Guilty pleasure
Parker’s Silvertip Badger shaving brush is pure class. I’ve got other shaving brushes including high-end synthetics (also excellent) and boar (for exfoliation), but silvertip badger takes them all to school. The hair is oh-so-soft, yet with enough structure to function. Running it over your fingers or hand is soothing, and the 3 bands are rather beautiful. There’s just something aesthetically pleasing about natural fur (albeit with a twinge of guilt every time my cat walks in). It’s the undisputed champion of lather in my bathroom. I can reasonably quickly whip up thick, billowing lather from any decent shave cream. I’ve given up even trying with some of my other brushes. It’s deeply satisfying to plaster onto your face thick foam that’s caked into the brush. The wood handle makes all the difference. Plastic handles are cold to the touch and always feel a bit cheap. This walnut handle is warmer and has subtle imperfections that give it character. The chrome band below that is metal and makes it seem really solid, and protects the handle should you have a hard shaving bowl/scuttle. The stand it comes with is dinky plastic, but serves the purpose of drying the brush properly. Do yourself a favor and get an inexpensive metal stand that doesn’t tip over. Read more
