Brush Not Doing it For Me

[Mryanwalker]

I am having a hard time making myself "love" my experience with a shaving brush. I seem to be getting a much more comfortable (and closer) shave with my Zirh brushless cream than with the other creams I have tried with a brush (TOBS, Mama Bear, T&H). Has anyone had this experience?

I did practice a bit with lathering after today's shave and got the best lather I've ever gotten. It was running over the sides of the bowl for the first time. Usually I barely have enough for two passes.

My main complaint with the brushed creams is the "pulling" I feel, as opposed to the effortless gliding I get with the Zirh.

Any thoughts?

 

[troy1979]

i only use my brush maybe once a week, i like going brushless no matter what cream i use.
try using a little grapseed oil before the cream.

 

[dpmtherrien]

If that's what's working for you then stay with it. A brush makes wet shaving so nice, I can't picture it not working for someone, but then I guess anything's possible.

Why don't you give uberlather a try? Check it out here: My youtube channel, with uberlather video and other shaving videos

 

[451]

I really enoy the Zihr products and find the shaving cream to be excellent. That said, there is something to be said for the zen experience of making your own lather. Wet shaving to me is a very enjoyable ritual, and while I occassionaly take short cuts, there is something very satisfying about the entire procedure.

 

[sodajerk]

When my lather is right, I will not feel the brush on my face unless i get really aggressive with it. A good lather will be so slick you will hardly feel anything, especially if it's a warm lather. ) My KMF cream (good stuff!) works in a broad wetness range and on the dry side I might feel a very slight pulling.

Experiment by loading your presoaked brush with lots more soap (or use lots more cream) than normal, then start your lather building cycle of adding a little water and whipping. Work your way slowly (testing by feel, not looks, as you go) through consecutive cycles until you finally get to the too much water point. Along the way I bet you reach a point that makes you say, wow! At least I hope you do! Good luck!

 

[maxman]

I think the brush adds to the experience. There's something about building a nice lather and applying it to your face.
However, I get the best shaves from my Sisheido brushless cream.
still, i'd rather go with the brush.

I agree with the advice to go with whatever works best for your face.

 

[Thebigspendur]

Personally, I think the brush experience helps make the shave. If you are having problems you need to either figure out what you are doing wrong or if you don't want to then just use your brushless cream.

 

[luvmysuper]

I'm sorry, but you'll never be an individual and unique unless you do what everybody else here does.



If that works for you, it's great. I personally love the brush routine, so I kept trying till I made it work.

Read the following - he's spot on...

When my lather is right, I will not feel the brush on my face unless i get really aggressive with it. A good lather will be so slick you will hardly feel anything, especially if it's a warm lather.

 

[Antique Hoosier]

I am having a hard time making myself "love" my experience with a shaving brush.

Any thoughts?

My thoughts are that you are going to save alot of $$$$$.

 

[BlackBard]

I've never tried Zirh, so I have no way to compare. I have used a brush with soap for so long that I do not want to change my morning ritual. Even with creams, I still like to face lather with my brush. It's the experience of working the lather into my beard that appeals to me.

 

[jakespoppy]

Yes, always do what works best for you and your face.

But, it's worth experimenting to see if you can make other tools and products work better. I've enjoyed using brushless creams, but also enjoy using the brushes with soaps and creams, and use a brush almost exclusively now. One technique that work for me is making a rich, thick slick lather with a high water content, and after applying it to my face, wetting my hand and applying lather to my hand then rubbing my lathered hand over my face to make sure the lather on my face is wet, slick and well covered. I reapply lather between passed with my hand, again to ensure it's wet and slick and completely covered.

But again, do what works best for you and enables you to most enjoy your shaves.

 

[HoratioCaine]

Personally, I'll never go back to brushless. The few times I've tried since embracing brush shaving, I'm reminded why I embraced brush shaving. I agree with the others, though, that if you prefer brushless, stick with brushless. However, just so you can really know what you're giving up, I would suggest trying face lathering, since it seem evident you're using a bowl. It might not make a difference in terms of how you feel, but to me, I get way better lather when I generate it directly on the face than when using a bowl. Second, the enjoyment of using a brush has at least something to do with the kind of brush one uses. What kind are you using? Maybe an upgrade is in order*.

* Beware: this is actually a good reason to go brushless; if you start looking for better brushes in an attempt to find one that works for you, you'll be starting down the very expensive road of SBAD.

 

[DirtyDave]

It's your shave. At the proverbial end of the day, who cares. If you prefer the brushless cream, go for it.

I like an old standby, Barbasol Brushless. Never got less than excellent results with it. Right now I am having too much fun with the brush, though.

 

[Dave Deluxe]

When I first started here, not that long ago, I thought the experience was predominately about the razor. I was wrong. The wet shaving experience is more about the brush & lather than nearly anything else.

DD

 

[Slivovitz]

What everybody else said about doing what works best for you. Personally, I love using a brush, and can't see going back to brushless. Even with a brushless cream like Cremo, I get better results when I use a brush, and of course, with soaps, you need one.

On the other hand, I almost always face lather. I tried bowl lathering just to convince myself that I know how to do it, and it does work, but for me, face lathering is just better.

 

[SRock]

I found that a brush was the only way to go for me. It was apparent early on in my journey that I'd always be a brush shaver. However, you gotta do what works for you!

 

[boomer56]

I personally can't imagine going back to a place without brushes, but that doesn't mean you can't be happy there.

I'd suggest, before you abandon them, that you try heating them up in warm water for at least 3 minutes before you shave with one. Move in circles, which should raise your whiskers...

But if you just don't like them, well, such is life, I shaved with my fingers for longer than I'd care to admit...

Boomer