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Favourite/Best brush to face lather with?

Folks,

I discovered face lathering last night, and dont think i'll ever go back to the bowl. Which is a shame given the nice scuttle i have :001_rolle

I'm interested what brushes people think are the best for this technique, but i would ike to know the answer EXCLUDING ROONEY Brushes. This is only because im not a fan, and im in the market for a new brush but not from Rooney.

I dont like scritchy by the way....

Many thanks
 
Firstly, why are you not a fan of Rooney?

If you are UK based then I understand your frustration of trying to get hold of the brushes. The UK vendors carry very limited stock (ironic) and don't seem to bother listing loft sizes or know the difference between Super and Silvertip, or bother to reply to emails....

Anyway, vendors aside, I've owned a few Rooneys, even different copies of the same model and grade, and they have all been different, and sometimes quite different to those samples reviewed on the forums.

I have a Stubby 2 which is excellent, if a bit overpriced, and it hasn't lost one hair. On the other hand, all my other Rooneys have shed, as have my Vulfix Simpsons.

The thing to remember is that most quality brushes are handmade using natural materials so there is bound to be some variation in knot shape, loft, hair gauge, softness, etc, no matter which brand you buy.

Anyway....

You can face lather with any brush. I don't buy the argument that you need a small, short loft, stiff brush to achieve this.

It's all personal preference in terms of what type of face feel you want. If you want a scrubby massage, get a shorter loft brush. If you want soft, pillowy feel, get a longer lofted Silvertip.

Bear in mind that if you're lathering on the face and doing multiple passes, going for BBS, you may find stiffer/denser/scrubbier brushes uncomfortable after the second or third pass. I recommend going for a softer (but not floppy) brush.

If you are not using a bowl, you want the brush to hold enough lather for 3-4 passes without having to reload. For this you need a medium sized brush. I find the small brushes usually recommended for face lathering way too small (1/1, Chubby 1, etc). The handles are also very difficult to hold and you end up with lather all over your hand.

I recommend the Tulip T2 or T3 Super - nice size, nice handle, very comfortable on the face even after multiple passes.

The Duke is also nice but the Best hair can feel a little prickly at times, and even the 3 feels a little small in terms of multi-pass lather holding ability.

Regards,

John

EDIT: If your wallet can take it, get two-band hair if you want a good backbone and massage but soft tips.
 
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There is great value in a brush from Penchetta. I have one of their knots (Golden Nib-Finest) in my grandfather's old RubberSet handle: it face lathers like a dream (even with MWF).
 
I tend to agree that Rooney has this market cornered. As sad as it is there doesn't seem to be another manufacturer making such quality soap brushes.
 
My favorite brush for face feel during lathering is my Rooney 3/1 super silvertip.

I felt the same way until...

I agree, I have a Rooney 1/2 super and it's exactly that.

This happened...a 1/2 in Finest. I need no other brush.

Unless you have issues with politics behind Rooney's business practices or something, I see no reason to exclude them from your choices. Is there a particular reason WHY? Have you tried one? That said, Simpson's two bands are great as well.
 
It's kinda like hating the Yankees if you are a Red Sox fan. It's just something that happens. You don't need a reason.

Maybe the germans can help, a Shavemac perhaps? I have been looking at two other brushes recently: A Simpsons and a Shavemac. I am interested in your outcome. I don't have anything to add really since all I have are Rooneys and recently a Semogue. Which for 18 bucks doesn't feel scritchy at all.
 
Folks,

I discovered face lathering last night, and dont think i'll ever go back to the bowl. Which is a shame given the nice scuttle i have :001_rolle

I'm interested what brushes people think are the best for this technique, but i would ike to know the answer EXCLUDING ROONEY Brushes. This is only because im not a fan, and im in the market for a new brush but not from Rooney.

I dont like scritchy by the way....

Many thanks


The Semogue LE 2009, or as this one has sold out, the Semogue 2000.
 
Yeah, i probably phrased that wrong. I guess its because its hard to get Rooney brushes in the UK and the vendors in the UK that do offer them are less than fun to deal with.

But also because i know you all love your Rooneys, so i was trying to guage beyond those what people liked
 

Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
Next to a number of brushes I made myself, I use a Rooney 1/1 from T+H - that is for me the of the best brushes for face lathering. From the brushes I made for myself and for a few others here, I like the 18 mm and 20 mm Silvertip A knots and the 20 and 22 mm Finest knots the most - perfect sizes for the face.
 
I tend to agree that Rooney has this market cornered. As sad as it is there doesn't seem to be another manufacturer making such quality soap brushes.

HA! This is a joke, right?

I only face lather soaps. I suggest a Custom Shavemac with a 45 to 50mm loft (I like 45mm and would consider 40mm if you go with Finest), whatever handle and diameter knot you fancy, and have it made with either Finest or D01 hair. D01 if you have a bundle of money to spend. Otherwise, Finest is great. See my signature below for more info. Both my Custom Shavemacs have not shed a single hair. That's quality in my book.

-Andy
 
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