100% Pure Badger Shaving Brush

After having shaved with only an electric razor for over 30 years, a few years ago I decided to try blade shaving again, using the wet shaving method. I've been slowly moving towards "upping my game" by using better shaving products as I find them. Upon hearing about and ordering an awesome shaving cream (Duke Cannon Superior Grade Shaving Cream), I figured the next step would be a shaving brush. Doing some research led me to bristle brushes.Enter Escali. I found brushes ranging from $20-$250 and everywhere in between. I wanted an introductory brush at a reasonable price and Escali seemed to fit the bill. I read all the reviews, both good and bad, then ordered. I'm no expert at using a bristle brush, this being my first foray, but the Escali Badger Brush works perfectly well. It does exactly as it says, builds up a nice foam/lather, covers well/evenly, feels good, etc.** UPDATE ** - I'm leaving this original review info in place for full disclosure/historical purposes, but *please* read my update at the bottom, about the scent being gone.The one biggest criticism I read here is about the scent of the brush when it's wet. OK, so yes it does have a mild scent. BUT, I have found the following to be true:- The scent is strongest when the brush is used for the first time- It only lasts while you're shaving and does not "stick" to you- You can use hair shampoo on the brush to help eliminate the residual scent- The scent *does* decrease over time - and I've only used it a few times. If I really wanted to make a concerted effort, I could shampoo/rinse it a bunch of times in a row, but it just doesn't bother me enough to do so.Keep in mind, folks, that MAYBE if they doubled the cost of the brush, they could deliver one with ZERO scent; maybe.Let me close by saying that the scent thing is really No Big Deal; I merely included the info above to give a full & complete review, not glossing over anything. But at the end of the day (and the review), let me leave you with these final Q&A points:Q: Do I like the brush?A: YesQ: Do I enjoy using it?A: Definitely - it does exactly what I need, and quite wellQ: Would I buy it again?A: YES!** Update ** 03/05/2016: TWO Major Points:1. The scent is essentially GONE from their new brushes. Whatever Escali has done, they practically eliminated that "scent" which people talked about a few years ago. There's nothing noticeable when it's wet, unless you stick your nose INSIDE of the brush and inhale deeply, and even then, it's barely there. Plus, **NOTHING** comes off on your skin. Nice job, Escali! You got rid of the one major complaint.2. I liked this brush so much, that after we bought some special Basin shaving cream for our 17-year-old son, I bought him his first Escali Badger Shaving Brush, and HE loves it, too. Says that it makes shaving more pleasant and even a little fun, which is saying a lot, coming from a teen. Now, you have two different generations who both enjoy Escali's product.

Finally fed up with the mounting expense of buying the latest and not-necessarily “greatest” innovations in the disposable razor market, I discovered there are a few essential items I needed to buy before I could completely transform to using a safety razor. A decent quality shaving brush was one such item. The ESCALI 100% PURE BADGER SHAVING BRUSH proved to be the answer.WHAT IT IS:- Affordably priced, badger-hair shaving brush with a wood handle.WHY PURCHASE A SHAVING BRUSH?- After decades of spraying gel into my hand to apply shaving cream, I never really gave shaving brushes a thought. Using a shaving brush always seemed as nothing more than adding an expensive degree of sophistication to a rather mundane task (like using silk instead of toilet paper). Once I started using a shaving brush, I immediately saw the benefits.- First of all, applying shaving cream with a brush simply feels better than using your hand as it messages the cream into your skin and helps generate a decent lather with little effort. Brushing a warm layer of shaving soap on your skin adds a level of enjoyment to the shaving ritual.- A decent shaving brush can retain enough soap and liquid to allow several applications without having to “reload”. Using a brush, you can get more use from a smaller amount of soap/cream.WHY BADGER AND WHY ESCALI?- I’ve read several articles and reviews regarding the positives/negatives of badger hair/boar hair and synthetic haired brushes. The consensus indicates badger hair is best mainly because of its absorption quality, it retains water which is essential to the lubrication process. While boar hair is a worthy substitute, it doesn’t retain water as well and has a reputation of retaining a noticeable odor. Synthetic hair brushes don’t retain moisture as well.- I’ve been using the ESCALI BADGER BRUSH for over 5 months and I am quite pleased with its performance. It is has a soft texture and retains enough moisture to generate a decent lather. Yes, the brush does shed (all animal hair brushes will), but we’re talking a hair here-and-there, not in clumps. Badger hair brushes are not cheap, but the price of the ESCALI takes the financial pain out of owning a good quality shaving brush.