I started this DE thing back in June 2014, and my only brush to date is a Muhle Silvertip Fibre 21mm that I bought at that time. I like it quite a bit, but I have 2 things I'd like to improve, and I really feel overwhelmed in my searching.
I have a REALLY hard time with soaps and this brush. Tabac is pretty good. MWF is pretty good, but other soaps (I think the harder ones that I have), for example Klar, even after 90 seconds of loading, soak the puck, wet brush, dry brush, most soaps I just end up with not enough on my face and constantly have to go back to reload. I'm getting tired of it. I really like the soaps I have gotten, but I find as time goes on, I almost daily now am just going to the cremes, or like the TOBS croap. Because with them the Silvertip Fibre really seems to work great, plenty of lather for 3+ passes, etc.
Second (minor) beef is that the Silvertip Fibre brush feels a bit thin on the face. It is very soft with light touch, but a bit of splay and it just doesn't feel like there's enough bristles there, if my description makes any sense. A bit more density I guess is what I'd like.
And I'd like any new brush to be a wee bit stiffer. My father has a Simpsons Colonel, and it has a bit more backbone it seems, though I find it a bit small also.
So, I'm really looking for a bit of advice. Just a small step up on the Muhle, which other than the soaps I seem to overall be happy with. I'm open to badger or synthetic. I face lather, or every now and then palm lather (usually the soaps I'm struggling with) I'd even be willing to spend up to maybe $120 on a brush. In my brain (since my experience is limited), something like Kent BLK8 "looks" to me to really be what I have in my mind as the type of brush I'd enjoy. Nice big head, with more bloom than my Muhle. But this is just in my brain. Without having used one, I might be way off.
Would even a 23mm or 25mm Muhle Silvertip Fibre be the right choice? HL Thaeter? Semogue?
I'm a "value" kinda guy for the most part, meaning if I can get synthetic brush at $50 with just as good a performance as a silvertip badger for $120, I will get the synthetic. But I prefer to spend a bit $ more on 1 or 2 high quality items that I know will serve me well year after year vs accumulating a bunch of cheaper items and taking them for a spin but never really loving any of them.... If this helps to narrow things down at all.
And I prefer new. Something about used brushes grosses me out unfortunately.
I have a REALLY hard time with soaps and this brush. Tabac is pretty good. MWF is pretty good, but other soaps (I think the harder ones that I have), for example Klar, even after 90 seconds of loading, soak the puck, wet brush, dry brush, most soaps I just end up with not enough on my face and constantly have to go back to reload. I'm getting tired of it. I really like the soaps I have gotten, but I find as time goes on, I almost daily now am just going to the cremes, or like the TOBS croap. Because with them the Silvertip Fibre really seems to work great, plenty of lather for 3+ passes, etc.
Second (minor) beef is that the Silvertip Fibre brush feels a bit thin on the face. It is very soft with light touch, but a bit of splay and it just doesn't feel like there's enough bristles there, if my description makes any sense. A bit more density I guess is what I'd like.
And I'd like any new brush to be a wee bit stiffer. My father has a Simpsons Colonel, and it has a bit more backbone it seems, though I find it a bit small also.
So, I'm really looking for a bit of advice. Just a small step up on the Muhle, which other than the soaps I seem to overall be happy with. I'm open to badger or synthetic. I face lather, or every now and then palm lather (usually the soaps I'm struggling with) I'd even be willing to spend up to maybe $120 on a brush. In my brain (since my experience is limited), something like Kent BLK8 "looks" to me to really be what I have in my mind as the type of brush I'd enjoy. Nice big head, with more bloom than my Muhle. But this is just in my brain. Without having used one, I might be way off.
Would even a 23mm or 25mm Muhle Silvertip Fibre be the right choice? HL Thaeter? Semogue?
I'm a "value" kinda guy for the most part, meaning if I can get synthetic brush at $50 with just as good a performance as a silvertip badger for $120, I will get the synthetic. But I prefer to spend a bit $ more on 1 or 2 high quality items that I know will serve me well year after year vs accumulating a bunch of cheaper items and taking them for a spin but never really loving any of them.... If this helps to narrow things down at all.
And I prefer new. Something about used brushes grosses me out unfortunately.
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