Until I joined B&B, I always owned only one brush at a time, and I don't remember any of them. It wasn't something important. Actually, nothing was important in my shaving routine, except finding decent blades.
Then B&B found me, sucked me in, and I found myself spending all my time reading about razors and blades. I bought and tried about 50 razors and 30 blades in the first 4 months on the forum. It was exciting, it was fun, it was easy, and affordable to track down, buy, evaluate, and find out what razors and blades worked for me. It's easy with razors and blades - they work well or they don't. Easy!
Besides razors and blades, which had all my attention, I didn't spend time on the other subforums, including the brush section. When I joined B&B, based on price and photos, I made an uneducated decision, and bought my first Pure badger brush from Fendrihan. It was an easy decision; I started with a budget, liked the handle - done! It seemed a decent brush. I used it with creams at the time, it was better than all my cheap horse and boar brushes that I'd used until then. From time to time, I saw some crazy people selling and buying used brushes on BST for crazy money. I often shook my head in disbelieve. It wasn't me! What's so special about brushes!
Then I found out that some of my skin irritation problems were not caused by the razor or a sloppy technique, but were brush burn. I started to pay attention, and realized that I didn't like how the Pure badger tips felt on my face. There was this annoying sensation from the prickly trimmed tips. So, I had to look for another better brush. I grabbed my spear and went on a quest to fight the windmills. It was overwhelming! Everyone talking about their experience with this and that brush, defending their qualities! All those flashy photos of brushes! People drooling over new arrivals! Comparative crazy talk about those small differences between them. I read, and read, and made lists, brainstorming, comparing properties, brands, handles, prices, vendors, etc. It was often frustrating.
...Fast forward an year and a half later! I've owned about 60 brushes. I totally enjoyded the process of making a decision which brush to buy next every single time. Looking back, with a couple of exceptions, I'm happy with my selections. I've bought all these brushes with only one goal in mind - to try them all, and to make my mind which ones I preferred and why. It wasn't for the purpose to collect them, and to put them behind a glass. I'm down to 25 brushes now, 15 of them in active rotation. I can name my top 3 brushes easily. Since the beginning, it was clear to me that I'd loose money in my quest. But I got hooked to the hobby. Thinking of it as a practical hobby, there's no wasting money for hobbies. It's a part of the journey, the experience, and it's a choice. I don't argue with the minimalists, it's just another way of thinking about shaving.
Finally to the point! I wanted to share my opinion about the process of selecting a brush that always works for me. Surprisingly, there's a universal recipe to follow in this jungle of available brushes which is unique for everybody.
It comes with the experience, but the most important part is to prioritize and have a clear understanding about the properties of a new brush you're looking for. These priorities are subjective, personal, in a different order. But they are always the same. Without doing that in advance, it's easy to make a mistake, or to regret a purchase. These personal preferences are a precondition to making a good comparison between brushes, or to apply critical thinking when evaluating somebody's description of a brush.
Most of the time, when someone asks for help about purchasing a new brush, they are asked how they are going to use it, and with what software. Based on my experience, bowl vs. face and soaps vs. creams arguments are an overrated classification. Most brushes don't have problems with those, except some extreme handle designs uncomfortable to use with a bowl, or brushes with complete lack of backbone not very efficient when loading soap. The most unsuitable handles for bowl lathering that I've used are beehives and Vie-Long 16510 handle, all of them beautiful and comfortable handles. I didn't mind using them in a bowl though, although I had to be careful not to knock my knuckles on the edges. Also, even the floppiest brushes are able to pick soap, maybe loading a little longer, but nothing major to complain about.
I also don't think that the budget should be a top priority to start with. It's the opposite, I think it's a sure recipe to fail making open minded comparison between brushes. Budget matters of course, but it's a constraint that should be considered last, when you'd have narrowed down your selection to a very few models to choose from.
I've figured out that the following list of priorities put in order of importance, helps me decide if I like a brush when reading about it, or when hunting for a new brush:
1. Softness
* the feel of the brush on my face is the most important property to me; it doesn't have to be always the same, but it has to be clear how soft I want my next brush to be;
2. Flow-through and lather release
* Efficient and effortless application of the lather on my face is the second most important thing I look for in a brush;
3. Backbone
* this is the tactile feeling that contributes for the overall perception of a brush; it suites your technique of pushing, swirling and painting preferences;
4. Knot size and shape
* these are responsible for the bloom, and for the amount of water and soap a brush holds.
5. Handle aesthetics and comfort
* although not on the top of my list, it's a very important factor when picking a brush which can become a deal breaker;
6. Budget
* finally, this is the 'black or white' constraint that will decide for me, if I'm going to buy the brush, or which one, if I have more than one in mind;
7. Brand
* it's the knowledge about the reputation and the image of the maker, the quality and warranties of their brushes.
There's only one change in my list that can occur - the brand selection can go to the top of the list, if I'm curious to try a brush from a particular manufacturer.
Maybe, someone will notice that density, hair grade, and loft are not in my list. This is because these properties are only indirectly responsible for my choice, not on their own. Flow, backbone, and even softness are affected by them, so they should be considered in the process.
So, do you have any strategy when picking a brush?
Do you rely on impulsive decisions?
Do you trust your instincts when purchasing a brush without clear idea what you're looking for?
Have you been disappointed due to misunderstanding your own preferences?
Have you been frustrated from the available choices, and not being able to decide?
Then B&B found me, sucked me in, and I found myself spending all my time reading about razors and blades. I bought and tried about 50 razors and 30 blades in the first 4 months on the forum. It was exciting, it was fun, it was easy, and affordable to track down, buy, evaluate, and find out what razors and blades worked for me. It's easy with razors and blades - they work well or they don't. Easy!
Besides razors and blades, which had all my attention, I didn't spend time on the other subforums, including the brush section. When I joined B&B, based on price and photos, I made an uneducated decision, and bought my first Pure badger brush from Fendrihan. It was an easy decision; I started with a budget, liked the handle - done! It seemed a decent brush. I used it with creams at the time, it was better than all my cheap horse and boar brushes that I'd used until then. From time to time, I saw some crazy people selling and buying used brushes on BST for crazy money. I often shook my head in disbelieve. It wasn't me! What's so special about brushes!
Then I found out that some of my skin irritation problems were not caused by the razor or a sloppy technique, but were brush burn. I started to pay attention, and realized that I didn't like how the Pure badger tips felt on my face. There was this annoying sensation from the prickly trimmed tips. So, I had to look for another better brush. I grabbed my spear and went on a quest to fight the windmills. It was overwhelming! Everyone talking about their experience with this and that brush, defending their qualities! All those flashy photos of brushes! People drooling over new arrivals! Comparative crazy talk about those small differences between them. I read, and read, and made lists, brainstorming, comparing properties, brands, handles, prices, vendors, etc. It was often frustrating.
...Fast forward an year and a half later! I've owned about 60 brushes. I totally enjoyded the process of making a decision which brush to buy next every single time. Looking back, with a couple of exceptions, I'm happy with my selections. I've bought all these brushes with only one goal in mind - to try them all, and to make my mind which ones I preferred and why. It wasn't for the purpose to collect them, and to put them behind a glass. I'm down to 25 brushes now, 15 of them in active rotation. I can name my top 3 brushes easily. Since the beginning, it was clear to me that I'd loose money in my quest. But I got hooked to the hobby. Thinking of it as a practical hobby, there's no wasting money for hobbies. It's a part of the journey, the experience, and it's a choice. I don't argue with the minimalists, it's just another way of thinking about shaving.
Finally to the point! I wanted to share my opinion about the process of selecting a brush that always works for me. Surprisingly, there's a universal recipe to follow in this jungle of available brushes which is unique for everybody.
It comes with the experience, but the most important part is to prioritize and have a clear understanding about the properties of a new brush you're looking for. These priorities are subjective, personal, in a different order. But they are always the same. Without doing that in advance, it's easy to make a mistake, or to regret a purchase. These personal preferences are a precondition to making a good comparison between brushes, or to apply critical thinking when evaluating somebody's description of a brush.
Most of the time, when someone asks for help about purchasing a new brush, they are asked how they are going to use it, and with what software. Based on my experience, bowl vs. face and soaps vs. creams arguments are an overrated classification. Most brushes don't have problems with those, except some extreme handle designs uncomfortable to use with a bowl, or brushes with complete lack of backbone not very efficient when loading soap. The most unsuitable handles for bowl lathering that I've used are beehives and Vie-Long 16510 handle, all of them beautiful and comfortable handles. I didn't mind using them in a bowl though, although I had to be careful not to knock my knuckles on the edges. Also, even the floppiest brushes are able to pick soap, maybe loading a little longer, but nothing major to complain about.
I also don't think that the budget should be a top priority to start with. It's the opposite, I think it's a sure recipe to fail making open minded comparison between brushes. Budget matters of course, but it's a constraint that should be considered last, when you'd have narrowed down your selection to a very few models to choose from.
I've figured out that the following list of priorities put in order of importance, helps me decide if I like a brush when reading about it, or when hunting for a new brush:
1. Softness
* the feel of the brush on my face is the most important property to me; it doesn't have to be always the same, but it has to be clear how soft I want my next brush to be;
2. Flow-through and lather release
* Efficient and effortless application of the lather on my face is the second most important thing I look for in a brush;
3. Backbone
* this is the tactile feeling that contributes for the overall perception of a brush; it suites your technique of pushing, swirling and painting preferences;
4. Knot size and shape
* these are responsible for the bloom, and for the amount of water and soap a brush holds.
5. Handle aesthetics and comfort
* although not on the top of my list, it's a very important factor when picking a brush which can become a deal breaker;
6. Budget
* finally, this is the 'black or white' constraint that will decide for me, if I'm going to buy the brush, or which one, if I have more than one in mind;
7. Brand
* it's the knowledge about the reputation and the image of the maker, the quality and warranties of their brushes.
There's only one change in my list that can occur - the brand selection can go to the top of the list, if I'm curious to try a brush from a particular manufacturer.
Maybe, someone will notice that density, hair grade, and loft are not in my list. This is because these properties are only indirectly responsible for my choice, not on their own. Flow, backbone, and even softness are affected by them, so they should be considered in the process.
So, do you have any strategy when picking a brush?
Do you rely on impulsive decisions?
Do you trust your instincts when purchasing a brush without clear idea what you're looking for?
Have you been disappointed due to misunderstanding your own preferences?
Have you been frustrated from the available choices, and not being able to decide?
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