

Failure to communicate properly with my wife resulted in me receiving a second shaving brush in the last few weeks. The prior being the Parker Synthetic which I enjoy. But Christmas this year added the Edwin Jagger Best Badger Brush to my brush family. I used it this morning and here are my first impressions.

To start off with I need to mention the packaging, which for me is part of the experience, and the Edwin Jagger Brush doesn’t disappoint. It comes in a sharp looking cardboard / dense paper black tube that makes you feel like you are opening something special. I know that the packaging will eventually be tossed out, but the feeling one gets opening a well packaged product or one in a plastic clear box is significant. The only other item in the tube other than the brush is a small booklet with some brush care and shaving tips. Overall A+ on the packaging.

My initial impression of the Edwin Jagger shave brush was one of quality. The brush looks sharp, the bristles are uniform, and the faux ivory brush looks great. My only concern was with the weight of the brush. It felt very light. So light that I wasn’t sure how the control was going to be when using the brush. After having used the brush I can say that my concern with the weight was not necessary. I do feel like they could have packed a few more bristles in there but overall more than acceptable.

My shaving bowl happened to have a Edwin Jagger shave soap puck in it so I guess there wasn’t to be any excuses if the brush failed the lathering test. Which it didn’t. The water retention of the brush was great. Holding more than enough water for a few passes. It produced a great lather, with little effort. And the handle I was concerned about initially was quite comfortable – felt natural. I notice only one hair come free from the brush – which was disappointing but perhaps is expected.

Applying the lather was easy and even, and like building the lather required very little effort. I was happy to find that the bristles felt a lot stiffer on my face then they did feeling the brush with my hand for the first time. The bristles out of the box felt quite soft. I prefer a stiffer feel to my brushes so this was a bonus.

Overall I am really pleased with my first experience with the Edwin Jagger Best Badger Brush. Some might shy away from the price but it is well worth the quality – whether you have been wet shaving for years or just starting out. I will have to say that I prefer this to my Parker Synthetic brush as well, something about the feel of the natural bristles (minus the initial smell) that is more pleasing to me, that may result in the Parker taking an early relegation to the back row.