Colonel Conk Model 1001 Standard Pure Badger Shaving Brush, Black Handle

I had better hope for this brush, even with the mixed reviews - it is a Col. Conk branded brush and I was hoping for higher standards to be able to use their name or endorsement, but it just misses on several features and just seems to be massed produced.I use a shave bowl, so the length of the brush (4 inches from tip of brush to end of handle) is not a problem, if you use a mug or a deep bowl you definitely will have problems trying to use a brush of this length.Fit and finish - horrid. Generaly I would not subtract stars for items of this nature, I am using the brush on my face, not the handle, but it just looks cheap in my nice chromed stand along side by Edwin Jagger and Merkur DE razors. The handle shows the mold marks, and not all of those lines were buffed or polished down so there is a bit of an edge to them. It is easy to make them smooth, but then you end of scratching the finish on the handle if you are not very careful - use an old razor blade or Xacto knife to carefully cut the mold marks away. Something you should not have to do but with this one you must.The working end of the brush is fine, the badger hairs are cut to fit so you will have a bit of a scratchy texture to deal with for awhile, they will soften. So far the hairs have not bloomed out, and I have noticed any of the bristles falling out in great quantity other than what I would expect.Time will tell how much it will soften and bloom, currently I use the dry brush technique (pre-soak brush, shake or squeeze excess water out, and apply to the soap to make lather - then drip water onto the brush with the lather on it to create the additional moisture necessary to make the lather slick on the surface of your face), and this brush works well for that method - the ONLY reason it gets 3 stars vs 2 star rating.Pictures show reference to size and mold marks. I would not purchase this again, do not recommend it for others either - it works, it will create a good lather with a good soap, but for a Col. Conk branded brush that is not any better in fit and finish and the badger bristle quality used than the $12 Escali the price point on this brush is just too high.

I recently purchased this brush for my first foray into using traditional soaps and a DE razor. Used this with Proraso green tub soap and two of Mama Bears soaps. After a few days and refining my technique with the help of Badger & Blade forums tutorials this brush whips up a nice lather easily on these soaps.When applying lather in circular motions on my face it is a tad prickly on my face which I hope will lessen over time as the brush breaks in and the tips soften up a bit. It lost about 3-4 hairs during my initial uses. I guess this is probably normal for a new brush at this price point. My biggest issue with this particular brush is the handle weight. It is a very light plastic maybe injection molded. The handle has buoyancy so when I soak it in my mug it wants to float the brush horizontally which exposes some bristles out of the water. I wish they could have used a heavier plastic or inserted some sort of weight into the plastic mold to counter this issue. Other than that for this price it gets the job done for me and only time will tell on break in and longevity of the product.It works for me and will use it for awhile until I decide to spend a bit more for one of those lathe turned handles with a bit more bulk/weight to them.

I got a chance to use this model brush after a year of use so I know where the experience with it is heading. This brush is pretty amazing when you take the price and grade of badger hair into account. The hairs are a bit prickly at first but soften up after a month and a half or so but all brushes have a break-in period. It does smell once it gets wet but a diluted vinegar or borax solution clears that up after a couple soaks.Personally, I've lost minimal hairs, fewer than I was expecting. I am , however, not the most aggressive at brushing so this might contribute to the fact but still. Very few hairs lost.Someone made a comment about how it floats and I kinda like that. That way the brush doesn't sink to the bottom of my sink when it's full of water and touch the "clean but you never know" surface of the sink. Yes, a small part of the bristles are exposed out of the water but they will all get soaked just fine. The black handle is understated with the somewhat fancy logo to add a bit of English flair.The year-old one I got to use was very soft. So soft that I initially mistook it for a Silvertip, which it is not. This displays the quality of the bristles.Overall, a good product for the money that will last a long time.

This is a decent starter brush, but when one gets the knack of brush lathering, whether that is bowl, hand, or face, they should move on to a better brush. The brush itself is fairly small, which is why I suggest moving on to another, more capable brush. I actually consider it more of a travel brush. The bristles are pure badger through and through, with the defining scratchy, cut tips. Anyone who starts with this brush may have trouble at first getting the hang of lathering. Partly because of its size and partly because of what one uses: soap or creams. I suggest creams because the brush simply didn't lather soaps as I've come to expect.The bottom line is this: though this brush is capable and adequate for its original intention, I suggest one spends a few extra dollars ($30-$35) on a Parker Pure Badger or Best Badger. They are far better than the Conk brush, and more forgiving to boot. I'll use the Conk here and there, but I doubt it'll ever make the rotation.