Now that you have purchased a razor and secured a sampler or regular supply of your favourite blades, it's time to get the next bit of kit, a shaving brush. The two most common types of brushes are boar bristle and badger hair. An important bit of information regarding these two types is that a badger will typically cost a lot more than a boar. This has nothing to do with quality, it is simply that boar bristle is cheaper to obtain than badger hair. $30 for instance spent on a good boar brush will mostly get you a better piece of kit than $30 on a comparatively cheap badger. Mostly. Not always.
Their lathering qualities is very much a case of Your Mileage May Vary. In my case I find a badger hair brush slightly easier to lather with, but a bristle to be much more pleasant to use on my face.
If you're going to stick to buying from brick and mortar stores, then I suggest you go for boar, since you are going to find plenty to choose from as the majority of pharmacies I have been in to carry AT LEAST one Omega boar bristle brush. Most have two or three, some, like Ian Schofer pharmacy in Lower Hutt have more. Expect to spend more than $10 but less than $20 on a stand alone brush. Some places only have them in a gift pack with a soap or cream and brush stand, in which case you are looking at about $30. Omega is the most common I have seen. I tried a "Windsor" branded one once, it was woeful and the knot came apart in the sink after a gentle soak and lathering session. Stick with Omega and you can't go wrong, or at least research other brands you see before purchasing.
If you want to try badger it's going to be a little trickier to find them available in stores and the prices are probably going to pinch a little. That said, if you're in Wellington Kirkcaldie and Stains have them in a display case next to the men's fragrance section. Monsignor's Barbers at 109 Featherston St had them as well. Elsewhere try the tobacconist - gift store type places I talked about in the DE/Blades guide. Try the pharmacies, as they rarely have them but you might strike it lucky. Have a L'Occitane store nearby? If they have a shaving section you might spot one there too. Bear in mind that if you really want badger, you are better off buying online. Though I did snag a bargain hand made Edwin Jagger "best" badger brush for $10 at an antique store recently, so check them too.
Synthetic brushes I am unfamiliar with but I did see one in The Body Shop.
Buying online domestically you can't go past Mancave they have a whole herd of Semogue boar brushes at fair prices. A fantastic range of badgers as well, from the budget to the luxurious.
Goodfella, the makers of New Zealand's own Goodfella razor, also have a small selection.
Shavershop also have a small selection. Though I really wish they would do something about their website. You used to be able to place an order there, but damned if I can find it now.
Trademe sellers seem to be taking advantage of the fact that wet shaving is becoming a bit of a fad, but still people are unfamiliar with how much things should really cost. If you really want to buy a brush on trademe, get the model and make and do some research on the normal retail pricing first. Google is your friend. I see brushes that could be had for around $100 normal retail with $250 buy now prices. Hell, this applies to everything bought new on Trademe, not only will you likely not get a bargain, you probably end up overpaying by a significant amount.
Buying online international, you get a whole lot more range. Starting with Connaught shaving who offer some of the best shipping rates around. They stock oodles of Omega boars, the synthetic badger Muhles, and a selection of Vulfix brushes as well. Pretty sure they don't have any straight badger brushes though.
You could go direct to Kent brushes website and order from the manufacturer and get the ultimate luxurious fat silvertip badger brush or at the other extreme try BestShave with their <$5 horse hair brush that has had very positive reviews in the wet shaving world.
Check out Vintage Scent for a great range of Semogue boars including the coveted "Semogue Owners Club" brushes. Ships from the EU.
That's all I want to get in to really with brushes. Of course there are many more international vendors that will ship to NZ. I recommend a little research at B&B to find more places.
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