Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Peppermint Soap
Lather: Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum Soap
Brush: Vie-Long #12705B pure natural white horse
Razor: BiC Sensitive SE disposable razor
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Oil (Factory) and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Eucalyptus Soap
Lather: Mike’s Natural Pine & Cedarwood Soap
Brush: Vie-Long #12705N pure natural white horse
Razor: BiC Sensitive SE disposable razor
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Oil (Factory) and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Orange Soap
Lather: Mike’s Natural Soap Lemongrass & Eucalyptus
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M unbleached pure horse
Razor: Phillips Philite with a Feather
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Beard care: Big Red Beard Oil (Factory) and Big Red No7 Beard Comb
Somehow I have managed to use – and love – this brush for almost two years… but not gotten around to do a write-up on it. Time to fix that, right now.
I bought this mixed badger / horse brush shortly after the TSN LE 2012 had showed me how nice mixed brushes could be… and to dip my toes both into badger and horse hair. Like most of my brushes it is on the small side – 20mm knot and 50 mm loft – which makes it suitable for both face and bowl lathering.
It can best be described as being fluffy with a backbone – the horsehair adds springiness and a slight scritch, the badger do what badger do best and imitates a fluffy cloud. The combination makes for a efficient lather maker.
If you’re looking for a new brush, you can’t go much wrong with mixed brush from Vie-Long.
Horse hair brushes has fascinated me since I got into traditional wetshaving – not only are they traditional (until the anthrax scare, they were the most common brush) but they are also animal friendly.
The Vie-Long 13051M is my first pure horse, and even if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea it’s a keeper for me.
I tend to prefer small brushes, since that makes them useful for both face and bowl lathering. the 13051M has a 21mm knot and a 50mm loft, and holds plenty of lather. It has plenty of backbone, and lots of scritch – if you got sensitive skin or prefer a fluffy, cloudy brush… this is not the brush for you.
If you’re in the market for a smallish brush that is animal friendly and don’t mind the scritch, I can recommend the Vie-Long 13051M
Pre-shave: Warm water rince
Lather: Mike’s Orange & Black Pepper Shave Stick
Brush: Vie-Long 14033 mixed horse-badger
Razors: Bakelite Slant with a Persona Platinum
Post-shave: Cold water rinse, alum and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Slightly rushed this morning, but still a DFS.
Pre-shave: Body Shop Coconut Soap
Lather: Mike’s Coconut Soap
Brush: Vie-Long 14033
Razors: Merkur 39C and Parker 22R, both with a Wilkinson Sword
Post-shave: Cold water rinse, alum and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Not the best presoap, but an overall very coconutty DFS
Pre-shave:Dr Bronners Liquid Orange Soap
Lather: Mike’s Orange, Sandalwood & Black Pepper Soap
Brush: Vie-Long 14033 horse-badger brush
Razors: Merkur 39C and Parker 22R, both with a Wilkinson Sword
Post-shave: Cold water rinse, alum and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Pre-shave: Cold water rinse
Lather: Mama Bear’s Awakening
Brush: Vie-Long 14033 mixed horse-badger
Razors: Cadet TP-01 OP and TTO-13, both with a “Flying Eagle” blade
Post-shave: Cold water rinse
In bit of a rush today, yet a pretty good shave all told.
Pre-shave: Dr Bronner’s Liquid Orange Soap
Lather: Orange EO Shave Soap
Brush: Vie-Long 14033 mixed horse-badger
Razors: Cadet TP-01 OP and TTO-13, both with a “Flying Eagle” blade
Post-shave: Cool water rinse, alum, and Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Going orange today – got a DFS too.