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Help understanding lather flow through

I have all the different types of brushes, but badger hair is by far my favorite. Because I like to face lather 99% of the time backbone, soft tips, brush size are all important, but I have found that lather flow through is my #1 priority. My problem is I don’t know what makes a brush have good FT.

I have heard high density brushes tend not to have good FT and my Maggard SHD does not. My SV high mountain white Manchurian also does not. I have 3 Shavemac 2 band fans where the 22mm is great, the 24mm is good and the 26mm is not good. The Shavemac 2 band bulb is not good. My Simpson Duke 2&3 best and the Classic 2 best have the best FT of all of my brushes.

I would like to know what makes good FT in a badger brush. When I get the urge for a new brush, what can I look for to predict good FT?
 
Excellent question! I don't have the knowledge to answer, but am hoping someone will come along to help us understand.
 
I have not experienced great flow through as knot size and loft increases. I have some larger knots that are dense and others not so much, and their flow through cannot match that of my smaller brushes with their lesser lofts. I believe loft plays a very large role in a brushes ability to allow the lather to flow through easily, probably more than how tightly packed with hair the knot is or the type of hair. I have not noticed a considerable difference in FT of any larger sized brushes 26mm+ regardless of the hair type or density of the knot. Two bands seem slightly better, I guess, but definitely not by much that it should be a deciding factor in buying the more highly coveted hair at higher prices. Face feel is most important to me. Nobody with a big honking knot is worried about conserving shave soap, so load like you hate it and you'll have no trouble building a great lather regardless of your brushes FT properties.
 
I'd say you're more likely to get better flow-through with smaller knots that are not very densely packed. Denser bristles do have some advantages in face feel but they tend to trap lather in the base of the knot. You'll need to tolerate at least a bit of flop because that helps the knot release the lather.

The current fashion on the board seems to be huge knots that are very dense with a lot of backbone. You might need to swim against the tide. You don't really require a huge knot, even doing three face-lathering passes.
 
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I think small differences in the knot can have an effect.
These knots are quite similar. The Yellow one does not release well, while the other one does just fine.
The yellow one is seated a little deeper, which makes a difference, at least with this knot.
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My old Duke 2 had particularly good flow through, as does a 21mm Maggard 2 band that I put in an old handle. It may be true, as a few others have noted, that as you move to bigger and denser brushes, one of the things you give up is great flow through. That said, it has stopped being a priority for me. Quite a while ago, I started simply running the brush in the crook between my thumb and forefinger to release the lather onto the back of my hand. It was a trick I remembered from an Italian barber when I was a youngster (a very, very long time ago!). I then pick up the lather with the tips of the brush from the back of my hand and apply it to my face. It has become so second nature to me that I haven't really thought about flow through for a long time.
 
For my denser badger brushes I feel like I need to load a bit more to get good flow through, but can get there just as well. For that I don't really prefer a super dense knot.
 
For my denser badger brushes I feel like I need to load a bit more to get good flow through, but can get there just as well. For that I don't really prefer a super dense knot.
Agree with this. The worse the flow through the more product you need to pick up to make enough lather for the brush to eat and the rest is able to freely move. I think that if you're stingy with your soaps the best bet is stick with smaller knots around 22-23 mm and preferably thicker 2 band hair- less product wasted and great flow through.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I bowl lather and by just looking at what lather quality and amount that is in the bowl when brush generating lather I know I have enough lather made to have a nice shave. Flow-through has to do with knot size & density + length of loft knot ratio . There is a sweet spot for any brush for ideal lathering and releasing of lather to face. If a person gets 3 passes of lather on his face from his brush they have loaded properly I would suggest the brush is working well in releasing the lather. Short lofted brushes I would bowl lather and no need to worry about not having enough lather to shave comfortably IMO. Short lofted brushes are designed more for folks who like to scrub their coarse beards IMO.
So to me lather flow-through term is used more with face lathers that get good lathers with for their brush to meet shaving session(maybe that is why some folks like large knot sizes because it holds more lather?). If brush does not get the amount lather needed for the shaving session it is labeled poor flow-through by owner. YMMV!
 
I bowl lather and by just looking at what lather quality and amount that is in the bowl when brush generating lather I know I have enough lather made to have a nice shave. Flow-through has to do with knot size & density + length of loft knot ratio . There is a sweet spot for any brush for ideal lathering and releasing of lather to face. If a person gets 3 passes of lather on his face from his brush they have loaded properly I would suggest the brush is working well in releasing the lather. Short lofted brushes I would bowl lather and no need to worry about not having enough lather to shave comfortably IMO. Short lofted brushes are designed more for folks who like to scrub their coarse beards IMO.
So to me lather flow-through term is used more with face lathers that get good lathers with for their brush to meet shaving session(maybe that is why some folks like large knot sizes because it holds more lather?). If brush does not get the amount lather needed for the shaving session it is labeled poor flow-through by owner. YMMV!
I agree that FT means more to a face lathered. I don’t find that large knot sizes help FT because they hold more lather; it’s all about releasing the lather that they hold and not “eating it”. I can load a large knot and a small knot heavy and more times than not the smaller knot (Simpson Duke 2&3 & Classic 2, Shavemac 2 band 22/46 mm) will hold and release enough lather for 3 passes but not necessarily the larger knot
 
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