I was amazed at the softness and a fair amount of backbone in this brush , no reason too use a Badger hair Brush this is better , because it drys quicker and no break in period .Comes in a handy and nice looking container. Shipment to the EU went quick.I had high hopes and expectations upon receiving the brush. It worked great for about a week. Very luxurious lathers and extremely comfortable on the skin. However, that's when the brush completely separated itself from the handle! Somehow it came unglued. Not what I expected from this pricey of a brush! However amazon's return process couldn't have been any easier and they immediately shipped me a replacement brush which was received in two days. I will update this review after using the new brush for awhile.8/31/15 UPDATE:Ok, I have been using the replacement brush for about a month. I assume the first brush which fell apart was just a mfg defect. So far so good with this one. I love the way it feels on the face. I find that I spend more time lathering than ever before because it feels so good on the skin. The result is that I am getting a better lather. As others have said, you don't "need" a brush this expensive but you certainly do "want" it.7/14/16 UPDATE:I have been using the replacement brush everyday for a year and it has worked great! It sheds very little and the brushes have remained extremely soft. Overall I have been happy with my purchase.Excellent badger brush. Kent is the bestIt's a beautiful brush.I wish it were a tad softer so it would lather more quickly. The lather, however, is rich and dense and very nice. It's like comparing the head of an ordinary ale with that of Guinness.The brush came with a letter explaining that one should expect the hairs to shed for the first eight weeks. That's pretty conservative. In my experience, I lost about 1-2 hairs per shave the first 10 shaves and about 1 hair every few shaves the next 10 shaves. I haven't lost a single hair the last five weeks. That's a welcome change from the previous brushes I tried that lost up to a half dozen hairs or so the first few weeks and a few every shave thereafter (and I stuck with them for months).It's an expensive brush. If you have a choice between feeding your kids or getting the brush, I'd say feed your kids. But if your kids are fed, get the brush. The stiff hairs are the only thing keeping me from giving the brush a 5, but this is not enough to keep me from recommending the brush.WOW! From the very first use, I knew this brush was well worth every cent. It reminded me of something my Mom taught me about shopping. If you spend a little bit more you usually get the quality that comes with the price tag. The Kent Medium Badger exceeds that theory and more. It's comfortable. I am a three passer with a brush when I wet shave. It gets a good lather with the soap I am using right now on each and every pass. That is important. Every time I lather up it feels good. Some brushes are coarse, especially on subsequent passes. A lot of brushes I have used in the past lose hair or just plain fall apart. Not the Kent, it is a pleasure to shave with. I shave everyday and the Kent makes it a pleasent expeience. Another less important feature is the look. It looks good on the shelf after cleaning. It is built sturdy. I love it. When I save up my extra pennies I am going to invest in a Kent upgrade. The case is awesome as well. The craftsmanship and quality of the brush and case is the best I have seen so far. You can tell the difference everytime you lather up, whether it is one time or three, etc.It makes the best lather. I would definitely buy this again.By far and away, this is the best shaving brush that I have ever had!Despite the reputation of Kent, who's combs and hair brushes have given me good service, I cannot recommend this shaving brush.I bought it a year ago. After a few months it started to lose bristles. The rate increased to between 10 and 20 per shave. After 6 months, I contacted Kent. They said that one should expect a few losses in the first month, but that mine was clearly below standard. They immediately agreed that it should be replaced.The new one arrived, having been through 'extensive quality control'. But it too has lost more bristles than could be deemed acceptable. After another six months, it continues to moult!Am I just unlucky, or does Kent have a manufacturing problem? I know that the company changed ownership.I have used this brand for 30 years. The manufacturer must have changed its production base and method. Now, whilst shaving, I get loose bristles on my face plus more which block the plug hole. At this rate there will be no brush left. Annoyed and very disappointed by the vast reduction in quality, my next will not be a KentI like the packaging (including a nice carry case) and handle size/form, but have some concerns about the fact that this doesn't come with a stand, and that mine loses bristles at a decent rate. I reckon about 2 per shave, which so far doesn't seem to have diminshed the brush noticably (after a year or so) but which must surely take some toll? I can understand that it would be impossible to prevent some bristle loss, and that stands shouldn't be free, but this is a costly object for what it is, and doesn't seem to come with the expected finesse. Seems to work well enough, of course!had this brush for 18 months now used every day. initially there was some hairs shedding which i expected.However now bristle loss has reached an unacceptable level(approx 10) every shave. I thought i was buying a premium product that was was going to last. The brush has been hung and dried every day and lathered up using a backward forward motion to avoid "wind up". very very disappointed. will now have to buy another but will steer clear of a Kent.I have had several, last for ages and vey comfortable to use. It comes with a fancy leather travel case which is a bit extravagant, it would be better supplied with the metal stand (available from Dent) which is useful, indeed essential, on the side of the sink. The case could be a purchasable option.