A couple of months ago I picked up a Wilkinson Sword Badger brush as a souvenir while abroad. I’ve been keeping it in my rotation since, and feel I’ve gotten enough of a feel for it to do a quick review.

The first thing to keep in mind is that the Wilkinson Sword Badger is NOT an expensive brush – I paid 6.25€ for mine in a supermarket – I’m sure it can be gotten even cheaper elsewhere. It would therefore be unfair to compare it a high end badger, or a reasonable priced horsehair for that matter.

The handle is conical with an oval base – it’s wider than deep – and sits okay in my hand; not bad, but not great either.  The knot is reasonable soft without being overly floppy, has good flow and don’t shed much… a hair every other shave or so. It was slightly scritchy the first couple of lathers, but that has disappeared along with most of the backbone – in other words not the best brush on a hard soap. It works wonders on soft soaps though, loading up fast and efficiently.

Overall I think the Wilkinson Sword Badger is a great brush for the price – keeping in mind that the price is low. Recommended for the shaver on a budget, or for those wanting to try out traditional wetshaving without breaking the bank.