brush question

[bill mcdill]

Please excuse this if it is in a thread somewhere but I couldn't find it.

My question is what are the distinct characteristics of various size brush lofts? I am expecting an old Ever Ready that I bought off the 'bay and want to try my hand at restoring. However, I am not sure what replacement knot to buy, would like to know how differences in loft effect the performance and usefulness in generating lather.

 

[Suzuki]

Check out the brush thread, there are some excellent guides there (stickies at the top of the page).

As a rule, here are my thoughts:

1) Loft/Height - Taking two knots of the same density, the brush with the higher loft will be floppier (not a bad thing, just different) and even a few mm of height makes a difference. Folks who use soaps and/or face lather typically prefer a shorter loft - 50mm is about average and is a good all-rounder. Shorter lofts are better for soaps/face lathering, longer lofts are better for creams/bowl lathering.

2) Density - the more dense the knot is packed, the firmer the brush will be. Most guys tend to prefer a knot on the denser side, as a loose knot will be floppy.

3) Size - entirely a matter of preference 20 to 23 mm is about average and a good place to start in my book. If you go much below 18, the brush might seem to small, if you go too big, lathering off a puck/face lathering can get messy. Since you're rehandling a brush, you'll have to use a knot that fits into the existing hole.

My suggestion is that, unless you know whether you like soaps more than creams or lathering on your face vs. in a bowl, you should stick to something middle of the road - say 50 - 52mm in height and whatever size fits. Make sure you get a knot that is well-packed, as this will serve you well regardless of your preferences.

Hope this helps.

 

[bill mcdill]

exactly what I wanted to know. I still haven't got the brush yet so I don't know what the knot size is.