What's new

Brush problem - Thoughts and advice...

I currently have a Rooney 1/2 in super that I acquired here on B&B through the BST. Great brush, and doesn't shed at all.

I use both creams and soaps and I've recently gotten into using soaps, and the Rooney excels at this.

I have been watching various vids into my foray into straight shaving and notice the guys who lather have copious amounts that they are able to effortlessly get onto their face. I bowl lather, and when I try and do this, particularly after the first pass I have to squeeze the Rooney to be able to extract lather. I've tried swirling the brush on my face to encourage lather, and while it does, once again its at the bottom of the brush. :glare:

Also after squeezing the lather out, placing it back on the brush, the brush simply seems to remove the volume of lather from one part of my face to other with each paint stroke? (hope that makes sense, it simply relocates the lather volume without leaving it from where I originally started)

However I'm curious to find out if a slightly floppier brush would cure this? Or is it my technique?

If a slightly floppier brush is the consensus can you please offer a recommendation? Or if its my technique can you please offer me some tips?

Thanks
 
My first thought is you may not be using enough water and/or soap. The 1/2 is pretty dense. I had to learn "how to use" mine as at the time of purchase it was by far my most dense brush. Assuming you load the brush with enough soap, try adding a little more water than you'd normally feel comforatable with. After some vigorous lathering, I'll bet you'll see an improvement and the lather sucked in by the brush will be matched by the lather in your bowl. Let us know how it goes and good luck! :thumbup1:
 
Two thoughts come to mind. First, check your lather to make sure it is not too thin. I find that if the lather is too thin the lather gets pushed down towards the knot and on to my hand rather than on my face. The second possibility is that you are pressing too hard with the brush while applying the lather to your face.
 
I always face-lather with my 1/2 Super. By the third and forth pass, I have plenty of lather left, but it all seems to be deep inside the brush. Typically, I dip the tips of the brush in some water and start the face-lathering process again. This usually draws the existing lather out and seems to be good as a "re-prep" of the face.

All that said, I go through phases when I think "I may just sell that Rooney." :001_rolle
 
I always face-lather with my 1/2 Super. By the third and forth pass, I have plenty of lather left, but it all seems to be deep inside the brush. Typically, I dip the tips of the brush in some water and start the face-lathering process again. This usually draws the existing lather out and seems to be good as a "re-prep" of the face.

All that said, I go through phases when I think "I may just sell that Rooney." :001_rolle

And replace it with? :blink:
 
And replace it with? :blink:

I wouldn't replace it. I have a Boreal 976 (very firm and dense), a Semogue 1305 (sweet) and my Grandfather's Rubberset loaded with a Golden Nib Finest knot.

Give the Rooney some time, though. As Texbilly said, it can take a while to "learn" how to use a brush with this much density. I found that once you get past the initial break in, there's a second "break in" that happens after 200-250 shaves. Crazy, huh? At least that's what happened with mine.

Don't get me wrong, I still love it. Sometimes I just feel like having four brushes is a bit ridiculous. :tongue_sm
 
Top Bottom