Rooney 1/1 Super. Is this normal?

[heirkb]

When I face lather with the 1/1 or when I apply lather to my face, a little well develops in the center of the brush. That is, the silver bristle ends splay out toward the outside leaving a tiny hole in the middle where I can see the black part of the bristles. Is this normal for a 1/1? I'm not using much pressure and since it's supposed to be very dense and firm, I didn't think it would do this.
Also, what is the typical hair loss for one of these? Mine lost 3 or 4 the first use. None second use.

 

[heirkb]

The brush is also not developing lather very well. I wonder if this is because I've only used it twice and it still needs to be broken in. How long does that process take?

 

[doleeo]

The "tiny hole" that your speaking of is called the breech. It is normal and happens with every brush, some more so than others.

Also, it's normal for a brush to lose a few hairs the first few shaves. So yours sounds normal. Every Rooney I've had has only shed 3 or 4 hairs max.

And yes, the Rooney Supers do benefit from some break in time. Continue to use it for a couple weeks and it should improve.

 

[dpm802]

Both the splaying out and the hair loss are normal conditions for ALL brushes. Unless it continues to lose a lot of hairs with each use, you need not worry.

As for the poor lather, it should get better over time ... experiment with different ratios of product to water, and if you have hard water, you'll never be able to do much about it. Use a water filter or bottled water to develop the full potential of your soap/cream and brush.

You might be doing something wrong with your technique, too. I've found that using the brush in an up-down pumping motion is a lot faster and more efficient than swirling it around in circles.

Also, consider investing in a scuttle or lather bowl, something that has ridges to work more air into the mix. Although you can get good lather from a smooth-surface mug or bowl, the ridges help speed things along, and you can get to the same consistency about 3 or 4 times faster.

How do you know when you're done making lather? I keep pumping it until the large bubbles all disappear, and I can barely see any bubbles left at all.

 

[heirkb]

I've made excellent lather with my other brush (Conk. Full Volume PB) on my face and in a mug, but I expected even better work out of the Rooney. The only thing I couldn't lather well before was MWF. The lather was thin, but it shaved like a dream regardless. With the Rooney, water (not lathery water, just plain water) seems to get stuck in the knot while I face lather. The extra water I add to the bristles doesn't actually get mixed in or come out on my face, it gets stuck in the bottom of the knot. Very strange...

 

[AFG]

Your brush needs time to break in. It is very dense and can be a lather hog. You need to use it a lot right now. These very dense brushes can be difficult to learn how to use and not everyone finds them to their liking. Most do like them however and if its a lot different from what you have been using, give it a chance.

 

[cfriend]

Same topic discussed in another thread last month:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=91863&highlight=brush+splay

 

[Bertilak]

See also http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=81541.

 

[andrew98]

Try using more product than you're used to. Really load the brush.

-Andy

 

[heirkb]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll keep using the Rooney and I'll take all of your suggestions into account