I just purchased a new Whipped Dog 30mm silvertip brush. I had it set the 10mm lower, which would make the loft 45 I believe. From the feel of it (after soaking a bit), I really liked that it was substantial. It was also incredibly soft. I've used it on my face and head twice each, and I haven't quite figured it out. It is incredibly firm, and it doesn't feel like it's very effective. The lather mainly accumulates around the edge of the knot, and doesn't really build up on my face. Every other brush I've tried I would have the knot splay a bit to get some friction and scrub a bit. Am i just needing to let this brush loosen up a bit? Have I been doing it wrong all along? Is the loft a bit too low, and 50 would be a bit better?
having trouble lathering with new 30mm brush
- Thread starter menghai
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45mm, IMO, is pretty low for a knot as substantial as a 30mm. I have one set at 50mm or just above and it is plenty firm at that loft.
If this is your first big knot? Keep in mind that you have to feed those beasts a lot more product than you are used to. Load the soap for a long time and then keep loading it. Hopefully that helps.
In the mean time, this is all hypothetical, since there are no pictures of the brush, it didn't happen
If this is your first big knot? Keep in mind that you have to feed those beasts a lot more product than you are used to. Load the soap for a long time and then keep loading it. Hopefully that helps.
In the mean time, this is all hypothetical, since there are no pictures of the brush, it didn't happen
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- #3
45mm, IMO, is pretty low for a knot as substantial as a 30mm. I have one set at 50mm or just above and it is plenty firm at that loft.
If this is your first big knot? Keep in mind that you have to feed those beasts a lot more product than you are used to. Load the soap for a long time and then keep loading it. Hopefully that helps.
In the mean time, this is all hypothetical, since there are no pictures of the brush, it didn't happen
Pics to come, for sure. This is my biggest knot so far. I have a couple of Semogue boars that are 22mm, my other whipped dog is 20 or 22. I do have a Vie Long horse that is 24 or 25. I tried to load more, but it's just the face feel and the effectiveness. I feel like the quality of the lather is excellent, but it seems to be much quicker with all my other brushes. With the rest lather builds on my face, and I paint with the brush a bit at the end to even it out. With this 30mm, I feel like the brush is squeeging off most of the lather, and I have to use the brush to flop some the right place then paint it on.
It takes some getting getting accustomed to.
Also I have noticed some badger brushes tend to not release lather very well at first. Or maybe it's still part of getting accustomed to.
Don't worry. You and the Beast will figure it out and you'll love it.
Personally though, I love lots of loft. I set my WD 30 at 58 mm, and I have ordered a knot and another WD 30 mm handle that will leave it 70 mm. The knot must be on a slow boat from China.
Also I have noticed some badger brushes tend to not release lather very well at first. Or maybe it's still part of getting accustomed to.
Don't worry. You and the Beast will figure it out and you'll love it.
Personally though, I love lots of loft. I set my WD 30 at 58 mm, and I have ordered a knot and another WD 30 mm handle that will leave it 70 mm. The knot must be on a slow boat from China.
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- #5
My other Whipped Dog is a 20mm I think, and is set at 55. It's awful floppy, which I can usually manage. I liked the idea of a bigger knot, because that Vie Long horse I had was more like 24 or 25. I'm wondering if the 30 is substantial enough that even at 55mm, it would still be a lot firmer than the 20mm? Right now this 30mm is almost unusable. I do hope it's just a matter of breaking it in, although my suspicion is the loft is just too low.
It certainly is.
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- #7
Just used it again. It seems a very bulb shape, and that the whole brush isn't really "working" for me. That's why it feels inefficient. I'm thinking the higher lofted brushes I've used weren't as dense at those lofts, and I was able to smash my way around, flopping the brush how I needed it. 
Lets see a pic of that fat badger...
As for the working dynamics of the brush I would recommend hand lathering at least 20 times in a span of 10 days or more after soaking in hot water. Dry - Soak - Relather - Repeat. Be ruthless with it...smash the head of the brush in a hard soap while loading the brush, do paint movements, do round movements...basically the whole shindig. This will help loosen the backbone and break-in the brush.
This is what I did with my 30mm FS and it helped a lot. Hope it will be helpful for you as well.
As for the working dynamics of the brush I would recommend hand lathering at least 20 times in a span of 10 days or more after soaking in hot water. Dry - Soak - Relather - Repeat. Be ruthless with it...smash the head of the brush in a hard soap while loading the brush, do paint movements, do round movements...basically the whole shindig. This will help loosen the backbone and break-in the brush.
This is what I did with my 30mm FS and it helped a lot. Hope it will be helpful for you as well.
That's just too low of a loft.
I have a 24mm Whipped Dog set to that loft (45mm) and it's about 5mm too low. I would probably leave a 30mm knot at the stock 55mm at least.
I also had a 20mm set to 55mm and it was too floppy. That one would want about 45mm loft.
Maybe see if Larry can exchange it for you?
I have a 24mm Whipped Dog set to that loft (45mm) and it's about 5mm too low. I would probably leave a 30mm knot at the stock 55mm at least.
I also had a 20mm set to 55mm and it was too floppy. That one would want about 45mm loft.
Maybe see if Larry can exchange it for you?
i would concur that the loft is way to low. for comparison, the rooney stubby 3xl has a 30mm knot and a 53mm loft, and the sipmson chubby 3 has a 31mm knot with a 56mm loft. the stubby i have and the chubby i had had good backbone, and i can't imagine either brush being very useful with a loft of 45mm, but ymmv, but it doesn't sound like it does.
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- #11
I'd feel like a chump asking him to exchange it. It was my fault and nobody else's. My 20/55 is a bit floppy like yours. I'll try manhandling it over the course of a week, and see if I can get it to loosen up.
Well see if he can re-use the handle maybe? I guess it's probably not worth the cost of shipping.
There's a small chance that you'd be able to steam the brush to remove the knot to re-set it. The odds are that the knot would get damaged, but at least you would be able to order a new knot and set it to the right height.
Here's a thread where you can see the brush set to stock height
There's a small chance that you'd be able to steam the brush to remove the knot to re-set it. The odds are that the knot would get damaged, but at least you would be able to order a new knot and set it to the right height.
Here's a thread where you can see the brush set to stock height
If all else fails, maybe some careful work with a dremel can cut down the top 5mm of the handle without hurting the knot. Since the knot is sunk so deep down into the handle, this shouldn't affect the stability of the knot at all and will give you a pretty nice brush to use.
