Before we answer that question, we want to devote just a few words to the badger itself. You should know that in Asia, China, and countries of the former Soviet Union, the badger is hunted primarily for its meat. The countries that are the main importers of badger hair operate under very strict import controls. (The United Kingdom is where almost all quality shaving brushes are made.) Most of the high quality commercial badger hair comes from remote areas of China where badgers are plentiful. In fact, they are so plentiful that they endanger crops and livestock. The Chinese government controls badger culling by licensing tiny village cooperatives to conduct hunts and process the hair. The sale of the badger hair provides co-op members with an additional source of income.

Vintage Blades sells only 100% badger hair brushes. There are, of course, less expensive shaving brushes out there, but they are not 100% badger hair. Here’s what you will find:

But again, why badger hair? Like human hair, badger hair absorbs rather than repels water and water makes up the biggest part of your shaving lather. So, the more water a brush carries the better. Also, we would assume you want the softest brush possible against your face in the morning. The real point is that badger hair is so soft that it does not irritate the face while lathering. Reduction in irritation is the whole idea of wet shaving.

We’ve looked at all the brushes available, even used them on our own sensitive faces. The decision – no boar bristle in our store. Vintage Blades will sell nothing less than a high quality, Pure Badger brush. We have been fortunate to be able to source these brushes from some of the best names in the shaving products business. In the classic "English style" with their dome shaped head, we have R.A. Rooney from London and Progress Vulfix from the Isle of Man. Shavemac is Germany's premier maker of the classic "European style" of shaving brush with their light bulb shaped head. We also have a special line of brushes from Dovo and Merkur that includes two wonderful travel brushes in either a stainless steel or a highly polished nickel case. And we will continue to add new brushes, but will always remain true to our belief that a 100% badger hair brush is the only way to experience wet shaving as it was meant to be.

*In our Rooney line of brushes “Finest” is Rooney’s top grade (Grade 5), which makes it their grade above their “Super “ (Grade 4).

** In our Rooney line of brushes “Super Badger” (Grade 4) is actually “Super Silvertip” or just commonly referred to as “Super”, which makes it a grade above their Silvertip (Grade 3).

How To Care For Your Brush

1. Shampoo the brush in warm water before the first use. Use the same shampoo that you use to wash you hair. Some also like to use a conditioner. *

2. NEVER boil your brush.

3. Never press the brush into your skin. This will break the badger hair. Instead, stroke it sideways, like a painter’s brush.

4. Wash the brush well with warm (not hot) water after each use.

5. Flick the brush to remove as much water as possible after each use. You can also gently stroke it on a dry towel.

6. Never store the brush on its base (yes, we know they are flat). Instead, use a brush stand so the remaining water can move away from the base of the hairs.

NOTE: See our selection of Brush and Razor Stands 

7. To avoid mildew, do not store the brush in the medicine chest between uses. Instead, place the stand on vanity top to allow proper air circulation.

8. If you use a brush in a travel kit, be sure to take it out to dry thoroughly upon your return.

"How to get that perfect shave..."

The Today Show, Weekend Edition featured a shaving expert who reported on the revival of wet-shaving. He spoke to the dissatisfaction of most men with the poor shave the TV-advertised razors were giving them, disposable or not. Even the latest multiple blade razor, has been seen by many experts as nothing more that a marketing answer to this dissatisfaction.

Excerpts taken from the transcript of Today, Weekend Edition

“How to get that perfect shave: Latest trends and products to avoid those nicks and cuts”, Weekend Today, January 30, 2005, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845

Here are the highlights of that interview.

NOTE: We have taken the liberty of interjecting a note or two where we just happen to carry a product that conforms to the expert’s recommendation.

• “The perfect shave is what all men strive for every morning when they bring their razor up their chin – an effortless shave that’s baby smooth, and without any of the usual skin irritation, redness, and that burning sensation most guys seem to feel is par for the course when it comes to shaving”

• “Why do so many guys find this so hard to achieve? Because proper shaving has become a lost art …somewhere along the line, shaving became more about cheap, disposable razors than a nice, precision-made metal tool in your hand….”

• “It’s no wonder that the hottest trend right now in male grooming is a return to the traditional wet shave - and millions of men have been shocked to discover that the ‘old fashioned’ method of shaving they thought went out with the Hula Hoop is actually the best quality shave you can get.”

• “Wetshaving gives you more effective shaves and better looking skin…..Believe it or not, your whiskers are tougher than the edge of a razor blade, and shaving dry, or mostly dry as with the vast majority of shaving creams, foams, and gels on the market, means you’re literally tugging on each and every hair on your face instead of neatly slicing it at the skin’s surface and moving on without irritating your skin.

• “The perfect shave has three ingredients: a good razor, a good brush, and glycerin-based shaving cream…”

NOTE: Every shaving cream and soap carried by Vintage Blades LLC is Glycerine based. We feature shaving creams from Taylor of Old Bond Street and Truefitt & Hill, and shaving soap from Colonel Conk Products.

• “A good badger-hair shaving brush is the single most important ingredient in getting the perfect shave.”

NOTE: We couldn’t agree more, since every shaving brush carried by Vintage Blades is 100% Badger Hair

• "Do you need a $550 shaving brush?......The answer is no......as long as you stick with a genuine badger hair brush .....I recommend the English-made Vulfix brushes, which are much more reasonably priced than a lot of high-end British shaving brushes which don’t begin to approach the quality of the Vulfix models. They’re easily the best shaving brushes I’ve come across, despite being the most reasonably priced."

NOTE: Vintage Blades carries the line of super soft, Super Badger brushes from Vulfix, many in both faux Ivory and faux Ebony.

• “The next tool you need for wetshaving is a razor. And by razor, I mean whatever high-quality, NON-DISPOSABLE razor you feel most comfortable with.….better yet, the kind of razor that serious wetshavers use - the classic double-edge (DE) safety razor!”

• “DE razors are also the best choice for African-American men, many of whom suffer from ‘shave bumps’, which occur when their tougher whiskers are cut too aggressively by modern mutli-blade razors, causing them to grow back underneath the skin and turn into ingrown hairs.…..African-American men in particular find that shaving with a safety razor clears up their skin and makes shaving a pleasure again.”

• “The German company Merkur offers a whole range of extremely high-quality, precision-made safety razors ….from a reissue of the 1904 Gillette DE to the super deluxe $120 Vision, the coolest, most futuristic-looking razor on the planet. The biggest bang for the buck is Merkur’s $27 HD “Hefty Classic” safety razor.

A Guide to Wet Shaving

Men, and women, have been shaving for centuries. So, there is no great mystery about shaving. Many people wonder why all the fuss recently about something their Grandfather used to do. Well it seems that in all the hustle and bustle of the “computer age”, we forgot that with Grandfather’s method, the shaving process could actually be done just as quickly, but without as much skin irritation. Also, as an added bonus, Granddad would have told you he was actually getting a much closer shave with his method, as compared to these new “wonders of science”.

Here are the Essentials of Wet Shaving

1. Hot Water

When possible, always shave after your shower. The facial hair absorbs the water and becomes softer and easier to cut. The heat causes the facial pores to open and lets the facial muscles relax. If a shower is not possible, wet a hand towel in hot water and press it to the face for at least a minute.

2. The Lather

Best results are obtained when using a good quality badger shaving brush. When using a shaving cream, place a small amount in the palm of one hand, dip the brush into hot water and using a circular motion in the palm, build up a creamy lather on the brush. Wet the face with hot water, and apply the lather to the beard. This time it is recommend that you paint your face with the lather, like a painter uses a paint brush. The brush may be dipped lightly into hot water if needed to produce more lather. If using shaving soap, dip the brush into hot water and use the same circular motion in your shaving mug to create a rich lather.

3. The Shave

The type and quality of razor you use is of utmost importance. Always use a clean, sharp blade. Before starting the shave, rinse the razor in hot running water. Shave in the direction of beard growth. Shaving “against the grain” can be painful and is the most common cause of “razor burn”. A quality razor with a sharp blade should glide over your skin. Shave twice if necessary, rather than force the razor.

4. Cold Water

Now it’s time to rinse your face and close the facial pores. First, use clean, running warm water to rinse your face well. Next, use cold water to close the facial pores. Gently pat the skin dry with a clean towel.

5. Moisturizer

Essential oils are lost during the shaving process and need to be replaced. You can use something as simple as body lotion, or any one of a myriad of moisturizers on the market. Our preference is one that is unscented. Remember that we said a moisturizer. Be sure to avoid using anything after shaving that has an alcohol base. It will inflame your skin.

Instructions on Use of VISION and FUTUR Razors

Merkur of Solingen Futur Safety Razor

Step 1. Hold Safety Razor firmly and push up the lid.

Step 2. Once loosened pull off the lid.

Step 3. Very carefully place blade between index finger and thumb and insert into the Safety Razor.

Step 4. Once blade is seated in place, then push down the lid.

Step 5. Now set the Safety Razor for preference. Adjustable positions from 1-6 ( we recommend starting with position 1 )

Merkur of Solingen Vision 2000 Safety Razor

Step 1. To open Safety Razor, turn clockwise (approx. 5 turns)

Step 2. Insert blade

Step 3. To close Safety Razor, turn counter-clockwise (until resistance is noticeable)

Step 4. Space between blade & edge can be set individually by memorizing preferred constellation of letters -V-I-S-I-O-N-

Step 5. Removal of the used blade

Step 6. For thorough cleaning of Safety Razor remove blade. Press flaps against the base of the top. Turn handle counter-clockwise, until bottom lid comes off.

Step 7. Remove bottom lid through the eccentric perforation from the groove of the guide bar, and pull it up out of the razor body with open flaps.

The Story of Dovo

(taken from the Dovo website www.dovo.com)

According to the documents held by the magistrate's court of the then independent local authority of Wald, near Solingen, Germany the company DOVO Steelware was founded in 1906. At the beginning, DOVO was purely a factory producing open razors, with a forge and hollow grinding shop. The founders, Mr. Dorp and Mr. Voos, employed a staff of 13.  By 1930, Solingen had become bigger through the incorporation of outlying villages, (including Wald), and the law passed in 1938 to protect the name of Solingen gave it greater pride and security as well as a still greater sense of local identity.

As Mr. Dorp and Mr. Voos wanted to retire, Fritz Bracht took over the DOVO company shortly before the second World War. A good move, as the small knight with sword and hammer had meanwhile made inroads into the markets in Western Europe and North America. Even during the war, the symbol of the knight managed to find its way abroad and to become established there. Because of the introduction of the electric razor, Fritz Bracht had to create a second source of income by producing hair scissors. By talking shop with users in the salons in his own town and elsewhere, he found out everything he needed and wanted to know about hair scissors. EUREKA, a model of hair and thinning scissors with a curved cutting edge, put life back into the business after the war. In 1951, the young technician Mertens joined the company. Along with other "old hands", he is a motivating force behind the production of scissors. Ernst Kirschbaum, who had completed his law studies and obtained a doctorate, joined the company in 1953 as a son-in-law of the family. The need for recovery after years of ruin and the employment of additional young staff meant that business was able to increase in style. The motto was "New names for new markets".

The following brand names or companies were taken over:

1952 - brand name "Tennis" (open razors)

1957 - brand name "Bismarck" (open razors)

1957 - brand name "Ankerflagge" (open razors) from the Carl Rader company

1968 - Erich Hartkopf company. The scissors were jointed by pocket knives of the brand name "Teufelskerle"

1969 - brand name "Kronpunkt" (open razors) from the Heups company

1970 - brand name "Fontana" (open razors)

1973 - Heups & Hermes company (pedicure clippers and instruments)

1996 - Merkur company (shaving equipment)