Anybody else find that 3 Band Outperforms 2 Band?

[IMightBeWrong]

I will preface this by stating that I do love and enjoy 2 Band brushes as well. I’ve had a lot of examples of both before coming to this conclusion and I still frequently reach for my 2 Band brushes. There’s always room for both.

My experience is that both 2 Band and 3 Band brushes can produce amazing lather. What I have found, however, is something that goes against conventional wisdom: My 3 band brushes produce the perfect lather faster, and they paint it on better.

This has been my experience comparing the Chubby series in Super to Manchurian, as well as my other brushes like my Thater 2 Band and Shavemac Silvertip. Past brushes I no longer have also have given me similar results. Compared to a floppier brush, 2 Band loads a bit faster, but when it comes to building a good lather on my face the 3 Bands just seems to build a nice lather more efficiently and without having to stop to add drops of water as frequently.

I also find that a lot of my 2 band brushes like to release lather at the base of the knot, down by the handle. I am not sure if this is because they tend to be shorter lifts or because the hair is thicker, just an observation from my experience over the past few years. My 3 band brushes paint lather more easily with less trying to escape at the base.

Admittedly there is an exception to this rule with very, very hard soaps simply due to taking longer to load them, but after loading the 3 band still seems to mix a lather fastern my face once I have enough soap loaded.

Am I alone in this experience? Anyone else find that 3 Band simply performs better?

 

[BigJ]

I enjoy both 2-band and 3-band, my preference depends on the particular day!!

 

[PlutoViola]

I have noticed this, with very limited experience. My 2 band is my favorite brush by a long shot, but I too notice it gathers a lot of lather at the base, whereas my cheap silvertip whips up an impressive lather closer to the tips and keeps most of it on my face (face latherer here). Both are great, just different. My silvertip is pokey and scratchy (like I said it's cheap) and because i can see the potential for greatness I do plan on getting a shavemac silvertip in the not too distant future. My TGN 2-band finest super won't be going anywhere though. I find the 2-band works better for some soaps. And likewise with the 3 band.

There is great performance to be had in both 2 and 3 band badger.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[Owen Bawn]

I have Simpson & Zenith Manchurians, Simpson & Paladin 2 bands, and Chinese Oumo 2 bands, all of which I really enjoy. But there's nothing like a dense 3 band- it doesn't get much better than a Chubby 1 in Best or Super or a Duke 3 in Best.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I have noticed this, with very limited experience. My 2 band is my favorite brush by a long shot, but I too notice it gathers a lot of lather at the base, whereas my cheap silvertip whips up an impressive lather closer to the tips and keeps most of it on my face (face latherer here). Both are great, just different. My silvertip is pokey and scratchy (like I said it's cheap) and because i can see the potential for greatness I do plan on getting a shavemac silvertip in the not too distant future. My TGN 2-band finest super won't be going anywhere though. I find the 2-band works better for some soaps. And likewise with the 3 band.

There is great performance to be had in both 2 and 3 band badger.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

My favorite brush is my Onyx handled Elite Manchurian White. Just because I have brushes that perform objectively better doesn’t mean I can’t love the feel of the 2 Band!

 

[EclipseRedRing]

For me the most important thing is the face feel and how enjoyable is the face lathering experience. I personally care very little about the quality of the finished lather as long as it is acceptable and I can shave with it. I use two band brushes because to me they are more fun to use, make me feel good and put a smile on my face. That is important to me, the quality, or not, of the lather is almost irrelevant by comparison.

 

[wandering eye]

initially I went went with Popular opinion that 2 bands offer superior feel and backbone. I have started to realize the value of 3 bands. They are much softer and luxurious in terms of face feel, which I like a lot. However, consistency with most brands seems to be an issue. Despite exorbitant prices for “silvertip” or other nomenclature, it’s a hit and a miss. This becomes a big deterrent for 3 bands.
i will be very interested to know if there are some consistent and quality brush (or knot) makers offering real soft 3 bands. What I have experienced and heard about 3 bands is as below;
Simpsons - personal experience, not consistent at all
Shavemac - reviews about lack of consistency from experts. Scritch seems to be an issue you can’t get rid of.
Thater - boring handle. Although glowing reviews about knot softness.
M&F - enough reviews about inconsistency in recent brushes
TNG and whipped dog - enough reviews about not being “top shelf” and consistent.
Any detractors are welcome.
Any others makers/artisans?

 

[Marco]

I have brushes in any grade of hair and have always preferred the 3 band over the 2 band, which honestly is not my cup of tea.

 

[Noodles]

Although I went down the two-band rabbit hole a bit, I have more three-band which I prefer.

 

[ajduplessis]

Its the extra band that makes it better...

 

[Owen Bawn]

I suspect looks have a lot to do with the preference for 2 bands. Two band and Manchurian knots with their brighter white tips and black roots are much more photogenic than 3 bands. They just look better.

 

[merovirginian]

I personally like the less-soft, more scritch that two-bands offer. Pillows can be nice, but with my coarse hair, I like something that digs in a little there. ymmv.

 

[Space_Cadet]

It depends on the brush, but I still prefer 2-band.

 

[nav]

My favorite badger is an unbleached 3 band silvertip.

In fact, I like unbleached badger brushes. I hate gel tips and find unbleached badger hair just creates a thicker, richer lather. I find gel tip badger brushes create a more airy lather.

 

[TBoner]

Yeah, I'm not a gel tip guy, either. Don't like the feel or the lather from them.

 

[Jut]

My 3 band Simpson Tulips, size 1 and 2, are perhaps my best performers; I face lather for whatever that's worth.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[IMightBeWrong]

My favorite badger is an unbleached 3 band silvertip.

In fact, I like unbleached badger brushes. I hate gel tips and find unbleached badger hair just creates a thicker, richer lather. I find gel tip badger brushes create a more airy lather.

I don’t mind gel tipped brushes if they perform, but for the most part I agree with you. It’s a big reason why I am a major fan of Simpson’s brushes.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

The only 2-band I've tried is the Semogue Owners Club. It doesn't hold as much water or make lather as quickly as any of my Simpson 3-bands in Best. Those being a Berkeley 46, Commodore X3, and Fifty-Seven. Simpsons are the best badgers I've used, period. But to be fair, I haven't tried any of the fancier stuff.

 

[Rudy Vey]

My personal preference is a two-band knot. The majority of my brushes are two-bands, maybe 60/70%, the rest are three bands. Of the two-bands, most are Shavemac two-band silvertip, which is my absolute preferred hair.

 

[nav]

I don’t mind gel tipped brushes if they perform, but for the most part I agree with you. It’s a big reason why I am a major fan of Simpson’s brushes.

I adore my Simpson Commodore X2 Best (I've got two of them).
Untreated hair with a bit of scrub just feels perfect to me!

I didn't enjoy the top end Simpsons due to too much density.

I'm also glad I kept an old WSP silvertip that is untreated. It's incredibly plush but retains its presence on the face...gel tips just have no presence for me.