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Good Lathering Comes in Small Packages

I realize that this post will likely be more an indictment of my lathering technique than of actual brush design, but I've come to the realization that a smaller brush may have some advantages over a larger one.

Granted, my brush experience is limited. I started wetshaving with a bargain-basement Vulfix 2197: pure badger, 19mm knot. Very basic, and effective enough for an introduction, though uninspiring from a quantity- or quality-of-lather standpoint.

A while back I snagged one of the swanky cocobolo-handled Shavemac SMF specialty brushes. Much larger knot (26mm), silvertip badger. This, of course, yielded a qualitative difference in the ability to lather: immense quantities of lather, whether from soap or cream; it's a monster, especially compared to the lowly 2197, and I love it. It's been my go-to brush since I got it back in August-ish of last year.

Problem is, as others have mentioned, larger brushes hold more water. That's what they're for. Holding this much water also means that more cream or soap is required to achieve a good water-product balance. The balance is trickier to maintain (especially in less-humid winter air), and of course one consumes product faster.

In the spirit of experimentation, I recently ordered up a Vulfix 2234. Very similar in size to the 2197 (same bristle length, another 3mm of knot size), but using Super Badger instead of merely Pure.

I'll cut to the punch line: I have been truly impressed with the ease and quality of lather with the 2234 (and, yes, I've revisited the 2197, too, so it's not just that I've gotten better at lather-building). Plenty of lather for the 4 passes-plus-T&C that I do in the morning, it's much easier to maintain my water-product balance, and I find I go through my creams especially a lot slower with the smaller brush.

I'm very pleased, and while I'm definitely going back to the SMF for those gotta-have-luxury shaves, it's getting a good bristle-descumming and being relegated to display duty (at which it excels as well) for the time being.

Has anyone else seen this? I remember hearing back in the day about the downsides of larger brush sizes, but having gone back to a smaller brush I'm truly surprised that such good lather can be had without a quarter-badger's worth of bristles in one's fist.

-Rich

Edit: Here's a pic of all three brushes, for those not familiar:
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L to R: Vulfix 2197, Vulfix 2234, Shavemac SMF.

(Apologies for the image quality, it was taken in low-light conditions and had to be color-corrected to a fare-thee-well.)
 
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Rich,

I have experienced the same thing. My 22mm & 24mm brushes use MUCH less cream than my 30mm to get the same quality of lather.

Since I enjoy using the 30mm brush so much, I have found a way to cheat the system. I will build my lather "base" on a bar of olive oil soap and then drop some cream down into the middle of it. I guess it's somewhat of a poor man's alternative to using so much cream. On the plus side, the soap base allows me (late in the shave) to simple scrub my hand on my face and build up a very thick/gummy lather for the touch and cut.

I can't claim to be the ingenuitor of this technique as I stole it from CAR, but you don't have to use CAR's cube to do this. I purchased a 1000 gram block of Savon de Marseille for a much lower cost, and it performs equally.
 
Rich,

I've been using a Kent BK-12 on and off for about 1 year and a half, mostly with a cake of soap that came with the brush

In December, when I purchased a tub of C&E Nomad to try, my wet-shaving became an enjoyable daily ritual. Then the SCAD/RAD set in.

I picked up a C&E travel brush for a trip I was making and was pretty impressed. I took it out of my travel kit and brought it to work where I shave 2 days a week after an early AM workout.

3 weeks ago, I took my BK-12 to work and brought the travel brush home for daily and week-end use.

I prefer the control the smaller brush gives me. And it also doesn't make nearly the mess as the larger water-holding BK-12 does. :thumbup1:
 
Hey Rich,
For future decisions you may wish to recalibrate some of your dimensions based on Vulfix versus the Classic Website.. The Vulfix 2197 is a 19mm knot versus 20mm. The Vulfix 2234 is a 22mm knot. I was somewhat disappointed when I ordered a #41 from Classic believing it to be a 30mm knot as stated there only to find it somewhat smallish. I later learned that Vulfix manufactures it as a 26mm knot. Just in passing, the SMF cocobolo brush is a 26mm knot.
Below is a photo that makes it kind of obvious:

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From Left to Right
  • Ed. Jagger for C&E (≈26 mm)
  • Vulfix #41 (26 mm)
  • Shavemac SMF (26 mm)
  • Savile Row 3128 (28 mm)
  • Kent BK-12 (≈30 mm)
 
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My mistake, Ron, as you say, ClassicShaving has the 2197 as 20mm. I'll correct my original post.

Must remember--always use primary sources!

-Rich
 
PoshRichM said:
My mistake, Ron, as you say, ClassicShaving has the 2197 as 20mm. I'll correct my original post.

Must remember--always use primary sources!

-Rich
Not your mistake. Classic had several errors. They also had (seems to have been removed) a somewhat misleading statement about the superbadger brushes stating, "Sometimes called Silvertip."
 
Personally.... I out and out dislike large brushes. I have a Simpsons Polo 12 in "silvertip" that I am pretty sure I hate.... it is a nice looking brush (which I suppose is the only reason I haven't gotten rid of it.... yet) but it requires a ton of soap/cream to get going. Now - it isn't so much that the thing wastes cream as it does create a huge mess and is quite unweildly. To me - luxury is not moving a brush acorss your face 2-3 times and being covered to your eyeballs in lather - it is working the lather around your face with the brush, lifting the hairs, and enjoying the experience. The Polo 12 (and other huge brushes) are just so large - you really can't move them around much without covering your eyes/nose, and putting way too much lather on your face. A smaller brush - like my personal favorite a Simpson PJ2, will afford you enough lather for 6 passes, yet also allows you control, and the ability to really built up the lather ON your face and enjoy yourself.

I must say.... I like this PJ2 so much, I have half a mind to sell the polo and buy a PJ1 and PJ3 with the proceeds...
 
Rich,

I had the 30mm SR 241. Loved it the few times I used it, but I realized it was too big for my face. I bought the Best Badger, made by Edwin Jagger from Crabtree & Evelyn and loved it. Not too soft, not too scratchy, and allowed me to work my shaving lather on my face, not just "dab" it on or paint it on. Then I bought a used Vulfix #2234, planning to give it to my son as part of his graduation dopp kit. That's not gonna happen! I've got to get a replacement for that idea. The Vulfix is a bit "floppier" than the C&E, but both are great brushes. Throw in the St. Charles shaving brush and you've got a tiny trio that does a super job! At $35 bucks, I personally believe that the C&E is the better brush, but they are all winners!

Randy
 
joel said:
Personally.... I out and out dislike large brushes. I have a Simpsons Polo 12 in "silvertip" that I am pretty sure I hate.... it is a nice looking brush (which I suppose is the only reason I haven't gotten rid of it.... yet) but it requires a ton of soap/cream to get going. Now - it isn't so much that the thing wastes cream as it does create a huge mess and is quite unweildly. To me - luxury is not moving a brush acorss your face 2-3 times and being covered to your eyeballs in lather - it is working the lather around your face with the brush, lifting the hairs, and enjoying the experience. The Polo 12 (and other huge brushes) are just so large - you really can't move them around much without covering your eyes/nose, and putting way too much lather on your face. A smaller brush - like my personal favorite a Simpson PJ2, will afford you enough lather for 6 passes, yet also allows you control, and the ability to really built up the lather ON your face and enjoy yourself.

I must say.... I like this PJ2 so much, I have half a mind to sell the polo and buy a PJ1 and PJ3 with the proceeds...

Well said!

Randy
 
Did I hear different strokes for different folks? I guess it depends on the velocity and frequency of your brushing..:lol: The larger the brush the more luxurious the lathering experience, unless iof course you buy a shavesheister then its the hairier the experience.
You all seem to be making a case for a lather pencil... Hmmm, just think, you could probably push the lather from the pencil to your face with some kind of propellant! Ahhh... Maybe we can just put some hair (Pick your own fav variety) around the orifice of an aerosol can and... No! No! No! It's too terrible to even think about.:yikes:
 
I started out with a col. conk 22mm knot pure badger brush that worked just fine. I then bought a Savile Row 26mm knot super badger, feeling I owed myself the step up in quality. Long story short, I had the same experience as the original poster. I went back and tried my col. conk, just for ****s and giggles, and haven't looked back. I sold the Savile Row. I think the stiffer bristles of the pure badger make it easier to lather (with little sacrifice in comfort), and the smaller, yet still very adequate size provides good coverage and is much more nimble.

Drew
 
I'm loathe to post on this topic as I'm still pretty new here, but after reading all of the posts above I'm rethinking my plan to "move up" from my "small but mighty" Savile Row 101, which I believe has a 20mm knot. I feel like I have good control with this brush, and that the slightly stiffer bristles make it easier to whip up a lather.

So far, I really like this brush--I look forward to using it each morning, either for a quick, "out the door" shave, or for a leisurely, luxury shave.
 
mrob,

Don't get the wrong idea--there's nothing so luxurious as a massive brush crammed with the best badger hair out there. It's outstanding at creating bowlsful of lather, and feels transcendent on the face. It can be a big part of the spa-like fun of the thing. As I mentioned, my Shavemac SMF will still be getting used when I just have to have that luxury.

And there are many, many shavers out there (Ron chief among them) who swear by big brushes. By all means, try one--you may love it!

-Rich
 
A new, larger brush will have to wait for a while--my recent purchases have been in the shave cream and after shave areas, while I focus my attention on learning how to use the new razor, a Merkur Vision. This thing requires my full attention and good technique, or I pay. When I do it right the shave is like glass, however.

I do appreciate the advice on brushes I'm getting here--for a while I was feeling like I had "cheaped out" on the SR101, but I've come to appreciate it for what it is--a good, reliable, serviceable brush, and a good choice for a novice in terms of bristle strength and solid build.
 
mrob said:
A new, larger brush will have to wait for a while--my recent purchases have been in the shave cream and after shave areas, while I focus my attention on learning how to use the new razor, a Merkur Vision. This thing requires my full attention and good technique, or I pay. When I do it right the shave is like glass, however.

Smart decision, mrob. When making a drastic change to one part of your set-up, it can definitely help to keep the other facets in place so that you're only learning/perfecting one new thing at a time.
 
Luxurious is a good word for when I'm using my SMFII, but I do not want to give up my small, prickly no-name badger brush I got with a set just like zacharydz's. I don't know the knot size on it, but it is the same size as a Burma Shave brush from the drug store/Walmart (tiny). It holds its heat well, and whips up lather on a soap faster than anything. I think my Omega bristle might be seeing some neglect now, that I have these 2 badgers to cover every contingency.

I guess all that is left to try now is a Super grade badger brush. But I doubt I will, since it is in-between the soft silvertip and prickly pure. I prefer to be a night and day kinda guy.
 
I just used my new Simpsons Special for the first time. I love it! It's a smaller brush, but boy can it make and hold a lather. Here are some pics.

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Brand new!

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After the first shave. I was really pissed when the Simpsons label slid down the drain when I rinsed out the brush.

This is a densely packed brush, and the second image does a better job of showing the color. I find the balance between softness and firmness to be great.
 
Ben:

Cool looking little brush and seems to be quite the bargain.

The Simpson's sticker fell off my Duke 2 the very first time I used it! On the other hand, My Polo 8 sticker is still intact after 6 weeks! Go figure.
 
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