Newbie asks "which brush?

[KSReed]

Hi, all. New to the hobby and this forum. I started using a brush a few months ago ,the least expensive Art of Shaving model. It was fine but felt a bit too floppy. A few weeks ago, I was gifted with a Simpson's Chubby 2, which is apparently a great brush but I find that it's too dense and has no give in it. I think I'd like a brush somewhere between these two, something with a bit more density and backbone, but which I can still mash against my face when I'm lathering . Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[mblakele]

Welcome to B&B!

That CH-2 will probably loosen up a bit as you use it. Which hair type does yours have?

Be careful with that mashing. After a while the brush might develop a bald spot:

 

[dushea]

Welcome!!!

How much are you looking at spending?

 

[KSReed]

Thanks for the welcome and the replies. The CB2 has Super and, as for budget, around $200 or less.

How does one get a new brush to loosen up? Is it just a matter of using it?

 

[blzrfn]

In between the AoS beginner brush and the Chubby 2 Super leaves you with just about every brush on the market in between. If you have used your Chubby 2 for a few weeks, shaving every day, and still don't care for it then it's probably not going to get much better. How does the size of the knot and handle feel to you? Would you prefer something larger/smaller, taller/shorter? A nice 2-band knot could be place into any handle you could imagine by one of our skilled artisans and would also give you the opportunity to have the loft set to a level that would work well for your intended use.

 

[KSReed]

I guess that's a fair point - I've left a pretty broad range there. I'm looking for something with a smallish comfortable handle and a medium size head. I'll poke around here a bit more. Thanks.

 

[August West]

If you like boars the Omegas have served me well.

http://www.omegabrush.com/english/

 

[dushea]

It's tough to know what you want until you've tried a couple brushes. I think a lot of us have been there before.

That said, I think a Savile Row 8324 or a Thater 4125/1 or 2 in a two band bulb would be a good next step.

I'd recommend searching for mistercitizens' "rounding out my brush collection" thread. There's a ton of great comparative info there to potentially help you narrow it down.

 

[ChiefBroom]

I have a Chubby 2 in 2-band Super and also find it to be too large and dense to suit my preferences. As others have observed, there's a broad range of brushes to consider between a Chubby 2 and the least expensive AoS, which I've had as well. It took trying about 30 different brushes for me to settle on what I like best. But that's probably a bit extreme.

Mileage varies. I enjoy variety, including both larger and smaller brushes. The sweetspot for me, however, falls in the range of 23-26mm diameter at the base (i.e., measured right at the top of the handle) and 49-53mm loft, depending on density and knot shape. I strongly prefer knots with medium density. What's optimal depends on hair characteristics, e.g., uber soft 3-band is better with more density than springier 2-band. As for shapes, again, I enjoy some diversity but tend to prefer ones that fall somewhere between an extreme (i.e., pointy) bulb and an extreme fan. These are often referred to as hybrids.

I enjoy some scrub, but like to be able to control it. That requires decent backbone, but not too much. I don't enjoy the sensation of scritch (as I employ the term, i.e., scratch + itch), and I also strongly suspect that whatever causes me to experience the sensation of scritch can also negatively affect the quality of outcome from my shaves. So I mostly avoid it.

I don't like floppy/moppy/mushy brushes, and I don't like the feel of pointy bulbs.

As for handles, ergonomics trump aesthetics generally; however, I also have very definite likes and dislikes with regard to shapes and proportions. All of this is, of course, highly subjective.

Even with the fairly tight selection criteria I've resolved for myself, there are more brushes that fit them than I can afford to try.

As among those I own that do fit them, favorites include a Simpson T3 so-called Manchurian, a Simpson M7 Super 2-band that I suspect has the same hair-type as the Manchurian Tulip 3, and the Morris & Forndran Group Buy brush (aka the Chief). That said, I have a Simpson Tulip 2 that I love although its knot has a diameter of less than 23mm. In fact, I have lots of brushes that fall outside my ideal specs but which I enjoy, although I don't enjoy them very often because I mostly use my Chiefs, which makes sense because I designed that brush to suit my preferences. Problem is you can't do that until you find out what your preferences are, which requires experiencing different brushes.

There are many great brushes out there to try. I fell into and have remained in a Made in England (more or less) rut, which has served to simplify choices for me. But there are wonderful artisans offering terrific brushes on B&B. And Shavemac, Thater, Omega, etc., also make great brushes.

In any case, for $200 you can get a great brush. In fact, IMO it's possible to get a great badger hair brush for $100, although the choices become much broader as the price point approaches $150-180.

I agree with Brother mblakele that mashing badger brushes is probably not the best practice.

Welcome to B&B and good luck!

 

[KSReed]

Thanks for taking the time to write a thoughtful and helpful reply.