Gel tips

[GA Gator]

What are Gel tips? Is that a generic term for finest or silver tips which clump together and have a gel like consistency to them? Or is that term specific to a manufacturer, I have seen Rooney brushes described as having gel tips.

I recently got one of Vintage Blades house brands (see thread below) and the tips clump together after being soaked and when felt with a finger tip have a gel like consistency. Although the brush does have some scrub to it during lathering.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...r-in-the-Brush-Biz-Vintage-Blades-Brand/page7

 

[coolbus18]

I have a VB brush also. About those tips. When dry if you look closely at the tips of the hair, you'll notice they kind of hook and the tips are thinner than the shaft of hair. So when it gets soaked, those fine end tips unfurl and feel very soft indeed. My TGN finest (which I love) although soft, does not go gel like upon soaking. Also the various definition of types of badger hair varies from maker to maker. I hope that helps.

 

[mattdenicola]

Yup, what he said.

Except that my TGN finest definitely has what I would describe as gel tips. I'm not saying it is the same thing as a Rooney, but it surely has a very similar gel feeling to the tips. There is some variability to their knots as they change from time to time, but my knot has it.

 

[brooks_bro]

Gel Tips - sort of like Rack And Peanut Steering?

 

[lurker4life]

As already said perfectly, when the hooked hairs become wet, they have an almost gel like feel to the tips. When I first picked up a Shavemac and wasn't familiar with gel tips, I figured that I could never get the soap out because the tips felt too smooth to be normal.

 

[franz]

I think of that term as specific to a varietal of Rooney Heritage hair (most typical in the Stubby XL series) that is unfortunately no longer produced, as far as I know.

 

[edgerunner]

I think of that term as specific to a varietal of Rooney Heritage hair (most typical in the Stubby XL series) that is unfortunately no longer produced, as far as I know.

+1
Once I tried one of those old Rooney 2-band brushes, I realized nothing else was 'gel-like'.

 

[mblakele]

Here is a magnified image of TGN finest hair, and one of Rooney finest.



These are not the best images in the world, but I think the hooked tips on the TGN finest are fairly clear. The gel-like effect is dramatic, presumably because those hooked tips do not poke into the skin. Meanwhile the Rooney finest has straight tips, which seem to give the Rooney finest its notorious scritch.

I also have an older Rooney Super with a mix of hooked and straight tips. It dries with some clumps, but the effect is not nearly as pronounced as with the TGN finest.

 

[Merkur25]

My Thater 2-Band brush has nothing but split and hooked ends. It is heavenly!

 

[melyus]

My TGN finest 2 band fan gel like brush.
Wet=gel like
Dry = crispy hooked badger

 

[Danricgro]

My TGN finest 2 band fan gel like brush.
Wet=gel like
Dry = crispy hooked badger

Those pictures look just like my Thater 2 band. Softest brush I own.

 

[Merkur25]

Those pictures look just like my Thater 2 band. Softest brush I own.

Agree 110% !!!!!!

 

[rand77]

My Shavemac Finest and Custom Rodney Neep is kind of like the above as well. The Shavemacs tips are curled when dry and have a fair bit of scritch to them (the Rodney Neep is soft when dry). However when both brushes are wet the tips clump together and become EXTREMELY soft.

 

[Emcphers]

I have had a few tgn finest brushes, only one with the hooked gel tips that congeal when wet. It was a mistake to sell it, 26mm in a beautiful ER green/black handle...

 

[oldtrout]

Agree 110% !!!!!!

As do I.

 

[lt114]

I think of that term as specific to a varietal of Rooney Heritage hair (most typical in the Stubby XL series) that is unfortunately no longer produced, as far as I know.

+2
For me it's the combination of that specific type of Rooney Heritage hair combined with the extraordinary density of the old XL brushes. My gel tip 2XL and newer 3XL are quite different from one another.