do I need a stiffer brush?

[Micheal Halliday]

OK I have a parker "Pure Badger Shaving Brush from Parker"
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170814843797&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160

I find that when lathering my face, it work better if I hold it actually a the base of the bristles, in effect making the brush stiffer.....

Common technique?

 

[infotech]

Yes, that is a very common technique with brushes that have high lofts. For a while, I actually used a hair band wrapped around the bottom of my Kent Bk4.

 

[RVshave]

I found that I like the lower lofts for face lathering because I like knots in the 22 to 24 mm range, so I like my lofts 52 or less, YMMV, I believe larger knots can be too stiff if the loft is too short. Other more experienced gents will chime in with more expert opinions.

 

[Bad Robot]

The loft on that brush looks pretty high. I prefer a lower loft for face lathering. Gripping the base is a good way to get the flop under control on a higher loft. In the long run you may prefer a lower loft for face lathering. To be honest you'll likely end up buying a few brushes and working out your preferences over time.

 

[deruitem]

It is common, I dont know if I would say stiffer though. A shorter loft and more density would work better IMO. Pure badger is very stiff, I would not go with a short lofted dense pure badger hair way to much scritch (very scratchy). Just my thoughts

 

[Useless shaver]

A shorter loft and more density would work better IMO.

+1

 

[oscar11]

I tend to like shorter lofted brushes. I'm thinking about doing a 28mm Shavemac Silver Tip and starting out with a 52mm loft and adjusting from there. No real rules to this stuff but not a bad rule of thumb is a 2/1 ratio (knot dia x 2) as a starting place. Of course other things factor in too such as hair type, knot shape, personal preference, etc.

 

[Icebear]

It all depends on the so called backbone of the hair type.

A stronger hair will not bend to the side on pressure when wet and loaded with soap. Such a hair type (e.g. 2-band badger) will in most cases not be as soft as a silvertip 3-band but it is more suitable for face lathering.

Softer hairs will need to be set deeper into the handle i.e. shorter loft, otherwise they will splay open completely when used in a circular motion on the face. When a brush is so soft, you can more or less only do the painterly style coating of the skin with the foam. Such a soft brush is generally more suitable for bowl lathering as they provide a good whisk effect to create a lot of lather.

 

[Doryferon]

I find that when lathering my face, it work better if I hold it actually a the base of the bristles, in effect making the brush stiffer.....

An O-Ring will do the job
Will restrict excess knot "blooming" and your grip will be normal again.