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Different brush preferences UK vs USA

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
Apologies if this has been asked before but a search of B&B revealed nothing.

I recently purchased a Semogue LE brush and when researching it I read a suggestion that shavers in the UK generally prefer a scrubby brush with a loft to knot ratio of no more than 2 to 1, and good backbone and density. That is generally true in my case. Conversely it was suggested that shavers in the USA generally prefer a more floppy brush with a higher loft and less backbone and density. Do you think this is true and if so why might that be? Are there any other differences between the general preferences of UK and US shavers?
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I don't think there is a basis for such a stipulation. Sounds kinda weird.
I thought the same as you but what surprised me was that others on that alternative forum seemed to agree with that hypothesis. I wondered if the members here had an opinion on it.
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
US shavers prefer European soaps; Europeans prefer US soaps.
As they say, they grass is always greener..... :cuppa:
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I would love to review their data!
I am new here and unsure of the protocol for linking to other sites but a search for Semogue Foro Afeitado 2019 on Google will give results the top one of which is dated 11 October 2019. In this thread the topic is discussed.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
US shavers prefer European soaps; Europeans prefer US soaps.
As they say, they grass is always greener..... :cuppa:
Agreed - I recently visited the US and saw the easy availability of Pinaud Clubman, Fine, Mennen, Aqua Velva, Lucky Tiger, and Thayers products. Somehow they seem like quite exclusive, high end products in the UK! Price is no guarantee of quality of course, some of my favourites are thankfully inexpensive. I was lucky enough to visit Pasteur's Pharmacy in New York - what a shop!
 
Agreed - I recently visited the US and saw the easy availability of Pinaud Clubman, Fine, Mennen, Aqua Velva, Lucky Tiger, and Thayers products. Somehow they seem like quite exclusive, high end products in the UK! Price is no guarantee of quality of course, some of my favourites are thankfully inexpensive. I was lucky enough to visit Pasteur's Pharmacy in New York - what a shop!

So what’s the Pinaud Clubman equivalent in Europe: cheap, easy to find, and delightfully stinky?

Tabac seems like a contender, but what else?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Welcome to B&B, Sir Eclipse!!

And, you must totally ignore any information obtained from any other, imposter shave web sites!!
As is said, Fake News!!
Enjoy your journey here!
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
So what’s the Pinaud Clubman equivalent in Europe: cheap, easy to find, and delightfully stinky?

Tabac seems like a contender, but what else?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good question! Asking around it seems that most of my colleagues use a cart and do not apply aftershave, instead preferring a moisturising cream. There is some overlap here between EDT and aftershave with nobody I asked sadly knowing the difference. EDT seems to be reserved for 'going out'. Cheapo brands in the UK are Brut (a shameful travesty - nothing like the vintage Faberge original on which I have spent a small fortune), Old Spice (passable but nothing like as good as the Shulton), Denim (OK but not the powerhouse I remember), Lynx (The UK version of Axe I think), and various scents named after footballers, musical performers, or dubious reality TV personalities. Outside of London there are few if any dedicated shaving stores, and most people purchase from supermarkets or mail order discount websites. I love Tabac by the way but it is only found in chemists and nobody else I know uses it. A sad state of affairs.
 
Having lived in both countries, I cannot say I've observed the difference mentioned by the poster.
However, I should note that the English, not being generally as affluent as the Americans, tend to be more practical in their choice of brush, which tends to point to lower loft, firmer knot brushes.
Entry-level synthetic brushes have always been available at Boots and other chemists. They never went away like they did in the seventies in the U.S. And they have always been consistent general-market sellers, as have low-end boar and badger brushes.
The U.S. market, conversely, dropped into a nadir where an entire generation grew up without brushes, and then they "came back" as a novelty or hobbyist's item only.
In my youth, a simple pure-badger brush was considered something of a luxury, let alone a best-badger or higher. I'm certain English brush makers' records (Rooney, Vulfix, Simpsons) will bear out that hundreds of synthetics were sold for every pure-badger, and hundreds of pure-badgers were sold for every best-badger.
I also don't believe the market for luxurious super-badger brushes with extravagant handles exists at anywhere near the same level in the UK as it does in the U.S.
Finally, I don't think you'll find the Brits "collect" brushes with the same avidity as the Yanks.
If the poster's comment bears any truth, I must imagine it's because the British have had a recent history of greater familiarity with basic work-a-day brushes than with luxury types.
 
Agreed - I recently visited the US and saw the easy availability of Pinaud Clubman, Fine, Mennen, Aqua Velva, Lucky Tiger, and Thayers products. Somehow they seem like quite exclusive, high end products in the UK! Price is no guarantee of quality of course, some of my favourites are thankfully inexpensive. I was lucky enough to visit Pasteur's Pharmacy in New York - what a shop!

Pasteur’s is about as good as it gets!! :a21:
 
Welcome @EclipseRedRing . I'm still relatively new to this hobby, but not too many people have a preference toward floppy knots, from what I have read, regardless of which side of the Atlantic their shave den resides. backbone and scrubbiness seems to be more subjective. I like the cleansing function of a good brush and lather, but if I'm looking for a soft application, my fingertips are as good as anything else. In the end, availability seems to be a huge factor in brush use.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
Welcome @EclipseRedRing . I'm still relatively new to this hobby, but not too many people have a preference toward floppy knots, from what I have read, regardless of which side of the Atlantic their shave den resides. backbone and scrubbiness seems to be more subjective. I like the cleansing function of a good brush and lather, but if I'm looking for a soft application, my fingertips are as good as anything else. In the end, availability seems to be a huge factor in brush use.
You may well be right but brush fashions seem to have changed over the years towards larger, more dense knots with shorter lofts and gaudy handles. There seems to be almost no limit on how absurdly large brushes can now be. The largest I have tried is a Simpson Chubby 3 in Super and I could almost lather my left cheek and right ear at the same time; there are plenty of brushes now which are larger. I suppose it is different for bowl lathering and then simply painting on lather, but I face lather and build the lather on my face. For me that involves rotational and lateral brush movement on the face which was impossible for me with the Chubby. A smaller brush, say 22mm is much more suitable, for me anyway. That said, the Chubby 3 is a very popular brush so plenty of other users must feel differently! Take a look at this vintage Simpson display, interestingly most of the items appear to be luxury grade hair. Happy shaves 😀
RD.jpg
 
You may well be right but brush fashions seem to have changed over the years towards larger, more dense knots with shorter lofts and gaudy handles. There seems to be almost no limit on how absurdly large brushes can now be. The largest I have tried is a Simpson Chubby 3 in Super and I could almost lather my left cheek and right ear at the same time; there are plenty of brushes now which are larger. I suppose it is different for bowl lathering and then simply painting on lather, but I face lather and build the lather on my face. For me that involves rotational and lateral brush movement on the face which was impossible for me with the Chubby. A smaller brush, say 22mm is much more suitable, for me anyway. That said, the Chubby 3 is a very popular brush so plenty of other users must feel differently! Take a look at this vintage Simpson display, interestingly most of the items appear to be luxury grade hair. Happy shaves 😀
View attachment 1038872
I really like seeing that image. You can easily see the various tips. It would be cool to see the brushes up-close.
 
You may well be right but brush fashions seem to have changed over the years towards larger, more dense knots with shorter lofts and gaudy handles. There seems to be almost no limit on how absurdly large brushes can now be. The largest I have tried is a Simpson Chubby 3 in Super and I could almost lather my left cheek and right ear at the same time; there are plenty of brushes now which are larger. I suppose it is different for bowl lathering and then simply painting on lather, but I face lather and build the lather on my face. For me that involves rotational and lateral brush movement on the face which was impossible for me with the Chubby. A smaller brush, say 22mm is much more suitable, for me anyway. That said, the Chubby 3 is a very popular brush so plenty of other users must feel differently! Take a look at this vintage Simpson display, interestingly most of the items appear to be luxury grade hair. Happy shaves 😀
View attachment 1038872

GREAT IMAGE!! Thanks for sharing! :a14: :a14: :a14: :a14:
 
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