Frank Shaving Silvertip

[SmallYetDeadly]

My Frank Shaving Silvertip turned up in yesterdays mail. It presents up nicely in an embossed heavy card box. Semogue could take note here. I'm sure it's cheap as chips but certainly adds to the feel of quality. The ivory coloured handle seems well finished, comfortable in the hand and with a decent heft.

I don't have much experience with badger hair but the tips definitely feel much softer than the couple of cheap pure badger brushes I have. The brush has a nice bulb shape, not too extreme. The knot isn't super dense but there is a quantity of hair there, it doesn't look sparse. At 21mm and 55mm loft I think this one will lend itself to bowl lathering creams better than loading soap for a face lather but I will give it a workout over the next few weeks and put some experience behind the theory.

I'll try and shoot a few pics and add them to the thread by the weekend. I think I'm going to be saying that it is a good brush it will just depend if I need to add the "for the price" caveat or not!

Anybody else out there had a go at one of these?

 

[~Spyne~]

FS owner here.
I originally had a Semogue 1305 Boar and had been using that (bowl lathering creams) for a few months before finding the FS brushes and working out a deal for slightly modified knots with Ian.
I went with a Finest and Silvertip, set in black Kenilworth and Richmond, respectively, handles.

I must say my favourite of the two is the Finest - it simply holds a better balance of water and product, and while being soft still has enough stiffness to work my stubble. The Silvertip, while definitely softer, holds too much water (imo) and is just too soft for me.
But, they are nice brushes, especially when you consider how much some people pay for badger hair brushes!


Adam

 

[nosedog]

A FS best badger was the first decent brush I owned. But a few months later I bought a Simpsons Tulip 1 (super badger) and I don't think I've touched the FS brush since. It was good while it lasted. I think the FS brushes are decent -- can't tell you anything about differences between them though -- but I appreciate the greater density of the Simpsons.

 

[SmallYetDeadly]

Cheers for the input Adam and nosedog

Here's a few pics:

Gave the brush a wash with dish detergent and a bit of a swirl on a Col Conk soap. It seemed to be loading OK but it's very soft through the knot. The last pic shows the density is pretty low after being rinsed out. Tips were very soft. I was picturing a cream brush for bowl lathering with good flow through. I will see how it goes tomorrow in this scenario.

 

[SmallYetDeadly]

Hehehe...definitely not a soap brush this one. It took quite a bit of swirling and whisking to break up the palmolive shave cream.

The brush is definitely floppy, just enough firmness in it to hold it's shape while lathering. That said...

Churned up whole mess of lather very easily. I missed the mark a little by adding a bit too much water at the end and ended up a bit slicker and less cushiony than I like but it was a clear operator error.

Tips super soft. Painted on the lather easily but did collapse into a paintbrush shape a bit more than my preference. Felt pretty luxurious for the price.

For $35 odd bucks I think it is going to be a nice brush in a limited field of operation. Don't ask it to do things it is not capable off like load up MWF. Fans of a scrubby face latherer need not apply as this one will have you gnashing your teeth.

 

[Ybbor]

I purchased a FS travel brush its pretty nice! FS remind me of sabi brushes. Both can be found on eBay. I like the pure or best badger. I have a silver tip sabi and it's still shedding and is only good for creams.

 

[Sunbird]

I have had two FS brushes. Silvertip and Finest.
I got the Silvertip first and after ordering a Finest Butterscotch Richmond I gave the Sivertip away as it was too floppy. The Finest is probably my "go to" favourite brush which includes two Simpsons in the collection. I now face lather with both creams and soaps.

I have no hestation in recommending the FS Finest.

This is the FS brush I have:- Finest Badger Hair Shaving Brush Butterscotch Richmond! | eBay

Sunbird

 

[Drubbing]

IMO Silvertip and Finest needs to be really well packed, otherwise they're next to useless. That adds to the cost, as there's easily twice the hair in a Simpson as many other brushes with a similar performing hair in it.

I bitched about my Chubby for many a month being too packed and dense, even going as far as to offer it for sale But it softened over time and I use it a lot now.

Only cream duties though, I just don't get on with badgers and soap. I'm picky how I like my lather and while it's a doddle with boars, badger just makes getting it right harder, and often puts too much air in it.