Circular motions whe creating lather

[pianoforte]

Apologies if this is a silly question.
I have just received a lovely new Shavemac 177 brush and am keen to take care of it.
When researching brushes i read the following on the advice column of kentbrushes.com:

The definitive way to whip up a thick lather and protect the life of your shaving brush is to flick your brush back and forth across the soap bowl. Do not be tempted to only go around in circles! Bristle is very fine, badger bristle even more so, and if you whip up a lather by going round and round in circles everyday, week after week and month after month the individual strands of bristle will get wound tighter and tighter. Eventually this would cause them to snap and fall out. So if you are to take away one crucial piece of advice on prolonging the life of a shaving brush it would be this - whip up a lather by flicking the brush head up and down or side to side and occasionally in circles but NEVER solely in circles! I guarantee this will aid the life of your brush.

Now i find that i get a great lather by using circular motions in my bowl and watching videos on youtube it seems to be a very common way of lathering. So should i desist as above?

Thx.

 

[Graybeard57]

I see no reason to. I go both clockwise and counterclockwise. I doubt it makes a difference.

 

[Mick]

Welcome to B&B

If you have not already done so, stop into the Hall of Fame and tell everyone a little about yourself

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/30-Hall-of-Fame

If you are talking about loading soap onto a brush going round and round (both directions) is the standard method.

If you are talking about making lather in a lather bowl round and around again (both directions and back and forth) are the standard method.

There are shavers who do make their lather right on the soap. I am not one of them so no advise on "how" other than... load your brush and build your lather in a separate lather bowl

 

[Throwaway]

If you read thäter brush instructions they go as far as to tell you that you shouldn't face lather with their brushes.

This is why I think it is better to purchase good inexpensive brushes. Like the Semogue, Omega, Vie-Long etc. You get to "abuse" them as you like without feeling bad about it.

 

[pianoforte]

Thanks for the info, confirmed what i was thinking.

 

[takeshi]

The definitive way to whip up a thick lather and protect the life of your shaving brush is to flick your brush back and forth across the soap bowl. Do not be tempted to only go around in circles! Bristle is very fine, badger bristle even more so, and if you whip up a lather by going round and round in circles everyday, week after week and month after month the individual strands of bristle will get wound tighter and tighter. Eventually this would cause them to snap and fall out. So if you are to take away one crucial piece of advice on prolonging the life of a shaving brush it would be this - whip up a lather by flicking the brush head up and down or side to side and occasionally in circles but NEVER solely in circles! I guarantee this will aid the life of your brush.

Now i find that i get a great lather by using circular motions in my bowl and watching videos on youtube it seems to be a very common way of lathering. So should i desist as above?

You should do whatever works for you. I've never had any problems with using circles to load.

FWIW Shavemac says:
http://www.shavemac.com/handling_n_care.html

Only press your shaving brush lightly onto the soap in circular movements to obtain a good foam for your shave. This is particularly important when you are using a pure badger hair shaving brush.

 

[Marco]

Circles work perfectly fine and are the proper way to proceed both on the surface of the soap and on your face. IMHO.

 

[jazzguy]

I would contact Shavemac and see what they have to say. I would be careful about not pressing down hard with the brush no matter what motion you are using.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I've used circles anytime I make lather, and I do it with all of my brushes. Never had any problems at all doing so, and have been doing this for over 4 years. I don't think I've ever received any instructions with any brush, but if it makes you feel better then follow what they say. I'm sure it won't hurt doing so.

 

[59chop]

This is why I think it is better to purchase good inexpensive brushes. Like the Semogue, Omega, Vie-Long etc. You get to "abuse" them as you like without feeling bad about it.

Precisely, its my brush and I'll get what I get from it, without feeling bad...

 

[oldbluelight]

I recently got a new Vie-Long horsehair brush. In researching horsehair on the forum I found several threads about tangled hair in the center of the brush. Most comments attributed it to circular lathering movements. I load the brush with light circular motions on the soap but I started using predominantly side-to-side motions while bowl lathering. After a few days I found that I was creating just as much and just as nice lather with side-to-side actions punctuated with an occasional sweep around the bowl to incorporate lather built up on the bowl sides. I also have the impression that side-to-side builds lather a little more rapidly than circular motions. The only negative with side-to-side that I've found is a tendency to flick some of the wettest proto-lather out of the bowl so a little care is needed when I begin to make lather. I use light circular motions to apply the lather and finish up with painting strokes to even it all out. Vie-Long had this to say on the brush's box, "....Apply shaving soap in smooth circular movements without exerting excessive pressure on the brush." (My italics) My precautions may be unnecessary but they don't seem to handicap my efficiency.

 

[Throwaway]

I recently got a new Vie-Long horsehair brush. In researching horsehair on the forum I found several threads about tangled hair in the center of the brush. Most comments attributed it to circular lathering movements. I load the brush with light circular motions on the soap but I started using predominantly side-to-side motions while bowl lathering. After a few days I found that I was creating just as much and just as nice lather with side-to-side actions punctuated with an occasional sweep around the bowl to incorporate lather built up on the bowl sides. I also have the impression that side-to-side builds lather a little more rapidly than circular motions. The only negative with side-to-side that I've found is a tendency to flick some of the wettest proto-lather out of the bowl so a little care is needed when I begin to make lather. I use light circular motions to apply the lather and finish up with painting strokes to even it all out. Vie-Long had this to say on the brush's box, "....Apply shaving soap in smooth circular movements without exerting excessive pressure on the brush." (My italics) My precautions may be unnecessary but they don't seem to handicap my efficiency.

You could run a comb through the bristles to prevent any knots from forming. It's mentioned in this article.

http://www.shaving101.com/index.php...sh-basics/70-drying-makes-the-difference.html

 

[njpaddy]

If you followed the instructions of every brush maker, your brush would never leave the box. Use it as you wish and enjoy. It's a shave brush, not rocket science. Remember, it's not irreplaceable.

 

[jarhead]

Clockwise,counterclockwise,across,over,up and down and backaround.
Whatever gets the job done i suppose

 

[celestino]

Do what you like, or just buy enough brushes for a weekly rotation, or monthly rotation. Hee hee.
As long as you are not "mashing" the bristles as you lather, the brush should last you a very long time if it is well made. i doubt most gents have any issues even using circular motions and paint-brush strokes while lathering.
Good luck.

 

[Neognosis]

If I have to pay special attention to how I load and lather with a brush, not face lather with it, and only bowl lather with specific flicking motions, and then comb it to prevent it from tangling, then I don't want it. AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR DAT!

 

[edgerunner]

The direction of motion is not importand when using your brushes. What matters is the applied pressure. If you don't press much bending and breaking the hairs while loading soap and applying lather, the brush is safe.

 

[brucered]

as Boris said, the direction is not important. Clockwise, counter, mixed it up, makes no difference.

I tend to go clockwise on one side of my face and counter on the other, to keep them even, but I'm anal that way.