Are small brushes better for bowl lathering?

[BSawhill]

Hey all,
I currently have 1 brush that I use and it's a Stirling boar 24mm by 57mm. As far as I know it's a great brush because it's only the 2nd one I've ever owned and I love it (first one was a starter set synthetic). I also love and use my C.C. stone lather bowl. The only issue I have is that I find it hard to get a good whipped lather without making a big mess. Would a smaller diameter brush be better to use in a bowl? Anyone have any good low budget recommendations in boar or badger? Thanks all!

 

[FarmerTan]

I like smaller brushes and I cannot lie....

I shouldn't even post, as my largest diameter one is a 26 synthetic, but.... I post so much trivial carp on here that I am not stopping now!

I think a big ol' brush would be wasted on a Phace lathering Philistine like me. 26 is my comfortable limit.

 

[Enclave68]

The Muhle synthetic brush is very good, I have the ‘medium’ which I believe is a 22mm knot. Excellent at whipping up a good lather, and given size works well in terms of keeping the lather in the bowl.

 

[Ravenonrock]

I like smaller brushes and I cannot lie....

I shouldn't even post, as my largest diameter one is a 26 synthetic, but.... I post so much trivial carp on here that I am not stopping now!

I think a big ol' brush would be wasted on a Phace lathering Philistine like me. 26 is my comfortable limit.

Baby got back…

 

[beg033]

Hey all,
I currently have 1 brush that I use and it's a Stirling boar 24mm by 57mm. As far as I know, it's a great brush because it's only the 2nd one I've ever owned and I love it (first one was a starter set synthetic). I also love and use my C.C. stone lather bowl. The only issue I have is that I find it hard to get a good whipped lather without making a big mess. Would a smaller diameter brush be better to use in a bowl? Anyone have any good low budget recommendations in boar or badger? Thanks all!

I think the bigger the brush, the better the bowl lathering experience (I prefer 25+ mm knots for bowl lathering). Your brush doesn't seem that big on paper. Howe, ver the loft might be a bit on the longer side for the C.C. bowl. I'd suggest trying a bigger bowl maybe? (e.g. Pereira unbreakable bowl)

If you don't want to spend on another shaving bowl, a large cereal bowl shall make do. I find that ridges aren't that much of a necessity for generating good lather. Experiment until you find something more comfortable. If you love your brush, and are okay to spend on another bowl, I recommend a Pereira bowl.

 

[Ron R]

Hey all,
I currently have 1 brush that I use and it's a Stirling boar 24mm by 57mm. As far as I know it's a great brush because it's only the 2nd one I've ever owned and I love it (first one was a starter set synthetic). I also love and use my C.C. stone lather bowl. The only issue I have is that I find it hard to get a good whipped lather without making a big mess. Would a smaller diameter brush be better to use in a bowl? Anyone have any good low budget recommendations in boar or badger? Thanks all!

That 24mm is the perfect size of brush for a bowl lathering. What I do is heat the brush under hot water squeeze most of the water out and start swirling your soap until you have a pasty lather and just add a few drops of water and swirl away and repeat this process until you are happy with the results.
If you add to much water at first you will get bubbly type of lather that needs extra effort to get back to a pasty lather, bubbles indicate to much water and that makes your lather hard to formulate. Some times you have to add more soap to reach that perfect pinnacle of lather if to much water is added I have found!
Having a extra brush is nice and that way you can have some variety in your shaving needs.
2 band badger brushes are nice to use (soft tips with nice back bone)and I enjoy using those also, the new synthetic brushes are awesome also.

 

[ChriWilson]

Given the ratios of that brush, I am envisioning serious whipped peaks...
I don't have any experience with that brush or bowl (yet), but it looks fairly comparable to an Omega Pro 49 which I love.

Assuming you're right handed, what I do is concentrating the primary whipping strokes between 7 and 4 o'clock; keeping things focused at 5 and 6 if that makes sense. Make sure to soak the brush tips adequately before-hand and use plenty of wrist. Watch your water...

 

[beg033]

Chris Bailey has a nice demonstration on how to build lather with a C.C. bowl (his is copper). If you didn't see it already, I suggest you take a look.

 

[NorthernSoul]

You can use almost any size brush for bowl lathering. What you need is a long enough handle to fit the bowl. I use 22mm to 27mm boars usually (though I'll often just face lather). If your brush seems too big for the bowl, you probably need a larger bowl!

 

[BigJ]

YMMV for sure!

My ‘sweet spot’ is 20-24 mm, a range that just works! Not too big, not too small: Goldilocks for sure!!

 

[Big Jim]

The bigger the brush the bigger the bowl or mug needed. Simple geometry. You need enough room to work.

 

[captp]

The Wee Scot is, IMO, too small for bowl/scuttle lathering. I've used everything from the Simpson Special to the mighty Chubby 2 & 3 with my Dirty Bird scuttle. No problems with any of them.
Most important, again IMO, is how the brush fits YOU. If it's too small or too big for you, it probably won't be better (or even just good) with a bowl or scuttle.

 

[ChriWilson]

When I use the Wee Scot is almost entirely for face lathering.
That said, I've had no problems building incredible lather with it in a palm sized bowl.
The Special is probably the smallest I would use in a full sized bowl.

Generally speaking, size of the bowl should be relatively commensurate to height of the brush.

 

[RayClem]

Brush size is a matter of personal preference. Use whatever you like.

Personally, I like brushes in the 24-26mm knot size. I do not like smaller brushes and I do not like larger brushes. I purchased a Simpson Trafalgar T2 synthetic. Although it is 24mm, the shape of the knot made if feel more like a smaller knot, so I purchased a T3 which is 26mm and just right for me. I have one 28mm brush, but find it to be cumbersome. I have some smaller brushes, but they are rarely used.

I think many people find 24-26mm brushes to be the "Goldilocks" size, but if you prefer smaller or larger brushes, enjoy them.