Small vs Big Brush--Differences

[krayziehustler]

are there any differences in performance of a bigger brush versus a smaller one..

for example, do bigger brushes tend to be scrubbier since they have more hair? or is lathering technique different?

 

[Big_E]

The only time I use my small brushes is when I use my scuttles. The small brush fits into the hot water tank without me bending the bristles back. They spread the lather on my face in small tight circles allowing for better control. My small brushes are all boar hair and tend to be scrubbier. They do soften when soaked in the scuttle's hot water tank. 2 of my large brushes are also boar hair and 2 are badger. I find the badger hair brushes lacking in control of the lather and have little memory in the bristle form. They're not bad but I lean towards my boar hair brushes and reach for them whenever I can. For me, the smaller brushes are more "scrubbier" than larger brushes, but in a good way.
My 2 cents,
Ernest

PS: I used to buy my boar brushes at big name brand drug stores but the brushes would shed hair to no end. I find that my 2 cheapo-made-in-China brushes work best. They shed no hair and are great latherers. I paid no more than $5.00 for each of them.

 

[Must Dash]

Assuming two brushes are made of the same quality badger hair but in different sizes, three likely differences would be:

1. the amount of product you use (bigger brushes can require more product)
2. the speed at which you create lather (I recall someone posting that they don't like the larger brushes because they whip up lather too quickly, and they want to prolong the pleasure)
3. the level of control (i.e. getting lather where you want, and not where you don't)

There are people out there with far more knowledge than I have, so hang around a bit and I'm sure you'll get some more informative responses.

Cheers, MC & HNY

Jeremy

 

[kbuzbee]

The only brushes I have I'd consider small are also boar. They are nice, controlled and do a good job.

My medium Badger is C&E SB (around 23mm I believe). It's nice but not exactly what I was looking for.

Currently I'm using a Shavemac 227 (30mm knot) which is huge! I have big hands and a large face and this baby lathers me up in no time flat.

I guess my point is there are many more difference to brushes than size and almost all of them (product consumption as Jeremy cited above perhaps being a notable exception) are simply personal preference and wind up being a combination of grade of hair, stiffness, softness, density, loft, shape, handle etc etc etc.... Maybe you'd like a stiff, 30mm, short loft and a floppy(ish), 19mm medium loft brush equally(?).

Bottom line is almost any decent brush will work pretty well. It all comes down to what YOU like most....

Enjoy!

Ken

 

[Thebigspendur]

I think its agreed that its a personal matter as to what you prefer. I started out with a big Vulfix and decided I didn't like big brushes. I find them to be...well too big, unwieldy and messy and floppy. I now use medium sized brushes which I think are ideal in every respect.

 

[Amyn]

I think its agreed that its a personal matter as to what you prefer. I started out with a big Vulfix and decided I didn't like big brushes. I find them to be...well too big, unwieldy and messy and floppy. I now use medium sized brushes which I think are ideal in every respect.

Brushes are a matter of personal opinion. A larger brushes is more luxurious in IMO. They use more cream / soap than a smaller brush. Personally I like my brush to be large dense and scrubby (see Simpson Chubby 3). I do not have a problem controlling larger brushes and I have a big face so they work very well for me, and I like some of the lather getting in my ears an nose sometimes it is a lot of fun

 

[RoadKing99]

Large seems the way to go for me. I've seen comments to the effect that small brushes give you more control, but then what do you need to control? So you smush lather all around--this is not a bad thing! The whole idea is to get lather all over the stubble area anyway and so what if you get lather elsewhere?

As to the notion that small brushes are more economical with soap and cream, this misses the main point of shaving with a brush, namely, LUXURY.

 

[JimmyHAD]

I have had small and large and I have found that I prefer small to medium. I sold my large brushes. Depending on my mood if I want a prickly feeling I go with something like a Tulip 2 Super or a Rooney Finest style 1 small. If I want a soft tipped feel I might go with a Kent or a Simpson in Best. Larger doesn't necessarily mean it won't be somewhat scrubby but IMO less so then a shorter loft. I find smaller brushes more efficient at generating lather with soap and larger brushes more efficient with creams. I think that if you follow the topic in the forums that is the general consensus. You have to try different sizes to find what your preference is. Nice to have a few options to vary according to how you feel on a given day.

 

[Suzuki]

are there any differences in performance of a bigger brush versus a smaller one..

for example, do bigger brushes tend to be scrubbier since they have more hair? or is lathering technique different?

Knot diameter is irrelevant to performance.

The key factors are (i) hair grade, (ii) knot density and (iii) knot loft/height.

To generalize, pure badger is scrubbier than silvertip, the more dense a knot, the stiffer it will be (this may translate into what you refer to as scrubbier, but a dense silvertip knot will still feel nice and soft on the face) and the shorter the loft the stiffer it will be.

A 30mm and 20mm brush of the same grade of hair, knot density and loft will perform similarly - the only real difference is that the bigger brush will be...wait for it...bigger!

Bigger brushes can be a little more awkward to use in that they're harder to manipulate and make a mess when lathering off a puck of soap - they also require a little more water and soap/cream to buld the lather than a smaller brush.

Really, size preference is very much a YMMV, with most guys prefering brushes between 20mm and 24mm.

Hope this helps.

 

[Scapa]

I went from medium-large to almost exclusively small brushes and though I prefer the control and "feel" of a small brush most of the time I found I missed the luxurious sensation and ease of lathering that a medium-sized less dense brush can provide. I recently picked up a Kent BK4 and have had a great time using it with creams. I'd say there's no harm in having one of each in your cupboard for the sake of comfort and/or variety.

s