







While I don't get to keep them all (the Princes will be heading back to their home) I had to get a full lineup picture. All pre-bloom except my previously used Monarch 2-band.



What could have come to keep my Monarch Super Badger 2-band company?While I don't get to keep them all (the Princes will be heading back to their home) I had to get a full lineup picture. All pre-bloom except my previously used Monarch 2-band.

Monarch Range:

Super Badger 2-band (SuperFine): This is the softest 2-band brush that I've ever felt. I can't find a single full black hair in the entire knot. Wonderfully creamy white tips. The brush does splay more than many other 2-bands, but it doesn't over-splay and expose the breach. No scritch, just very light scrub -- the "Padded wall of badger" effect.

This is the softest 2-band brush that I've ever felt. I can't find a single full black hair in the entire knot. Wonderfully creamy white tips. The brush does splay more than many other 2-bands, but it doesn't over-splay and expose the breach. No scritch, just very light scrub -- the "Padded wall of badger" effect. Super Silvertip 3-band (High Mountain White - HMW): The most backbone I've ever experienced from a 3-band brush (I anxiously await comparing it to shavemac D01 hair). It's not too far behind the 2-band Monarch. Amazingly luxurious feeling on the face. Again, zero scritch and no long black hairs in this knot. Very nice white tips. Another "Padded wall of badger" brush.



Prince Range:

Finest 2-band: Easily the most backbone of the entire current WSP range. Tips are very soft but the hairs do not flex as easily as the Monarch 2-band; giving it a firmer face-feel with more scrub. I still noticed just scrub & no prickle. The lower loft also gives it the least amount of flow, but it is definitely not a lather hog.

Easily the most backbone of the entire current WSP range. Tips are very soft but the hairs do not flex as easily as the Monarch 2-band; giving it a firmer face-feel with more scrub. I still noticed just scrub & no prickle. The lower loft also gives it the least amount of flow, but it is definitely not a lather hog. Silvertip: Super soft & flexible hairs in this knot. Hair shafts are no where near as resilient as the Monarch 3-band. If the loft were higher it might not work well. As it is I was able to easily load & face lather with Mike's Natural Soap. Excellent flow through. Very little scrub, zero scritch, & zero prickle.



Black Badger:

Black Badger: From a single face lather some prickle is noticed. It feels more like a tingling than a sharp point. I suspect this is because the hairs flex and splay easily. If this was a firm and resilient hair it would be unusable for me. In use on a single days growth & after a pass of the razor I was happy that the prickle intensity was somewhat enjoyable. Paintbrush strokes removes most of the prickle. I will still use it with both circular and back & forth motions. There is a really nice bloom on this brush. The wood handle is light and agile. A glue bump is noticeable; the only current WSP brush with one that I can find.



Backbone Ranking:



This one is easy. The Princes bookend the Monarchs when it comes to backbone. From least to most it looks like this...



Prince 3-band <<< Monarch 3-band (HMW) < Monarch 2-band (SuperFine) << Prince 2-band



Hair Thickness:



Another easy one but I wanted to look at them a little more closely before writing it down. From thinnest hairs to thickest it looks like this...



Prince 3-band < Monarch 3-band (HMW) < Monarch 2-band (SuperFine) < Prince 2-band



In this instance the hair thickness closely mirrors the backbone ranking.

Scritch Factor:

*** Modified - see below ***

I'm going to give my (very) subjective analysis of scritch here using a simple 0-10 scale. 0 = absolutely zero prickle, no scritch, very little scrub (face it, if it's touching your face with back & forth or circular motions there has to be some scrub). 10 = lots of sharp prickly sensations, high scritch & scrub. A 10 may easily cause brush burn.

Prickle:

WSP Prince & Monarch = 0

Vulfix 2234 Super = 0

Edwin Jagger Super = 0

Simpson Commodore X2 Best = 1

Frank Shaving Finest = 3

TGN Finest XH = 3

Semogue TSN '12 LE = 4

Semogue Owners Club 2-band = 5

WSP Black Badger = 6

Vie-Long Zurito 50/50 = 10

Shea Moisture = ?



Scrub:

Vulfix 2233 = 1

Edwin Jagger Super = 1

Simpson Commodore X2 = 2

WSP Prince 3-band = 2

Frank Shaving Finest = 3

WSP Monarch 3-band (HMW) = 4

WSP Black Badger = 4

WSP Monarch 2-band (SuperFine) = 5

TGN Finest XH = 6

Semogue TSN '12 LE = 7

WSP Prince 2-band = 7

Semogue Owners Club 2-band = 8

Vie-Long 13061 Zurito (50/50) = 10



Modified Scritch Factor:

Vulfix 2234 Super = 0.5

Edwin Jagger Super = 0.5

WSP Prince 3-band = 1.0

WSP Monarch 3-band (HMW) = 2.0

WSP Monarch 2-band (SuperFine) = 2.5

Frank Shaving Finest = 3

WSP Prince 2-band = 3.5

TGN Finest XH = 4.5

WSP Black Badger = 5.0

Semogue TSN '12 LE = 5.5

Semogue Owners Club = 6.5

Vie-Long 13061 Zurito 50/50 = 10



I'm not pleased with my Scritch Factor above. I believe scritch encompasses 2 variables; scrub & prickle. Some prickly brushes will have little scrub but be high on scritch due to the prickle. Vice versa a brush could be very scrubby with zero prickle & this poses a dilemma on the Scritch Factor. Still a 0-10 scale where 0 = Least & 10 = Mostverb/ˈprikəl/2. Cause a tingling or mildly painful sensation in- I hate the way the fibers prickle your skinThe only brush from Wet Shaving Products that has ever given me any prickle is the Black Badger. Both Monarchs & both Princes exhibit zero prickle.verb/skrəb/2. to subject to friction; rub.An average of their scrub and prickle scores.