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:
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.)
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:
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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