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How much difference can a brush make?

我非常喜欢剃须刷,而且我有很多昂贵的刷子,

但是,我仍然要说,昂贵的刷子可以带给您更多的奢华,甚至最终的体验。

但这取决于您的目的。

换句话说,您期望刮胡子有多少乐趣。

当然,享受的增加和剃须刷的价格增加必须不成比例。

实际上,即使是价值10美元的合成刷子也可以很好地完成起泡工作。
 
It’s very much a case of diminishing returns. High end brushes lather better, have better face feel and they are often finely crafted. Handles made of exotic materials or highly finished add to the experience but have almost no effect on performance.

The knot size, density, compliance and how the tips feel gives a brush most of its performance character. The only way to find out for certain what works for you is to buy lots of brushes and try them. Keep ones you like and look for better examples, sell or give away ones that you don’t like. Reading some reviews helps some but at least in my case only served to increase my curiosity so it fed my brush buying early on.

After owning about 120 brushes, I have a pretty stable rotation of about 16. Once in a while a rare one comes up and I’ll buy it but I am basically done. I happen to like 22-26 mm badger knots. Typically ~2:1 or less loft to diameter. Decent scritch so Rooney finest and Declaration B3 knots are high on my list. I dislike gel tips and have always ended up selling them but plenty of experienced shavers love them.

Ideally, if you are satisfied with what you are using, be thankful and forget about brushes. Otherwise read up and start buying.
 
I am pretty happy with my synthetics but even between those there is difference in softness backbone and which soap they lather easier.
 
The right brush can be the difference between a comfortable and effortless shave experience and an uncomfortable chore. I have a bad synthetic brush that is difficult to build lather with and holds onto the lather. That makes lather building a chore. Once the lather is built, the brush refuses to give up the lather and feels like I’m lathering with a wire brush.

On the other hand, favorite brush builds lather effortlessly and feels like baby’s hair against my face. It surrenders its lather easily and always seems to have more to give up. I get comfortable luxurious shaves with that brush.
 
I've come to realise that almost every aspect of the Wet Shaving hobby is at the end of the A Lonely Journey.
Best one can ask is for fellow travellers to share their experiences.

Same products will yield different results for different people, reasons can be everything under the Sun.

If you are not against using the products based on materials derived from animals, then in the field of brushes, you have vast variety of choices.

Unless YOU yourself don't experience, use and experiment with the brush, you'll not be able to tell for sure how any brush works for you.

You will have to use a few brushes, experience and experiment with them, surmise what else do you need/ desire from the brush and then look for the brush which offers it.

If we talk about boar brush, then even if choose a single brand, say Semogue.

There are dozens of models, similar if not more variety of handles, bristle treatment etc and it's just not the company's gimmick to rename the same product to increase inventory menu.

Each brush differs in behaviour, best anyone can do is to read a lot of reviews, discussion and judge by his/ her own understanding, whether or not you'll get the desired behaviour from the brush.

Now, since I've let this rant off my chest, coming to the point -

How much difference can a brush make ?

A Lot

From lather quality, temperature of lather, splay, face feel, scrub, scritch, bowl lather, face lathering etc are the factors dependent on the brush.

Does price matters ?

Yes

This doesn't necessarily mean that less expensive brush will not help in experiencing Shave Nirvana.

If you can get what you are looking for in a less expensive brush, then that's one fort captured.

Now off to the next fort (best Soap/ Cream/ Stick, Razor, Aftershave...) to capture.

Note : Your brushes are good (if not great), so give them an honest chance before you embark on the - What else is there journey.
All it takes is a peek, and then -
Welcome to BAD.

Will an expense brush satisfy my dreams ?

Not necessarily.

Many times less expensive brushes offer terrific VFM, actually more often than not.


Expensive synthetic must be something special ?

Yes, they are.

Some mimic the behaviour of Silvertip badger brush, ergo giving the user badger brush experience without the guilt.


What does an expensive brush add to my shaving experience ?

Depends upon what it brings.

If it's a gorgeous, custom made, one of a kind, last for a lifetime kind of handle brush, then you got your answer.

If it's a rare or expensive knot, then you already know what you want from a brush- that's why you are going after a high end brush.



Extremely long story short -

If you need to ask what value a brush (especially expensive ones) will add, then you don't need it, simple as that, and there is nothing wrong with that.

You are the judge for what you need, when you find the answer to it, then there are a lot of highly qualified and experienced people who can almost certainly provide you with the Brand, Model, Type of Bristles and the Vendor to obtain the said Perfect brush.
 
I've come to realise that almost every aspect of the Wet Shaving hobby is at the end of the A Lonely Journey.
Best one can ask is for fellow travellers to share their experiences.

Same products will yield different results for different people, reasons can be everything under the Sun.

If you are not against using the products based on materials derived from animals, then in the field of brushes, you have vast variety of choices.

Unless YOU yourself don't experience, use and experiment with the brush, you'll not be able to tell for sure how any brush works for you.

You will have to use a few brushes, experience and experiment with them, surmise what else do you need/ desire from the brush and then look for the brush which offers it.

If we talk about boar brush, then even if choose a single brand, say Semogue.

There are dozens of models, similar if not more variety of handles, bristle treatment etc and it's just not the company's gimmick to rename the same product to increase inventory menu.

Each brush differs in behaviour, best anyone can do is to read a lot of reviews, discussion and judge by his/ her own understanding, whether or not you'll get the desired behaviour from the brush.

Now, since I've let this rant off my chest, coming to the point -

How much difference can a brush make ?

A Lot

From lather quality, temperature of lather, splay, face feel, scrub, scritch, bowl lather, face lathering etc are the factors dependent on the brush.

Does price matters ?

Yes

This doesn't necessarily mean that less expensive brush will not help in experiencing Shave Nirvana.

If you can get what you are looking for in a less expensive brush, then that's one fort captured.

Now off to the next fort (best Soap/ Cream/ Stick, Razor, Aftershave...) to capture.

Note : Your brushes are good (if not great), so give them an honest chance before you embark on the - What else is there journey.
All it takes is a peek, and then -
Welcome to BAD.

Will an expense brush satisfy my dreams ?

Not necessarily.

Many times less expensive brushes offer terrific VFM, actually more often than not.


Expensive synthetic must be something special ?

Yes, they are.

Some mimic the behaviour of Silvertip badger brush, ergo giving the user badger brush experience without the guilt.


What does an expensive brush add to my shaving experience ?

Depends upon what it brings.

If it's a gorgeous, custom made, one of a kind, last for a lifetime kind of handle brush, then you got your answer.

If it's a rare or expensive knot, then you already know what you want from a brush- that's why you are going after a high end brush.



Extremely long story short -

If you need to ask what value a brush (especially expensive ones) will add, then you don't need it, simple as that, and there is nothing wrong with that.

You are the judge for what you need, when you find the answer to it, then there are a lot of highly qualified and experienced people who can almost certainly provide you with the Brand, Model, Type of Bristles and the Vendor to obtain the said Perfect brush.

Love this!

I was a one brush guy until Christmas.

Now I have realised the brush hugely changes your results but more importantly to me, the experience of shaving is very much more enjoyable. Each brush has its own personality.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Love this!

Each brush has its own personality.

This ^^^

I'm finding this to be true for my brushes as well.
My Omega 10005 is a very happy go lucky, while Omega 10098 can be called a snobby brush.

We all look for great experience, that's the reason for multiple brushes as each brush gives us different feel.

I'm also a recent convert to having multiple brushes after almost a decade of 1 brush, and the journey is just starting.
 
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