New Paladin brush, questions

[gpjoe]

Just keep using it. It is different to use, and when you dial it in it will be extremely enjoyable.

That's my plan. It's a wonderful brush, very soft tips with a luxurious face feel, just a bit stingy with the lather.

I used it yesterday and went a bit heavier on the soap and that helped. I also found that it is better suited as a "painter" than a "scrubber", which is ok since I bowl lather.

 

[Kix]

A used Paladin brush has entered my shave den. It too is a lather hog. After whipping up what would normally be an adequate amount of lather to do three passes, like gpjoe said, the lather disappeared. My favorite brushes are synthetic, so I was relieved to read that hogging lather is what badger brushes do.

Since I don't know the Paladin brush's history, I might give it a good cleaning, and from now on use more soap. Time will tell if this brush will perform well.

 

[gpjoe]

A used Paladin brush has entered my shave den. It too is a lather hog. After whipping up what would normally be an adequate amount of lather to do three passes, like gpjoe said, the lather disappeared. My favorite brushes are synthetic, so I was relieved to read that hogging lather is what badger brushes do.

Since I don't know the Paladin brush's history, I might give it a good cleaning, and from now on use more soap. Time will tell if this brush will perform well.

I'm selling mine.

Call me impatient, but at this point i just don't want to deal with it, or wait for it to improve. It's a beautiful brush, but i get satisfactory performance out of some "ugly ducklings" with a lot less effort.

 

[Kix]

I'm selling mine.

Call me impatient, but at this point i just don't want to deal with it, or wait for it to improve. It's a beautiful brush, but i get satisfactory performance out of some "ugly ducklings" with a lot less effort.

Mine was free, so I'm going to put some effort into making it work. If it doesn't, I'll re-knot it with a sythetic knot. The synthetics I own are fabulous!

 

[Phoenixkh]

I'm selling mine.

Call me impatient, but at this point i just don't want to deal with it, or wait for it to improve. It's a beautiful brush, but i get satisfactory performance out of some "ugly ducklings" with a lot less effort.

That's a shame. I don't have any of the top of the top badger brushes but I have a few pretty nice ones (SV and Elite Razor). One of the SV's wasn't quite right.. had a bit of scritch but by the 4th use, it matches the other new SV brushes I have.

Paladin brushes seem to be universally loved here by their owners. But I do understand your decision. I had a mixed badger/boar brush that just won't soften up.... I finally just threw it away because it was too bad to sell or even PIF. It wasn't expensive like a Paladin, however.

 

[gpjoe]

That's a shame. I don't have any of the top of the top badger brushes but I have a few pretty nice ones (SV and Elite Razor). One of the SV's wasn't quite right.. had a bit of scritch but by the 4th use, it matches the other new SV brushes I have.

Paladin brushes seem to be universally loved here by their owners. But I do understand your decision. I had a mixed badger/boar brush that just won't soften up.... I finally just threw it away because it was too bad to sell or even PIF. It wasn't expensive like a Paladin, however.

I appreciate your sentiment.

I have never been one to roll with popular opinion if something just doesn't work for me. I've used enough brushes to know what I like, and honestly, I'm perfectly happy with my $15 synthetics and $10 boars, and my favorite badger happens to be mixed with boar.

Anyway, no regrets - I learned something.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I appreciate your sentiment.

I have never been one to roll with popular opinion if something just doesn't work for me. I've used enough brushes to know what I like, and honestly, I'm perfectly happy with my $15 synthetics and $10 boars, and my favorite badger happens to be mixed with boar.

Anyway, no regrets - I learned something.

I really love my SOC Misturas.... though there are other mixed knots out there.

 

[gpjoe]

I really love my SOC Misturas.... though there are other mixed knots out there.

I think I'm done. I have 13 brushes (soon to be 12, I hope) and most of the natural bristle brushes are not even broken in yet. If I do get another on impulse, it will likely be an inexpensive synthetic - I'm thinking PAA or Yaqi.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I think I'm done. I have 13 brushes (soon to be 12, I hope) and most of the natural bristle brushes are not even broken in yet. If I do get another on impulse, it will likely be an inexpensive synthetic - I'm thinking PAA or Yaqi.

My little brush collection will complete as well, as soon as a FB group buy Alpha Shaving Company brush gets here from Hong Kong. It's supposed to be a new version of the G5 knots. I ended up with 4 good synths, the afore mentioned synth will make it 5 (one bad one in a drawer), 6 badgers, 8 boars and 2 Misturas. I had a fun couple of months researching and buying them. I'm still working on the boar break-ins but I've used all the rest of them except one badger I just got a couple weeks ago now.

I've only used one SE razor since Feb. 18th but I have a British Flat Bottom Tech on the way. I don't see myself venturing very deep into the DE razor market. The Tech is sort of an experiment, to see if I'm missing anything significant by avoiding the DE's.

 

[gpjoe]

My little brush collection will complete as well, as soon as a FB group buy Alpha Shaving Company brush gets here from Hong Kong. It's supposed to be a new version of the G5 knots. I ended up with 4 good synths, the afore mentioned synth will make it 5 (one bad one in a drawer), 6 badgers, 8 boars and 2 Misturas. I had a fun couple of months researching and buying them. I'm still working on the boar break-ins but I've used all the rest of them except one badger I just got a couple weeks ago now.

I've only used one SE razor since Feb. 18th but I have a British Flat Bottom Tech on the way. I don't see myself venturing very deep into the DE razor market. The Tech is sort of an experiment, to see if I'm missing anything significant by avoiding the DE's.

Anyone that has read the "What did you use today" thread has probably rolled their eyes at my gushing over my Techs. I love every one.

I would say, so far, it is my favorite razor. The only modern razor that I like as much is my Razorock Game Changer 68P.

I have 9 (?) Techs, two of which are NOS that I got on the 'bay as part of two shaving kits. Very lucky to have found them.

Anyway, the Tech won't be nearly as efficient as your Claymore, but with patience, it will give you a great irritation-free shave in 3-passes.

 

[Senate515]

Don't get discouraged, I haven't had a ton of difficulties with my Paladins but when I got my Simpson CH2 Super man did the first few lathers disappear. Give the brush 5-10 shaves and it will break in

 

[Phoenixkh]

Anyone that has read the "What did you use today" thread has probably rolled their eyes at my gushing over my Techs. I love every one.

I would say, so far, it is my favorite razor. The only modern razor that I like as much is my Razorock Game Changer 68P.

I have 9 (?) Techs, two of which are NOS that I got on the 'bay as part of two shaving kits. Very lucky to have found them.

Anyway, the Tech won't be nearly as efficient as your Claymore, but with patience, it will give you a great irritation-free shave in 3-passes.

First of all, I'm surprised your Paladin hasn't sold yet.... great price. Maybe soon.

On the Tech front, I've been told the British Flat Bottom is the most efficient of all the Techs. I have no frame of reference. As you suggested, I'll only be able to compare it to my Claymore Evo. I know they will be completely different.. how different? time will tell. I don't know if I'll like it enough to keep it around and use it. I'm not a collector. I use everything I buy. I do hope I enjoy shaving with it. I have some Wizamet blades on the way as well. That should give it a shot at a stellar performance.

 

[gpjoe]

First of all, I'm surprised your Paladin hasn't sold yet.... great price. Maybe soon.

On the Tech front, I've been told the British Flat Bottom is the most efficient of all the Techs. I have no frame of reference. As you suggested, I'll only be able to compare it to my Claymore Evo. I know they will be completely different.. how different? time will tell. I don't know if I'll like it enough to keep it around and use it. I'm not a collector. I use everything I buy. I do hope I enjoy shaving with it. I have some Wizamet blades on the way as well. That should give it a shot at a stellar performance.

Well. I don't have a Claymore but I do have a stainless Razorock Hawk V3. I just got it and though I haven't done a complete shave with it, I have touched up a head shave and shaved my cheeks while squaring up my sideburns between head shaves, and it is a monster in the efficiency department. One pass WTG and it removed all traces of my whiskers. I'm guessing your Claymore is similar.

In my experience, my Techs require two passes to get a similar result: WTG and XTG. Still capable but much milder.