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Wearing a brush?

I've been lathering with my Mühle Silvertip fibre M (21mm) for over two years now. Every day. Let's say more or less 800 shaves. Less than 50 bowllathering (flat botom, no profiles), all the rest facelathering.
The other day, I bought a Mühle Silvertip fibre L (23mm) for my wife (to shave her legs, she's got more legs than I have face).
Now watch that pic. First of all, the 2mm extra makes a huge difference. But here's my question. Did my brush wear over those 800 shaves, to the point where the top is almost flat, was it as round as the L brush when it was new? Or do the M and L have a different shape at the top of the brush? Or is there yet another explanation?

IMG20230220160057.jpg
 
It looks like the knot shape of the smaller size M is a bit different than the L size.
Here is my 21mm STF, used about 16 times. But yours looks really worn comparing the total length of the hairs and the part above the dark band.

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Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
No your brush did not wear but Mule set loft higher on the wifes knot + it will feel softer than your brush or at least it should.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
So brushes don't wear if you treat them well? Thanks, good to know!
Your brush will wear if you use a Suribachi bowl :nono:, I find the grooves slightly sharp for grinding seeds that they where designed for and do not recommend these bowls for any shave brushes.
I used one for a few weeks and noticed this when removing lather from the brush at the end of the shave on the sides of the bowl, you could feel the tugging and grinding IMO. My wife picked this up at a discount store for a dollar thinking it would work for myself, I thought it would also!
Japanese suribachi bowl.jpg

Have some great shaves!
 
Your brush will wear if you use a Suribachi bowl :nono:, I find the grooves slightly sharp for grinding seeds that they where designed for and do not recommend these bowls for any shave brushes.
I used one for a few weeks and noticed this when removing lather from the brush at the end of the shave on the sides of the bowl, you could feel the tugging and grinding IMO. My wife picked this up at a discount store for a dollar thinking it would work for myself, I thought it would also!
View attachment 1609190
Have some great shaves!
There is a shaving bowl on amazon that looks very much like this bowl. This is called a Linkidea ceramic shaving bowl. Good to know about the wear issue.
link idea.jpg
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
There is a shaving bowl on amazon that looks very much like this bowl. This is called a Linkidea ceramic shaving bowl. Good to know about the wear issue.
View attachment 1612061
I'm not sure how that one is made, maybe they made the grooves differently but my Suribachi bowl had sharp crests on some of the grooves and kind of made my brush tips thin out over time, I'm glad they where just inexpensive synthetic brushes and not a high end badger brush. Brush bristles like glance off of rounded smooth grooves or indents seem to work the best. I epoxied some round nickels in the bottom of my lathering bowl and they work well also.
 
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