Stupid Newbie Questions....

[tob1303]

Alright, well I'm educating myself and I feel I'm doing an alright job in most areas. I struggle with some of the terminology in relation to brushes....I know the difference between best/silvertip and the like....and I assume style/size are company specific......however, what I don't know is what a "band" is. I read the terms 2 band, 3 band etc...and honestly have no idea what that means and I can't find an answer anywhere.

Also, what is the difference between a broken in and non-broken in brush? Both in feel and effectiveness....and how long might that process take for both boar and badger.

Thanks in advance.

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

"band" refers to the stipes associated with the hairs on the brush. A 2 band is a brush where the knot is set so low you only see a dark color on the bottom, and a light shade on the top, as opposed to the normal light-dark-light configuration.

Boar brushes sometimes come as "banded boar" which are bleached and dyed to resemble a badger brush. Supposedly these are better, because the process makes them softer. Otherwise they are just a plain blonde.

 

[tob1303]

So I guess that means a 3 band knot goes from light to dark to light again?

Edit: I re-read your answer above and decided to comprehend english this time...ignore my last sentence...proceed to the next.

Also, what are the non-aesthetic differences in the 2 band and 3 band brushes?

Also, what's the difference between a broken in brush and one that has yet to be broken in? both in how it works and how it feels?

 

[LinuxMintyFresh]

So I guess that means a 3 band knot goes from light to dark to light again?

Edit: I re-read your answer above and decided to comprehend english this time...ignore my last sentence...proceed to the next.

Also, what are the non-aesthetic differences in the 2 band and 3 band brushes?

Also, what's the difference between a broken in brush and one that has yet to be broken in? both in how it works and how it feels?

I have very little experience with badger brushes, but my understanding is that they require little to no break-in. Boar brushes on the other hand, will require some kind of break-in period where the bristles will split, and thus become softer. There isn't going to be a large aesthetic difference in a boar brush other than the ends getting a little smashed around and split, the brush might start to splay a bit, and maybe you'll loose some color as the dye from the banding process fades. The difference in serviceability will be noticeable though. The brush will become much softer, and your lather will typically get better. Also, one should avoid boar brushes with cut tips. They will not split as easily, and are often very stiff.

As far as the difference between 3 and 2 band brushes, my understanding is that the 2 bands, having a shorter loft (distance from handle to hair-tip), are more stiff, and better for certain applications, or people who prefer a more rigid brush. They are probably also made of hair from different locations on the animal, or hairs with particularly large dark bands.

 

[mdunn]

two band generally are stiffer than silvertip, but with soft tips (unlike best, for example. Which is stiff but not as soft at the tip)

A broken in brush will be a bit softer overall

 

[andrew98]

...I know the difference between best/silvertip and the like....and I assume style/size are company specific...

Not to throw a spanner in the works for you, but hair grade is also company specific. There is no official standard for hair grade. For example (in order of price):

Edwin Jagger: Pure, Best, Super, Silvertip

Rooney: Pure, Best, Super Silvertip, Heritage (type of silvertip... originally 3 band, now a 2 band is being used), Finest (type of silvertip).

Shavemac: Pure, Finest (in reality it's a type of silvertip), Silvertip, D01 (type of silvertip)

Simpson: Pure, Best, Super (3-band silvertip), 2-band Super (type of silvertip)

Cornfusing, eh? Especially when someone starts tossing around the word "Best" or "Finest" with no mention of a specific brush maker.

-Andy

 

[tob1303]

Thank you for that actually....I have been reading the terms "in super" or "in finest" and have not been sure what was going on.....I figured it was something like this but had no way of knowing what was where in the pecking order.

 

[texbilly]

Not to throw a spanner in the works for you, but hair grade is also company specific. There is no official standard for hair grade. For example (in order of price):

Edwin Jagger: Pure, Best, Super, Silvertip

Rooney: Pure, Super Silvertip, Heritage (type of silvertip... originally 3 band, now a 2 band is being used), Finest (type of silvertip).

Shavemac: Pure, Finest (in reality it's a type of silvertip), Silvertip, D01 (type of silvertip)

Simpson: Pure, Best, Super (3-band silvertip), 2-band Super (type of silvertip)

Cornfusing, eh? Especially when someone starts tossing around the word "Best" or "Finest" with no mention of a specific brush maker.

-Andy

Excellent summary, Andy.

 

[andrew98]

Excellent summary, Andy.

Thanks a lot. The craziest thing is when a maker starts using a new type of hair in an existing brush but calls it the same thing as the old hair grade, as seen above with Rooney Heritage. I was all excited when I saw a Rooney Beehive (Heritage brush) with 2-band hair for less than $205. I thought they had started using Finest, but a quick visit to B&B revealed that they just switched 3-band for 2-band, but it's not Finest 2-band. I'm sure Rooney switched because they were no longer able to source the 3-band they had been using.

-Andy