Simpson Duke questions/issues

[GingerBeard]

I'm a relatively new wet shaver and have recently started experimenting with shave sticks. I always face lather, unless its a hard soap in a dish. I have a new Simpson Duke Best Badger brush and I find it very hard to use with shave sticks. My other brush currently is from Art of Shaving and it's a pure badger travel brush. Using the AoS brush and shave sticks works great, tons of lather from a single application of the stick, enough for 3 passes soaked into the brush. I have no problem with that as a travel shaving arrangement, which I do often.

When I try to use the Simpson with a shave stick there's something about how dense the knot is, and perhaps how much water it retains. It just doesn't lather up nearly as much and doesn't hold onto the lather it does make. I end up having to apply more soap from the stick to my face between passes to get enough lather. Do you think that's a normal side effect of the denser hair of the Simpson brush? The Simpson works very well with creams and building up soap in a dish, like with MWF.

 

[Mick]

Did not see this was your first post so forgot to welcome you to B&B

Which Duke?

I've never had any issues using any of the Duke line with shave sticks.

Is your lather too thin? Too thick? Runny?

Which brand of shave stick? Arko? Tabac? or?



If you have not already done so, stop into the Hall of Fame and tell everyone a little about yourself

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/30-Hall-of-Fame

 

[djh]

Different brushes perform in different ways. I don't think that there is any doubt that your Duke is a great shaving tool, but it may take a few runs to learn how to get the best from it. It should be able to build more than enough lather for 3 passes from one generous application of a shave stick.

 

[Elder Scrolls]

yeah, which Duke do you have?

 

[GingerBeard]

Duke 1. If I leave the brush wetter it just appears to wash the soap off my face, if I give it a shake or two it appears to be too dry then to build up lather. I've never had a brush this dense in this high a quality of badger hair. How long do I need to soak the brush before beginning? I'm sure it's all in my technique and needs some refinement.

 

[Lexbomb]

I have a Duke 2 and I noticed that with pretty much all simpsons brushes you have to use a little more product because of how dense the knot is. So maybe try adding some more lather and give it a go. It truly is an amazing brush once you get it sorted!

 

[lt114]

I have a Duke 2 and I noticed that with pretty much all simpsons brushes you have to use a little more product because of how dense the knot is. So maybe try adding some more lather and give it a go. It truly is an amazing brush once you get it sorted!

I agree. You're going to need to apply more of the soap to your face. The knot of your Duke is considerably denser than the AoS travel brush. Consequently, you'll need more product to get a nice lather. I always start out with a bit of a drier brush than normal when I use shave sticks. If you try a wet brush approach with a shave stick, you'll end up with a big mess and poor lather.

 

[Mick]

Duke 1. If I leave the brush wetter it just appears to wash the soap off my face, if I give it a shake or two it appears to be too dry then to build up lather. I've never had a brush this dense in this high a quality of badger hair. How long do I need to soak the brush before beginning? I'm sure it's all in my technique and needs some refinement.

You don't need to soak it very long. 3 or 4 minutes should be enough.

I traveled with a Duke 1 in a Simpsons travel tube for 3 months and face lathered shave sticks with it every day.

Using a shave stick does take a little while to get used to so I always recommend this method for those just starting out:

Make sure your face is moist/wet before you start
Dip the end of the stick in the sink to moisten it
Rub the stick all around and apply a thick even coating making sure you get a lot of soap (no such thing as too much)
Remove your brush from the water and give it a gentle squeeze to remove most of the water
Take the brush to your face and make a thick paste out of the soap all over your face.
Bring the brush to the sink and quickly dip it in the water covering about 1/4 of the bristles
Go back to your face on one side and turn the paste into a lather
Back into the sink for another quick dip
Go to the other side of your face to make a lather on the other side of your face
If you feel you have enough water in your brush turn the paste on the throat and chin into lather otherwise dip again first.
Your lather should be thick and shiny on your first building. If it does not look like this, dip again and go over your entire face.
Finish by painting your face in a back and forth motion to even out the lather

This should create a thick creamy heavy lather on your face and place enough lather in your brush for several more applications.

This method may go against what most will recommend but I find it a fail safe method for getting a perfect lather out of any shave stick

 

[njpaddy]

I only soak my Duke 1 for as long as it takes to get everything out and wash my face, maybe 2 minutes at most. Can't remember the last time I used it with a stick, but I don't remember any problems doing so. The brush is small enough that after you rub the stick on your face, you can also rub the brush on the end of the stick to load some soap directly on the brush before you put brush to face. I find the Duke 1 perfect for face lathering soaps in a mug so I rarely use it with anything else.

 

[Charlie NJ]

First off welcome, turtle is the one who got me started using sticks. I think he started a thread on using sticks but I might be wrong on that. I've found Simpsons can be soap hogs so if I'm only using a stick I make sure to put as much soap on my face as possible. One soap that is easy to work from a stick is Tabac, it's great soap. Lately I've been using a stick on my face and loading the brush off a puck, this is a great way to get the bast qualities from both soaps good luck

 

[Teddyboy]

My first suggestion is to use more soap than you think you need. Apply it against the grain until your beard has little dots of soap on it.
Also, your brush may be too wet when you start lathering. After soaking the brush in hot water for a minute or two, shake it out until no more drops come out - even a loose squeeze wouldn't hurt any. Then begin lathering, dipping the brush tips in hot water (and a shake) as you go. Should probably not need to dip the brush more than 2-3 times to get a thick, cushiony lather.

Of course, the stick you use has a role. IMHO, DR Harris, Spieck, La Toja are best, but Palmolive and even Arko should do just fine. Good Luck.

 

[GingerBeard]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll give them a shot. So far I've used Valobra, Speick and Palmolive sticks and find it's hard to choose between them. I have a Tabac stick I've not tried yet.

 

[Teddyboy]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll give them a shot. So far I've used Valobra, Speick and Palmolive sticks and find it's hard to choose between them. I have a Tabac stick I've not tried yet.

They are all great, as are the Simpsons Dukes. Once you get it down you'll realize it is just practice.