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Brushes Raise the Stubble - I disagree

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
One oft touted quality of brush with soap is that it raises the stubble or stands the whiskers up. I just don't see it. At least in the event of a daily shaver.

The stubble is so short it probably in all actuality can't be bent and even if lifted, is only done so temporarily and then it snaps back into place. Probably especially true of us older dudes with wire whiskers.

If any of you get noticeable whisker raising, please share how many days of growth and if your whiskers are soft, stiff, whatever.
 
I think this more the effect of the alkaline soap
a) getting rid of skin oil
b) firming up the skin and the hair follicles within

Naturally the effect is enhanced by a good brush massaging the facial skin vs just patting down canned foam with your fingers.
 
excellent and timely post. I've been considering this very concept recently and have come to the conclusion that shaving brushes may in fact play a role for the hairs to elevate by depositing materials, in our case water, soap, microscopic air bubbles, at the base of the hair. I also think the finer the tip of the brush, the more efficiently it will be able to get to the base of the stubble. I also believe pre shave oils also play a role in this by plumping up the hairs, thus causing them to swell and elevate from the surface of the skin.
 
I think another thing a brush does, is help get the lather around the base of the hair. If you have long stubble, using a brush helps spread the lather out better than just using your hand.

Of course YMMV, but I like using a brush just for the pleasure of it. :001_tongu
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
Of course YMMV, but I like using a brush just for the pleasure of it.
I think for me it's mostly that rather than it really does anything special vis a vis prepping the whiskers. If I shaved with 3 or more days growth, then I could see some of the lifting, etc.
 
I don't think it does, either, and short of an electron microscope proving otherwise, I'll stick with it.

But then again, I've never felt the need to debate the issue. If someone wants to believe that a shaving brush is going to significantly raise a hair reputed to have the tensile strength of thin brass wire, that's okay.

I bowl lather, but I spend a good portion of the shave working that same lather over my face with a brush. I find it relaxing!
 
One oft touted quality of brush with soap is that it raises the stubble or stands the whiskers up. I just don't see it. At least in the event of a daily shaver.
I cannot see that either. Any percieved softening must be the cushioning effect of the lather. :popc:
 
I agree with the hair lifting, but the brush does two other things. It exfoliates if it is used to swirl the lather as opposed to painting it on. Secondly, if just feels great.
 
I could maybe see the lather adding minimal support if the growth was less perpendicular to the skin. The growth on my neck is like this. Although the hair would have to be fairly long...much longer than 24, 48 or even 96 hours growth and very dense lather. Even so, I still doubt it would affect the shave much.

Lubricating the skin and hair is the only fundamental purpose of a lather. Some people use words like "cushion" and "protection", but I believe this perceived protection to simply be a product of a well lubricated surface.
 
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Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
Some people use words like "cushion" and "protection", but I believe this perceived protection to simply be a product of a well lubricated surface.
I tend to agree. Protection in all likely hood is from the slickness. Cushion - if a soap is of thick consistency, it can, especially with razors with small gap or blade exposure tend to float the razor a bit, so I can see that also being called protection.

To my way of thinking though, if I have control over my razor, all I need is some slickness, I can handle the amount of pressure myself and I don't need lather to keep me from getting a nick.

This is probably one reason I get along well with several of the thin lather-less products like Dr. Carvers or Billy Jealousy. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the brush as well and use it more often than not.
 
I tend to agree. Protection in all likely hood is from the slickness. Cushion - if a soap is of thick consistency, it can, especially with razors with small gap or blade exposure tend to float the razor a bit, so I can see that also being called protection.

To my way of thinking though, if I have control over my razor, all I need is some slickness, I can handle the amount of pressure myself and I don't need lather to keep me from getting a nick.

This is probably one reason I get along well with several of the thin lather-less products like Dr. Carvers or Billy Jealousy. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the brush as well and use it more often than not.
I might like to try those. What is the full name of the products?
 
I definitely get a better shave and a closer one from using a brush. Why not experiment a little, use the same soap and face lather one time and see what you get when your done. Then the next day bowl lather and use the lather out of the bowl by hand instead of brushing on and see what the result is with that shave. Then you can accurately say that a brush helps or does nothing to assist in a shave.

Larry
 
People say this? I just thought the point of the brush was to load soap/cream better than you can do with your hands and actually work into a lather without getting it everywhere. Obviously, if you vigorously rub gel/cream into your face with your hands it'll do the same thing as a brush. Marketing gimmick is all this is
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
People say this? I just thought the point of the brush was to load soap/cream better than you can do with your hands and actually work into a lather without getting it everywhere. Obviously, if you vigorously rub gel/cream into your face with your hands it'll do the same thing as a brush. Marketing gimmick is all this is

You are right. The brush works better than the hands and I think it is marketing or non experienced shavers writing articles with links to products.

You, you will see it in beginner shaving type articles and in brush descriptions and so on and then you may hear it parrotted in videos and forum posts.

"Optimizing Hairs for Shaving!

The motion of the shaving brush on the face also gently lifts the hairs. As it builds lather, the brushing effect moves the hairs so that they are not only at the best possible angle for the razor to shave but also at the maximum length. This lifting effect, along with the softening that the soapy lather has created, gets a much closer shave." From the site below


and a little less hyperbole
 
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