Parker Safety Razor100% Silvertip Badger Bristle Shaving with Deluxe Olivewood & Chrome Handle - Brush Stand Included

For more years than I can remember, I used a shaving brush ordered from a J. Peterman catalog. I wore it out. In need of a new one and desiring a top notch replacement, after a good bit of research I decided on this one. It was an excellent choice. It is every bit as good as advertised and more than meets my needs. I should have replaced the worn out Peterman long ago.

Having made the grave mistake of first picking up a Pure Badger Brush by Perfecto or Eskali (I can't remember which, but I'm certain both products are equally terrible), then correcting the mistake with an immense step up to the Parker Black Badger Brush, I have to say that the step up to this was an equally immense one.Luckily, though, you don't have to make the same mistake I did. If you're just getting started wet shaving, and if you can afford it, do yourself a favor and buy this. Being willing to spend a bit more up front on high-quality products like this one (along with learning how to use and care for them properly) will make your shaving experience infinitely better—while still resulting in a significantly lower cost-per-shave than if you were to use cartridges.Just remember: use warm water when soaking your brush (NOT hot water), and soak for around 30 seconds. A lot of places out there will tell you to use hot water and/or to soak the brush while you're showering, but hot water can cause the knot to be loosed, and soaking for that amount of time will typically result in a worse lather. When you lather, don't use a lot of pressure, and definitely don't mash the bristles. When you apply the lather to your face, use motions like a paint brush, and again don't mash the bristles. When you're done shaving, be sure to rinse it out very thoroughly, then flick dry, brush lightly on a towel, and hang on a brush stand in a ventilated area. Once a month lather up the brush with some shampoo, then rinse, then do the same with conditioner to keep it clean and prevent soap scum build-up. If you notice there's a soap scum build-up already, fill a cup with warm water and add a bit of apple cider vinegar / white vinegar, swirl it around a bit, rinse thoroughly, and dry as usual.Follow these tips and this Silvertip brush should last you many, many years.

So, I am the guy that a couple of years ago got sold on shave kit from one of those "art" stores that are in the mall. I fell in love with using a safety razor, shave cream and, badger brush. I finally had to replace the cheaper brush from that "of shaving" store and decided to try out parker. What I like about the brush when I was opening it up was that it was large and had a good solid weight to it. The stand that comes with it can be tossed it takes away from how good the brush looks. On that note, get a stand. I am not an expert but I do know that badger brushes need a stand.The First week,MY GOD THE SMELL!!! I know that I am not an expert in badger brushes but dang it smelt to high hell. I work in a business were new product always has a goofy smell but this wasn't goofy it was down right disgusting. With that off my chest, the product was great! It gave a wonderful lather and a soft touch that had zero scratching against my face. It did shed quite a few hairs in the first week which was a bit bothersome but I was warned by parker about the smell and the shedding.The Second Week,So, the smell persisted even after daily use into the second week and the shedding more or less stopped. At the end of this second week, the smell seemed to have dissipated and that is when I fell in love with the brush.Overall, I am impressed AFTER the smell went away. I will be trying other parker products because it seems that their customer care is on point.

My first badger brush. I'm hooked.I've been using an inexpensive but sturdy boar brush for more than 7 years, and a couple of weeks ago it just started shedding bristles like crazy. After shopping around a couple of high-end shops in the mall and feeling for myself how much nicer badger bristles feel than anything else I've ever used, I decided to compare prices on-line. The High End Mall Store had an amazing Silvertip brush that felt like angel wings fluttering on my skin--and it cost $180. After reading the reviews for the Silvertip brushes from Parker, I felt comfortable giving this one a try. The Olivewood handle feels warm, has wonderful heft and gives great control. After one week, the brush has dropped only two bristles, smells like my shaving soap instead of a wet badger, and has bloomed to twice its original size--giving my face great coverage. It may not feel like angel wings on my face, but it's close. Maybe the tender caresses of really gentle, saintly nurses. The kind you'd like to see again after you've been discharged and maybe bring them home to meet mom at Sunday dinner. This brush feels great.This brush holds so much water that the first time I used it, I had to start over because I forgot to shake it out before I tried to work up a lather. I ended up with broth. On the re-do, a very modest amount of shaving cream worked up enough lather to make three passes across my face. There was plenty left in the brush, too. I have consistently for the past week gotten the best shaves I've ever had using this brush.The stand is dinky and tips over easily, but it was free with the brush so it'll do until I convince my wife that I need a nicer brush & razor stand to match our bathroom fixtures.

** Update **Before your read the review, i would like to note that the seller called me very soon after i left the initial review and worked diligently to replace my brush. The customer support i received speaks volumes to the company and in fact influenced me to buy another brush for my father. I received a replacement brush within 2 days of the discussion. The new brush did NOT smell and feels fantastic.** Original **I've used an entry level badger brush before for 2 years from the "Art of Shave" and i loved it. They say your supposed to replace your brush every year so i finally decided to get a new one. I heard that silvertip is better so i opted to get this.Pros1) The quality of the hairs are very good. Its soft and feels great on my face.2) After a month of use, the hairs are not coming out.3) The weight of the brush is good. It feels solid in the hands.There are 2 cons.1) It smelled! Not sure why but the hair smells. I tried washing it with soap, but the smell doesn't come out.2) The holder that comes with the brush does not fit. The holder is supposed to hold up the brush upside down between the silver base and the wooden body, but it is just too short. The only way this holder works is if you put it so the grip is between the hair and the wooden body, though then the heaviness of the silver base makes it imbalanced.In short the product does what it is supposed to do but smells a bit and comes with a worthless plastic flimsy holder.