Brush loading and lathering and technique

[tinpanalley]

This is one of those things you do so often you can get to a point of starting to question how you do it. Like when a completely normal and banal word looks weird to you when spelled correctly all of a sudden.

I know you're not supposed to pump your brush hard into your bowl, hand or face when loading or lathering. I know it's not good for the core of your brush hairs. But I was shaving yesterday and thought, if you look online on YouTube alone there are any number of variations of what is considered acceptable movements with a brush. Some people hold it on an angle and rotate, some rotate while pushing the hairs down about half way, others are totally pumping rather firmly, others say "NEVER pump your brush firmly!!" and then they go to their face and literally shove the handle into their face and scrub back and forth... And I've dug around and there is no clear consensus. You might think there is, but go have a search. You'll see as many variations as there are shaving products. And then there's the added complication of whether it matters what type of brush you're on.

So, I'm on a synthetic (best brush I've ever owned by the way, the Razorock Monster) and I wanna know, from this community, what is the acceptable amount of pressure to put on a brush when loading and lathering and how much water should be on the brush? What is the goal? That in loading from a puck you get a really wet foamy load that THEN becomes thick in a bowl or on your face? Or a pasty sticky load that you water down? None of the above? Can I push down halfway? All the way but on an angle? Never push at all and only use tips of hairs?

I know, I know, it's possible to overthink this, but you'll see that in the first page of responses, you'll struggle to see two people who agree. And yet everyone, atleast the YouTube videos, will tell you: THIS is how it's done and if you don't it's wrong. And that's just the reputable sources!

 

[BigJ]

Great question!

I really don’t know ‘the answer.’ And there is probably no single answer.

That said, my approach is to really load my damp brush. Then I use painting motions to build my lather without much pressure. Works for me!!

Let’s see what others say.

 

[dotKomo]

In my experience, getting the water/soap ratio right is more important than pumping the brush into the bowl.

I have tried pumping and determined that is really isn't necessary.

 

[Billy T.]

I fully splay my brush onto my face and scrub with circular motions. That's what I enjoy and what works for me.

 

[ERS4]

"Never pump" is correct, "fully splay brush" is also right.
The point is to open the brush in the direction of rotation & avoid direct vertical pumping.

As long as the hair growth direction of the brush is followed, there will be no problem. A well-made brush should be able to handle multi-directional brushstrokes.

I am a teacher in the art and design department and have been trained for many years to learn how to use brushes.

 

[tinpanalley]

"Never pump" is correct, "fully splay brush" is also right.
The point is to open the brush in the direction of rotation & avoid direct vertical pumping.

As long as the hair growth direction of the brush is followed, there will be no problem. A well-made brush should be able to handle multi-directional brushstrokes.

I am a teacher in the art and design department and have been trained for many years to learn how to use brushes.

Can you expand on hair growth direction of the brush?

 

[ERS4]

Take a piece of transparent acrylic plate to demonstrate the opening of the brush in rotation without breaking the hair.

Of course, don't need to press it on the handle, we need to retain enough elasticity to allow the bristles to move.

 

[ERS4]

It is difficult to shoot while pressing the acrylic plate, so this is just a rough demonstration.

 

[ukobke]

You will never find the "correct" answer.
"Pressure" is different for each one of us....
How much water... You have to learn. Synthetic brushes need less water. Some soaps need more water than others. Some people have different tap water in their area....

So many combinations.. so just enjoy the journey. That's what we all do.

 

[rbscebu]

I face lather and just use my brushes anyway that feels good. For me, brushes are (relatively) cheap, ranging from about USD 50 for my Müler badger to USD 2 for my Chinese synthetic genuine badger hair brush. The Chinese synthetic is my current go-to brush for most shaves.

ZY (Chinese) Pure Badger - Synthetic

A Chinese generic brush sold under different Chinese brand names. An economical brush that pulls its weight far beyond its cost.

www.badgerandblade.com

My brushes aren't to look at, they are a tool to work with.

 

[ERS4]

Suddenly think of～
The powder brushes used by girls for makeup, it have softer and thicker hair.
If girls can rotate boldly while cleaning the makeup brush, we have no reason to worry about the shaving brush.
↓
How To: Clean Makeup Brushes

 

[Macduff]

I think there are two different things at play here: 1) What’s the best way to lather to get the longest life out of your brush and 2) How to make a good lather.

I think the two are not mutually exclusive. You can create a great lather while doing the utmost to preserve the brush; but you also can create a great lather while not really caring about what happens to the brush. Lathering is really about agitating the soap or cream to aerate it while also controlling the amount of water that’s absorbed by the soap. If you intensely grind your brush into the soap, pickup and aerate the correct amount of soap and introduce the right amount of water, you’ll get a great lather but probably won’t do your brush any favors. If you lightly swirl the soap and get the same amount of soap aerated and the same amount of water introduced you’ll also get a great lather but will have preserved the brush better. The same goes for building the lather on your face and scrubbing the soap or cream vs painting it or gently swirling it. All methods introduce air and will get you the same results if done properly. The technique for scrubbing vs painting obviously being different. Personally i go for the overly aggressive route because I’m not overly concerned with extending the lifespan of a brush from 10 years to 20. I’d rather enjoy lathering and buy a new brush. But to each his own and i definitely know having tried both ways that either will work. It’s just up to you what you like; which is why there’s no real “right” way.

 

[tinpanalley]

Clearly the idea that any way goes is not a solution. What I believe is suggested by manufacturers of brushes is not that there's only one way to lather or load just as there isn't ONE technique to cut a piece of wood in two. And though the search for the "correct way" is pointless there is surely a way that is best suited to protecting good quality brushes that are intended to last for long periods of time. Therefore ignoring different opinions of what amount of time any item should last or what constitutes wasteful behaviour or simply thorough use of a tool, I think there are two ends we can agree aren't ideal: Mashing the brush into a bowl like a mortar and pestle can not possibly keep the hairs in any kind of good shape. And conversely, no pressure whatsoever skimming the fibers on the tips of the hairs across your soap puck will take you hours. So surely we can agree there is an in-between that is optimal. I just wanted to know what professionals in a barber shop or similar shaving service boutique would say.
As an aside, having several friends in film and theatre who are makeup artists, it is not accurate to say that makeup brushes don't require care and can just be mashed around carelessly when in use or when cleaning. The reason this fallacy exists is because the pharmacy industry of makeup tools has made it so that most women don't bother with expensive brushes. Which in turn is aided by the simple fact that like most men with shaving, most women don't quite know how to properly put makeup on. Try telling my friends who are makeup artists that you're gonna bash their brushes around to clean them. They'll kill you. [emoji38]

So, yes... The "right way"? Wrong question. I admit. But the optimal way to make a good brush last a long time while creating useful lather is a better question.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

This is how I do it, using a synthetic:

Brush

• Flood the knot with warm water (upside down)
• Wait until it stops dripping
• Turn it over and give it a few gentle shakes sideways

Soap Puck

• Push on soap puck to make it splay
• Rub it back and forth until the soapy suds start to go over the sides of the bowl (highly variable load time based on brand of soap used. Tabac takes me 10 seconds, MWF takes a whole minute)

Face lather to perfection, adding a little bit of water along the way. I am not a fan of starting with a dry brush and loading paste, which lots of people do, it's not wrong but I have no idea why anyone would do it this way as it takes forever to lather and is drying for me (and makes me swear a lot). The above method is basically the Marco method you hear mentioned around here, which starts out with a very wet brush, not a drier one.

 

[tinpanalley]

This is how I do it, using a synthetic:

This is really useful, thanks. Have you got any tips for using a soap that isn't in puck form like the DR Harris cream?

 

[Timeclo]

This is how I lather up.

1. Scoop out enough soap (macadamia nut size for me) and spread it on a bowl.
2. Drip some water with the finger and start bowl lathering.
3. I'll add more water to get to the desired consistency. For Stirling soaps, I put about 6-7 finger drips of water.
4. Take it to the face and face lathering. I'll either shave here or add 1 more drip of water.

For pressure, I put around mid-pressure with the brush. I splay and paint, doing both in alternate fashion. As long as I rinse the brush thoroughly, the knot maintains its shape and it looks good as new.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

This is really useful, thanks. Have you got any tips for using a soap that isn't in puck form like the DR Harris cream?

Oh yes sir. Use the same Brush method as above. Then:

• take roughly a fingertips amount of your cream of choice
• smear it on your chin
• face-lather it with the wet brush, adding water as needed

Works like a charm! I like to start on the chin because synthetics are hard to splay initially on my cheeks, but not on the chin, as most are pointy. Go slowly though, synthetics do have a tendency to spill their water when you first start lathering.

 

[tinpanalley]

Oh yes sir. Use the same Brush method as above. Then:

Well, I use a bowl, but ok. Good tips.

 

[Macduff]

Clearly the idea that any way goes is not a solution. What I believe is suggested by manufacturers of brushes is not that there's only one way to lather or load just as there isn't ONE technique to cut a piece of wood in two. And though the search for the "correct way" is pointless there is surely a way that is best suited to protecting good quality brushes that are intended to last for long periods of time. Therefore ignoring different opinions of what amount of time any item should last or what constitutes wasteful behaviour or simply thorough use of a tool, I think there are two ends we can agree aren't ideal: Mashing the brush into a bowl like a mortar and pestle can not possibly keep the hairs in any kind of good shape. And conversely, no pressure whatsoever skimming the fibers on the tips of the hairs across your soap puck will take you hours. So surely we can agree there is an in-between that is optimal. I just wanted to know what professionals in a barber shop or similar shaving service boutique would say.
As an aside, having several friends in film and theatre who are makeup artists, it is not accurate to say that makeup brushes don't require care and can just be mashed around carelessly when in use or when cleaning. The reason this fallacy exists is because the pharmacy industry of makeup tools has made it so that most women don't bother with expensive brushes. Which in turn is aided by the simple fact that like most men with shaving, most women don't quite know how to properly put makeup on. Try telling my friends who are makeup artists that you're gonna bash their brushes around to clean them. They'll kill you. [emoji38]

So, yes... The "right way"? Wrong question. I admit. But the optimal way to make a good brush last a long time while creating useful lather is a better question.

I’d agree there’s probably an optimal way to both protect the brush and not spend years gently swirling the brush around to get a lather. With that said, i once started a thread asking who here has “worn out” a brush to the point where it was unusable. I think out of all the replies only one member had actually used a brush to the point where it had to be reknotted. And if i remember it took him something like a decade. Conversely, i’ve seen tons of members complaining that their simpson brushes have shed so much they’re unusable despite exactly following the manufacturer recommendations. All this led me to take the opinion that it’s unless as you put it, you’re going at it mortar and pestle style (great image by the way!) you’re unlikely to degrade the hairs enough to warrant altering your lathering style. And i think it’s especially true of synthetics. Having run through a few pucks of triple milled soap i literally gave up trying to be gentle with loading the brush. So perhaps i’m a little biased as well.

 

[tinpanalley]

I’d agree there’s probably an optimal way to both protect the brush and not spend years gently swirling the brush around to get a lather. With that said, i once started a thread asking who here has “worn out” a brush to the point where it was unusable. I think out of all the replies only one member had actually used a brush to the point where it had to be reknotted. And if i remember it took him something like a decade. Conversely, i’ve seen tons of members complaining that their simpson brushes have shed so much they’re unusable despite exactly following the manufacturer recommendations. All this led me to take the opinion that it’s unless as you put it, you’re going at it mortar and pestle style (great image by the way!) you’re unlikely to degrade the hairs enough to warrant altering your lathering style. And i think it’s especially true of synthetics. Having run through a few pucks of triple milled soap i literally gave up trying to be gentle with loading the brush. So perhaps i’m a little biased as well.

I'd have replied, had I seen your post, that my Silvertip Badger brush from Art Of Shaving developed a dinosaur extinction level crater in its center after about 6 years of using it without being excessively hard on it. And the majority of that time was spent using creams. But, anyway... good to know that synthetics seem to be perceived of as being more resistant. My razorock synthetic is the best brush I've ever had. All this comes from the fact that we are firmly in our home as no waste as possible and that something that sort of gives up just because we didn't use it right isn't cool to us.