Advice please on brushes for thick stubble

[MisterDarcy]

Chaps, advice please for someone with thick, straight stubble.

I'm currently using a BK4 with creams, but it doesn't feel like it's got the spine to scrub and lift my stubble properly so it's primed to shave. Definitely feel like I'm "painting" it on (every other part of my shave routine is pulling its weight).

Anyone else with thick stubble have any thoughts on which brushes have worked for them? I'm currently leaning towards a Rooney Heritage Stubby.

 

[beginish]

Chaps, advice please for someone with thick, straight stubble.

I'm currently using a BK4 with creams, but it doesn't feel like it's got the spine to scrub and lift my stubble properly so it's primed to shave. Definitely feel like I'm "painting" it on (every other part of my shave routine is pulling its weight).

Anyone else with thick stubble have any thoughts on which brushes have worked for them? I'm currently leaning towards a Rooney Heritage Stubby.

+1 on the Heritage line. I have a small knot and large knot Heritage, and both are densely packed with soft tips. The Stubby will do right by you.

 

[gollum83]

Have you tried boar yet?

 

[Left Coast DJ]

Have you tried boar yet?

+1 on a boar.

Face lather with a <50mm loft boar and it'll scrub and work the lather really well into your beard.

 

[Spivey]

+1 on a boar.

Face lather with a <50mm loft boar and it'll scrub and work the lather really well into your beard.

Boreal 976. The bad news is that it is no longer made. Check with Shoebox Shave Shop and see if any of their existing stock have the same or similar knot...one of their Boreal brushes is on super-blowout ($3.95ish).

Super stiff knots that really show those whiskers who's boss.

 

[dpmtherrien]

Sounds like what you need is a brush with more stiffness. Try looking at any of the super or even best badgers at Classic Shaving. I'd tend to stay away from cheaper shaving brushes. I don't think that $20-$35 is expensive for something that will last a good many years, IMHO.

 

[goose]

Honestly, a new brush isn't going to be stiff enough to lift your whiskers. The job of the brush is to apply lather to your whiskers which will soften them for shaving. If you want to see how a stiffer brush feels that is one thing, but if you are expecting your shave to be any different I am afraid you are going to be disappointed.

Clint

 

[82R100]

I believe that using a shave stick is probably more influential to the whiskers than the brush stiffness. I recommend shave sticks for that reason.

- Chris

 

[Spivey]

Honestly, a new brush isn't going to be stiff enough to lift your whiskers. The job of the brush is to apply lather to your whiskers which will soften them for shaving. If you want to see how a stiffer brush feels that is one thing, but if you are expecting your shave to be any different I am afraid you are going to be disappointed.

Clint

I believe that using a shave stick is probably more influential to the whiskers than the brush stiffness. I recommend shave sticks for that reason.

- Chris

If I were a gambling man, I'd wager that these two gentlemen have not tried the Boreal 976.

 

[talibeard]

Boar & face lathering beats anything else I tried.

 

[82R100]

If I were a gambling man, I'd wager that these two gentlemen have not tried the Boreal 976.

No, but there'll be a Boreal 323 under the tree this Christmas.

The point I was making about the shave stick is that you can wedge soap behind each whisker to help them stand up.

 

[BlackBard]

Honestly, a new brush isn't going to be stiff enough to lift your whiskers. The job of the brush is to apply lather to your whiskers which will soften them for shaving. If you want to see how a stiffer brush feels that is one thing, but if you are expecting your shave to be any different I am afraid you are going to be disappointed.

Clint

Agree. I don't think that any kind of brush, short of a brass brush, is going to really lift or move whiskers in any significant way.

 

[WhosYerBob]

Boar & face lathering beats anything else I tried.

+1 A VDH Deluxe boar brush is really good, but an Omega 40033 boar is so stiff it might just double as a paint scraper.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Custom brush, 22 mm or even a 24 mm Finest set to a short loft, say 45 mm, should help you!

 

[Spivey]

No, but there'll be a Boreal 323 under the tree this Christmas.

The point I was making about the shave stick is that you can wedge soap behind each whisker to help them stand up.

I'm really interested to see how similar the 323 is to the 976. At that price, it would be worth getting a couple just to be sure that they'd be around....

Please, let me know what you think after you've broken it in (which may take longer than you expect...).

 

[MisterDarcy]

Great input, thanks everyone. I'm going to go a-boar huntin', but also look into perhaps a smaller, stiffer badger. Have to confess, I never really at boars before. I stand educated.

 

[talibeard]

Great input, thanks everyone. I'm going to go a-boar huntin', but also look into perhaps a smaller, stiffer badger. Have to confess, I never really at boars before. I stand educated.

Just allow them to break in (15-30 shaves) before you decide liking them or not...

 

[Spivey]

just allow them to break in (15-30 shaves) before you decide liking them or not...

+1

 

[82R100]

I'm really interested to see how similar the 323 is to the 976. At that price, it would be worth getting a couple just to be sure that they'd be around....

Please, let me know what you think after you've broken it in (which may take longer than you expect...).

Today was my first use of the $4 Boreal 323. Very stiff brush. I'm using soft Monsavon soap right now and was able to consciously dig into the soap with this (new) brush.

I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive about this brush based on its rigidity when dry but it worked just fine for me--I don't have an excessively sensitive face. Even pre-break-in while it was very stiff it was less prickly at the tips than my no-name pure badger.

It's clearly made to a price--the handle is exceedingly cheap painted wood (and poorly painted at that) but the brush will definitely see use by me.

Shoebox Shave still has this listed at $3.99 but with "not many left".

- Chris

 

[Spivey]

Today was my first use of the $4 Boreal 323. Very stiff brush. I'm using soft Monsavon soap right now and was able to consciously dig into the soap with this (new) brush.

I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive about this brush based on its rigidity when dry but it worked just fine for me--I don't have an excessively sensitive face. Even pre-break-in while it was very stiff it was less prickly at the tips than my no-name pure badger.

It's clearly made to a price--the handle is exceedingly cheap painted wood (and poorly painted at that) but the brush will definitely see use by me.

Shoebox Shave still has this listed at $3.99 but with "not many left".

- Chris

Thanks, Chris. It's good to know that the handle is wood. I'm trying to stay away from painted and/or glossed wooden handles as the finish seems to flake off...

I'm probably going to have Tony at Golden Nib make a custom boar brush set to about 40mm of loft.