A brush for creams a brush for soaps

[Hank]

I have always been a soap guy face latherer but I have recently been introduced to creams. Which got me to thinking do I need a different type of brush for creams? If you gents think I do what makes a good cream brush?

I mix the lather in a mug as I haven't figured how to face lather a cream.

If I put this thread in the wrong forum I am sorry.

 

[Vlad]

A brush that can do soaps can do creams just fine. You can bowl lather, but also try just smearing some cream on your face or on top of the brush, and have at it.

 

[TMH478]

I have used my main brush for both, but decided to get a "soap" brush. I use a Shavemac 177 25mm for my creams and a Rooney 1/2 24mm for my soaps. Both work great for their respective areas.

 

[bowlturner]

I recently asked Phil at BullGoose for some recommendations on a good brush to face lather with. Of those he sells he suggested the Simfix Grosvenor LE, the Vie-Long 16726 and the Vie-Long Toro Ganso. All three of these brushes have a knot of two band badger and a loft near 50. I bought the latter and love it. It feels very nice on the face and I can easily make enough lather for three passes. So, maybe regardless of brand, look at brushes with similar type knots.

 

[Shavely Manden]

I have always been a soap guy face latherer but I have recently been introduced to creams. Which got me to thinking do I need a different type of brush for creams? If you gents think I do what makes a good cream brush?

I mix the lather in a mug as I haven't figured how to face lather a cream.

If I put this thread in the wrong forum I am sorry.

Just about any brush can be used for both soaps & creams, but there's just this weird connection between soft brushes and creams and stiffer brushes and soaps. It probably has something to do with getting soap off the puck -- it's just harder to get hard soaps like Tabac and MWF onto the brush using a soft, luxurious silvertip, but it's certainly not impossible.

Some brushes, like the group-buy Eagle I have, go so far into things that're useful for soaps & face-lathering (mainly stiffness and density) that they make other parts of the lathering more difficult if you're just trying to bowl-lather cream.

 

[hunter87597]

I have been thinking about this lately a lot also, due to my 2 vulfix and 1 shavemac being a little on the floppy side. I am considering a shavemac in the D01 variation, or a simpson chubby. Either way, I will be set for a while.... until AD kicks back in.

 

[Joe Edson]

I recently asked Phil at BullGoose for some recommendations on a good brush to face lather with. Of those he sells he suggested the Simfix Grosvenor LE, the Vie-Long 16726 and the Vie-Long Toro Ganso. All three of these brushes have a knot of two band badger and a loft near 50. I bought the latter and love it. It feels very nice on the face and I can easily make enough lather for three passes. So, maybe regardless of brand, look at brushes with similar type knots.

+1 on the vie-long

I do use different brushes for each, but that is because my soap brushes are extremely dense (rooney finest, shavemac D01, Simpson's Eagle, etc.) and using those for creams uses a lot of product. Soaps I'm not stingy with as they last forever so I load up. Creams on the other hand I like to be a little more stingy as they don't last as long and in many cases are more expensive.

That said, my defacto cream brush for face lathering is the Vie-Long 16726. It lacks on density but that works as it isn't a lather hog that way. Plenty of backbone for face lathering and the tops have softened a bit on use. I also use a shavemac finest that works quite well for face lathering creams. For $70 though, the vie-long is hard to beat.

 

[bjh618]

For me, I find that I prefer a boar for lathering soap, whilst I use a silvertip badger when using creams.

I also stick to the boar when I have a few days growth, and find the badger to be easier on my skin when shaving every day

 

[gregindallas]

I've have this Vulfix 377 which didn't quite fit any bill. Worked well enough with new Willians in a Porter's mug, pretty good success but nothing great. Anything smaller that a Porter's and the brush wont fit. It seemed to much of a lather hog for soap sticks. Finally decided to give it one last chance with a "bowl and shave cream" befor I just dumped it or stuck it on a shelf somewhere. I turned out that that goofy, giant, soggy Vulfux was born to lather in a bowl. I get a comically hugh lather out of that thing now! Now if I can just get comfortable with bowl lathering. I don't like change!!

 

[CraigarTA]

I myself love my VDH for soap and my Simpsons 'Special' Best Badger for creams.
Have not tried mixing with the badger, but I have with the VDH

 

[RayH]

It depends. I've that with a badger, the smaller and tighter the knot the better it works with both soaps and creams. The larger and looser the knot, the better it is with creams. Now a boar will work great with any soap, the harder the better. And many will work with creams also. A decent boar is very versatile. That being said I'm looking at the Omega 599 silvertip and the Wee Scot being offered by WCS. Am also looking at the Omega 21047 boar from Shoeboxshave. All three are small and from what I've read they should work great with face lathering.

 

[djh]

Although all of my brushes can be used with both soap and cream, some perform better in one medium as opposed to the other. Dense, short-lofted brushes (as Joe mentions) tend to be my choices for soap and longer lofted (and maybe less stiff) brushes do a great job with cream.
You can easily add a few small dollops of cream to your face and start lathering or even add cream direct to the brush. I spent many, many years lathering shaving cream in my cupped hand before discovering B+B.

 

[BWagner]

For me, I find that I prefer a boar for lathering soap, whilst I use a silvertip badger when using creams.

I also stick to the boar when I have a few days growth, and find the badger to be easier on my skin when shaving every day

+1 on both. I use a SOC for soaps and a Shavemac 177 for creams.