Kent BK8 - for face lathering, REALLY ?

[CHSeifert]

Hey,

I just rinsed and cleaned my new Kent BK8 this weekend and used it for the first time today.
Tried using this exellent bowl lathering brush for face lathering, which a couple of gents in here had adviced me to try as they think the Kent BK8 is an awesome face lathering brush.

I used the excellent DR Harris marlborough cream and got a nice creamy protective lather - but I still feel like this Kent BK8 is far better suited for the bowl than to lather it directly on the face.

I also own a couple of VERY soft anf floppyMühle 3-band Silvertip brushes, and to be honest the kent BK8 is NOT softer than my Mühle Sophist 23 mm 3-Band Silvertip, but it's definitely more floppy....

I find this on the edge of what I like and prefer for face lathering.
I enjoy stiff brushes, I enjoy medium soft brushes and I enjoy soft brushes - all for face lathering - but as said I do find my Kent BK8 on the edge of being too floppy and too big a bloom for me to actually think it's well suited for face lathering.

I used my old Kent BLK8 for the bowl - and it did an exellent job.
But now I face lather exclusively, and I really enjoy variety in my brushes for the face, and my Kent BK8 did create a fantastic lather from my DR Harris Marlborough cream, but any brush can lather this nice cream up to be honest - and I must say that I think my limit, when it comes to softnes and floppines, is with my Mühle Sophist 23 mm 3-band Silvertip. An extremely pleasing and gentle soft brush, and feels maybe softer than my kent BK8 - but due to lower loft, it face lathers better than my Kent BK8.

Neither are my favorite for face lathering, but I just feel that maybe my Kent BK8 is the least favorite for face latering of all my brushes so far.
But I know we have a couple of fans of the Kent BK8, which find this brush ideal and fantastic as a soft floppy face lather brush - YMMV - but I feel it's abit too floppy for my taste.....

I may still keep it in my collection for the occasional scuffle latherig or palm lathering, when I test a shaving cream out.......

But it just lacks backbone completely, which I find is my preference for a proper face lathering brush.

What's your take on all this

 

[Wildalaska]

beats me, I just use a Jagger best. It takes my abuse well...mash mash swirl scrub

 

[dundak]

Personally I think a brush is a brush. The categorization of brushes into soap, cream, face , bowl, etc. I never really understood.

 

[Loric]

Personally I think a brush is a brush. The categorization of brushes into soap, cream, face , bowl, etc. I never really understood.

While low backbone brushes can build lather on the face with hard soaps, there is for some something missing. For many face latherers, the face feel of a brush is half of the enjoyment. When a brush has a really low backbone, you miss out on that facial massage. Plus loading a hard soap with a low backbone brush can take much more time. Again it can be done, but some brushes tear soap off of a puck, others just rub a little bit off at a time.

Sure you can turn a screw with a butter knife, and for some projects that butter knife is all you need. On other projects a screw driver will save you 5 minuets, and an electric drill will save you half an hour.

 

[CHSeifert]

Personally I think a brush is a brush. The categorization of brushes into soap, cream, face , bowl, etc. I never really understood.

You ought to try different brushes for face lathering then...... then you will understand immediately !

 

[dundak]

I understand what you are saying, I just do not buy into it. Ultimately you like a brush or do not. The final stage is applying the lather to your face, ie face lathering, the method used to accomplish this final step is really inconsequential to evaluating the brush and how it feels on your face. Using a Chubby 2, Semogue 1305 or BK8 to face lather MWF takes the same time for me , so time savings or ease of loading is never a consideration in brush evaluation for me.

 

[CHSeifert]

While low backbone brushes can build lather on the face with hard soaps, there is for some something missing. For many face latherers, the face feel of a brush is half of the enjoyment. When a brush has a really low backbone, you miss out on that facial massage. Plus loading a hard soap with a low backbone brush can take much more time. Again it can be done, but some brushes tear soap off of a puck, others just rub a little bit off at a time.

Sure you can turn a screw with a butter knife, and for some projects that butter knife is all you need. On other projects a screw driver will save you 5 minuets, and an electric drill will save you half an hour.

+1 +1 +1

 

[Loric]

I understand what you are saying, I just do not buy into it. Ultimately you like a brush or do not. The final stage is applying the lather to your face, ie face lathering

Applying and building lather on the face are two very different steps. Sure your lather is applied to your face as you build it face lathering, but if your bowl lathering its clearly different. Plus the technique to build lather on the face with a floppy brush, is for me very different than that with a scrubby brush.

 

[CHSeifert]

I understand what you are saying, I just do not buy into it. Ultimately you like a brush or do not. The final stage is applying the lather to your face, ie face lathering, the method used to accomplish this final step is really inconsequential to evaluating the brush and how it feels on your face. Using a Chubby 2, Semogue 1305 or BK8 to face lather MWF takes the same time for me , so time savings or ease of loading is never a consideration in brush evaluation for me.

Sorry, but you don't know what actual face lathering is. You obviuosly bowl lather and then apply the lather to your face. This has ZERO to do with face lathering.
Try a few brushes with actual face lathering and then come back.......

I quote you: "applying the lather to your face, ie face lathering" shows you don't know what face lathering is.

FYI face lathering is building the lather on your face. Not in a bowl or in your palm or in a scuttle.
There is a HUGE difference in what kind of brush you use for face lathering - and my Kent BK8 just feels like a soft cloth on my face - it has ZERO backbone !
Backbone is one of the keys for me to face lather.

 

[Predict]

Never tried the bk8 but I am in 100% agreement as far as backbone for face lathering. I don't have any real expensive brushes but my semogue soc 2 band is my favorite face lathering brush on account of the great backbone. Glad you posted this as I was considering the bk8 as a future purchase, looks like its probably not for me.

 

[edgerunner]

BK8 is a very good brush suitable for both face and bowl lathering. To me, it's about how efficient the brush is in preparing the right lather quickly, and how well it retains and releases lather. BK8 is superb in all counts. It's relatively floppy. Floppy is not a bad thing. It's a property that some like and some don't. Typicaly, I prefer creams for face lathering and soaps for bowl lathering. I have sensitive skin, so for face lathering I use loftier, softer brushes with less backbone. I use my stiffer scrubby brushes for bowl lathering. I have my pre-shave routine, so I don't rely on my brush to massage my face. I put the stress on the process of preparing the lather I like with the brush. No matter where my lather is prepared, on my face or in a bowl, I spend a good amount of time applying the lather on each pass, and I enjoy doing so with BK8 a lot.

 

[dundak]

Sorry, but you don't know what actual face lathering is. You obviuosly bowl lather and then apply the lather to your face. This has ZERO to do with face lathering.
Try a few brushes with actual face lathering and then come back.......

Actually I face lather almost exclusively and have done so for 35 years. My point was for me brush evaluation comes down to face feel not how easy it is to load a soap, backbone etc given your technique. I don't look at a brush and say I can only use that with soaps or only with creams. I don't dismiss a brush because it is only for bowl lathering. I just do not see those distinctions with a brush. It is all about feel for me.

 

[AFG]

I never have really bought into the belief of certain brushes are only suitable for soaps or creams or for bowl or face lathering. Ihaven'tmade lather in a bowl in a very long time. My BK8 works very well for face lathering but I can see where someone who likes a short loft, stiffer brush might not like it. It's all a matter of personal preference.

 

[CHSeifert]

I never have really bought into the belief of certain brushes are only suitable for soaps or creams or for bowl or face lathering. Ihaven'tmade lather in a bowl in a very long time. My BK8 works very well for face lathering but I can see where someone who likes a short loft, stiffer brush might not like it. It's all a matter of personal preference.

Actually I face lather almost exclusively and have done so for 35 years. My point was for me brush evaluation comes down to face feel not how easy it is to load a soap, backbone etc given your technique. I don't look at a brush and say I can only use that with soaps or only with creams. I don't dismiss a brush because it is only for bowl lathering. I just do not see those distinctions with a brush. It is all about feel for me.

BK8 is a very good brush suitable for both face and bowl lathering. To me, it's about how efficient the brush is in preparing the right lather quickly, and how well it retains and releases lather. BK8 is superb in all counts. It's relatively floppy. Floppy is not a bad thing. It's a property that some like and some don't. Typicaly, I prefer creams for face lathering and soaps for bowl lathering. I have sensitive skin, so for face lathering I use loftier, softer brushes with less backbone. I use my stiffer scrubby brushes for bowl lathering. I have my pre-shave routine, so I don't rely on my brush to massage my face. I put the stress on the process of preparing the lather I like with the brush. No matter where my lather is prepared, on my face or in a bowl, I spend a good amount of time applying the lather on each pass, and I enjoy doing so with BK8 a lot.

I got to respect your answers, Gentlemen !

Maybe the Kent Bk8 will be just the proper brush of choice for the winterdays, where I tend to get more sensitive and dry skin - and don't want to use my Shavemac D01 2-Band scrubby face lather brush, but will learn to appreciate the floppy soft gel like feel of a brush like a kent Bk8.

I just felt like it didn't quite performed up to par yesterday - and since I sold my BLK8 2 months ago for half the price I paid and rebought a Bk8 3 weeks ago, I expected more.
But maybe this soft type of brush is better suited for use in situations, where my skin will be less prepared for a scrubby tought 2-bander face lather machine monster brush

 

[Sir_Eider]

I recently bought a BK8 and yes, is a big brush with a floppy hair, but for me is an excellent item for my mixed lathering style with shaving creams: first I lather in bowl, then I finish it with circular motions in my face until I get the foam I like. And guys, it is the brush that creates foam in bowl faster I've ever tried, and for only that reason for me worth the price for sure.

Cheers!

 

[Graybeard57]

Personally I think a brush is a brush. The categorization of brushes into soap, cream, face , bowl, etc. I never really understood.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of brush collectors, I agree 100%. Brushes certainly vary in quality, but using certain brushes only for specific products does not make sense to me.

 

[vocalistbob]

No wrath here, just a gentle statement that I have brushes that are best-suited to specific types of products and other more versatile brushes that work well with just about any product. It's not about quality because they are all high-quality brushes - it's about matching the brush to the product.

 

[thatonesmine]

As you say, you now face lather. My I suggest a brush called SEMOGUE (Portugal) it is the model 2011 LE two (2) size 2 Finest badger.
An excellent all round brush, with a fantastic ergonomic handle which is veined black marble.


Charles U.K

 

[texaninkc]

No wrath here, just a gentle statement that I have brushes that are best-suited to specific types of products and other more versatile brushes that work well with just about any product. It's not about quality because they are all high-quality brushes - it's about matching the brush to the product.

I agree with this 100%. A brush should be able to do everything. I think there is a categorization of brushes because brushes excel at certain tasks versus others. I could face-lather with a BK8, but it wasn't the best at it. When I owned a BK8, it was designated as my bowl-lathering brush because it was the best at it over other brushes I owned.

My Shavemac 2-bands are the best with soaps because they load soap more easily than other brushes. The better the brush, the better it could do everything. My shavemac D01 flat-top 2-band is the best overall brush for me.

to the OP: I'm surprised that in the midst of getting positive reviews on the BK8's face-lathering ability you didn't run into an overwhelming majority that said the contrary. You cannot read a Kent thread without seeing someone comment that it's too floppy for face-lathering. I love Kents more than the next guy but they're not a good brush for face-lathering compared to others in my opinion.

 

[Face&Head]

I keep my BK8 & BK12 for head lathers but I have a friend who wraps a rubber-band around the knot about 5 to 10 mm above where it exits the handle. Must say it's an eccentric approach but it does change the character of the brush quite a bit. That said, while it might not be my first choice, I have no problem face-lathering with a BK8.