après Rasage, Cade (After Shave Balm for Men), 2.5-Ounce Tube. I use Pre de Provence Shea Butter Enriched Shave Soap in Tin - 5.25 oz. when traveling since it has a screw top lid. This brush creates swirls of rich lather and seems to exfoliate well. It's not too soft if you are worried about it being too mushy.If you have big hands like I do, then, you may have a problem with this brush. The handle is kind of medium-small size. Let's put it this way, I can palm a basketball. But it really isn't a problem since I face lather. You may have issues if you lather in a bowl.I would recommend this brush to anyone considering a silvertip grade but wants a more economical option.