What is the best brush for face shaving? I usually bowl or palm lather, but have tried face shaving on occasion, and just now, in fact. I am not satisfied that I have the best brush for the job, though I have great brushes for my usual methods.
I face lather 99% of the time. By far the easiest and most consistent result i get is from synthetic brushes.I have face lathered before. I don't mean lathering in a bowl or palm and then making it thicker on the face. I mean using no bowl. I have tried a number of brushes for this. The best one is the one I used today. It is a shop brand Tuxedo bulb knot, but it is slightly denser and slightly floppier than other such knots that I possess. The shop owner said it was made for him from a Yaqi knot, most likely. Well, I got it out again today. After a hot shower, I thoroughly wet my brush, shook out the excess and squeezed a little bit. Then I put the shave cream on the brush tips and began to swirl the brush on my face. I soon had a mountain of thick foam. I added a small bit of water to the tips and got it a little less dense. It was perfect, except for some water that wanted to squeeze out when I splayed the brush. I had a great lather and a great shave and no bowl to wash.
I wonder, however, if there are brushes that will do even better, just as I have brushes that will not do as well. Perhaps the Simpson or a plisson knot? I have a small 22mm plisson and it is my second best brush for this kind of thing. Both work well in a bowl or in a palm, too. I had a badger that just couldn't cut it and a good boar that is not as good as the brush I used today, nor as soft.
Bulb or fan?I face lather 99% of the time. By far the easiest and most consistent result i get is from synthetic brushes.
I am struggling a little with dense badger knots. They do have a much nicer feel, in my opinion. I like a warm lather. Synthetic brushes loose their heat quit fast, but uses less soap and releases the lather easier.
If i use what i would call a fat soap, like A & E, i like to use a synthetic. If i use something like MDC or SV i always use a badger or a boar brush.
I like my badger brushes in Manchurian or finest. Good backbone and soft tips. I tried a few silver tips, and it was not for me.
I tend to choose the brush based on the soap i use.
I bought two almost identical brushes. One bulb and one fan knot. I have to say i like both, but the fan knot gets the most use. The density of these knots are quite similar, but the bulb knot feel firmer, maybe a little too firm. The fan knot i have splays better then the bulb knot. The bulb knot paints a little better, if that makes sense.Bulb or fan?
OK, I'll not suggest a razor for that task. Face lathering is not terribly different from palm lathering, with the obvious exception of likely more sensitive skin on your face. You can use any brush, and by the various responses so far you see that there is no consensus as to which brush. Different handles, different lofts, different face feels, synthetic, boar, badger, horse . . . lots of choices.What is the best brush for face shaving? I usually bowl or palm lather, but have tried face shaving on occasion, and just now, in fact. I am not satisfied that I have the best brush for the job, though I have great brushes for my usual methods.