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What’s the appeal of big brushes?

I don't use big brushes because the hold more leather. That may be an added benefit. The fact is that there is nothing better than a big brush and a good soap to pamper my face before and while shaving.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I sort of ended up with larger brushes by accident. @Chan Eil Whiskers directed me toward the SV brushes. I now own 3 of them and I compare any other brushes to them. They are listed as 26mm but coming out of the crown at the top of the handle, they measure 28mm or so, I think. I do know, Rudy recently reknotted one of my brushes with a 28mm ShaveMac Two-band Silvertip and it feels the same as the SV brushes by size..... My Zenith 26mm Manchurian and my reknotted 26mm ShaveMac Rudy installed in a ESC Ultimate two tone aluminum handle both feel smaller... yet enjoyable.

So for me, at the moment, 26mm is my minimum brush size. I sold all my Semogue SOC brushes because they felt too small for me at the 24mm... But that's just one man's opinion. There is enough variety in brushes for everyone to find what they enjoy the most.
 
New shaver here, I’m trying to figure out what the appeal to large brushes is?
In looking at the shapes & sizes of brushes, I’m shocked at how large some of them are. Large in diameter, large knot, heavy, etc.
Are you trying to put on as much lather as possible? Or just like the feel of a large handle?

Coming from the art & painting world where brushes are designed to be as light, slim and svelte as possible, It seems really foreign to want a big chunky heavy handle.

Looking at something like a Simpsons Chubby 3 with its short fat handle.. I don’t understand it at all.

Is the disconnect of me not understanding the fat size and stubby shapes in the grip?
I don’t understand why’d you’d want to have the butt pressed into your palm and hold it by your finger tips, rather than holding it like a paint brush (as that’s essentially what these are- brushes to paint lather on your face).
Maybe it’s just me not being used to holding it that way.

Here’s a picture of the first 3 brushes I‘ve bought. I had no idea how chunky they were until seeing them in person. If I’m being honest, none of these fat round handles are what I’d call comfortable to hold and use.
View attachment 1794366



In looking around the interwebs at all the different brush handle designs- to my painter‘s brain, these style handles seem like they’d be the most comfortable to hold and use:
View attachment 1794367

View attachment 1794368



Essentially a longer thinner handle that you’d hold like a paintbrush, rather than having the butt pressed into your palm and holding with your finger tips.


What am I missing here?
I tend to overload on purpose, to the point of having enough loaded for myself and the entire street on which I live.
Two of my favorites are both Omega brushes. A red handle #49 and black handle #10098.
Wasteful? Absolutely, but then I relish the face lathering and painting aspect of the morning ritual and gentle squeezing what remains left in the brush, and smearing it on my face for any touch ups.
 
Part of me doesn't understand the appeal of brushes. That's good, because it's the part of me that saves money. I have one brush, it's small, and I expect it to last me 10 years or more. Then I'll get a new one.
It makes good lather. If I bowl lather, I want a small brush so I can spread the lather precisely. If I face lather, I want a small brush so it doesn't lather my temples, my nose, my shirt.
I've lathered with a cheap natural hair pastry brush before and it worked quite well. Takes a little longer to build a lather but paints on easily.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
New shaver here, I’m trying to figure out what the appeal to large brushes is?
In looking at the shapes & sizes of brushes, I’m shocked at how large some of them are. Large in diameter, large knot, heavy, etc.
Are you trying to put on as much lather as possible? Or just like the feel of a large handle?

Coming from the art & painting world where brushes are designed to be as light, slim and svelte as possible, It seems really foreign to want a big chunky heavy handle.

Looking at something like a Simpsons Chubby 3 with its short fat handle.. I don’t understand it at all.

Is the disconnect of me not understanding the fat size and stubby shapes in the grip?
I don’t understand why’d you’d want to have the butt pressed into your palm and hold it by your finger tips, rather than holding it like a paint brush (as that’s essentially what these are- brushes to paint lather on your face).
Maybe it’s just me not being used to holding it that way.

Here’s a picture of the first 3 brushes I‘ve bought. I had no idea how chunky they were until seeing them in person. If I’m being honest, none of these fat round handles are what I’d call comfortable to hold and use.
View attachment 1794366



In looking around the interwebs at all the different brush handle designs- to my painter‘s brain, these style handles seem like they’d be the most comfortable to hold and use:
View attachment 1794367

View attachment 1794368



Essentially a longer thinner handle that you’d hold like a paintbrush, rather than having the butt pressed into your palm and holding with your finger tips.


What am I missing here?


In my opinion it is 100% subjective.

I like very large brushes. I like various handle sizes and shapes. I have a lot of brushes. I know full well that I'd be fine with one brush and it would not have to be particularly large, but why not have and use what I enjoy?



Zeniths.2.Wood.640.4-18.JPG



You might like handles such as these. They're pretty small. To me they feel like knobs to hold the knot rather than handles with a knot attached (which might not make sense to anybody but me).

Mostly it's about doing what you want to as long as it works for you and suits you. There's no right and wrong to brush picking.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Mr. Shavington

Knows Hot Turkish Toilets
What is large? I’m pretty flexible and I enjoy brushes of all sizes these days. I used to consider 28mm to be my comfortable limit and anything larger seemed awkward and hard to control. But then I got into Plisson HMW silvertips and I found I preferred their size 14 (22mm with 59mm loft - which is significantly bigger than any 28mm artisan knot). And now I am quite comfortable with a 31mm Kent BK12 or a similar sized Plisson HMW size 20. I still don’t think I would enjoy a 30mm 2-Band brush, though - the stiffness and density would still feel unwieldy to me with such a large knot, and I would feel like I am having to fight it.

So I don’t really know any more what large is, but I suspect it’s not only the physical size that matters.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I'm a bit like Rudy in that my preferences sometimes change over time.

I'm also a bit like Cal in that I like to be precise in my lathering. As a 100% of the time face latherer I have no difficulties with precision when using my quite large knots.



9-26-23.Filament.Ethos.Polo.640.JPG

10-4-23.CM1.Ethos.MS3Band.640.JPG

2-7-24.Bayonetta:Doug's.Mike's.SV30.640.JPG



I believe all of these brushes measure 30 mm or larger at the knot's exit from the handle.



12-22-23.X1.Mike's.MightyMidget.640.JPG



The Omega Mighty Midget to which I added three #13 O-rings is a much smaller knot, but I like it plenty well, too.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Coming from the art & painting world where brushes are designed to be as light, slim and svelte as possible, It seems really foreign to want a big chunky heavy handle.
...
Looking at something like a Simpsons Chubby 3 with its short fat handle... I don’t understand it at all.
...
What am I missing here?
......
All I can say is, 1. I prefer a short chubby shaving brush and, 2. This is how I hold a brush for painting:
Brush 1.jpg


While this is how I hold a short, stubby brush for shaving:
.....
Brush 2.jpg

.....
It's two entirely different ways of gripping two entirely differently shaped brushes.
 
factors here:
Smaller knots are cheaper
I have an 18mm Simpson badger, and it basically sucks.
I have a 24mm Tuxedo, and a 24mm Muhle silvertip fibre.
They work well. As you get larger, you cover the large areas faster, but you lose time in the tight spaces.
 
Though mine is in rotation, I have been using a 1305 for the better part of a year that still looks new.
I only soak the bottom half of the bristles due to the wood handle. Presuming that it's the wood swelling up
 
I think I’m starting to understand the larger brush thing.

Now that I have a number of wet shaves under my belt, I find myself wanting to use the large 28mm Zenith every time. That big ol knot of hair is a treat.
That said, I don’t particularly enjoy the big chonky handle. There‘s just no ergonomics to speak of.

My Simpsons T2, same story- I like the knot & fibers but I don’t enjoy the handle. It’s built like a shower knob.

Going forward, I’ll be keying in on brushes with slimmer, more ergonomic handles. Handles like the Zenith 507, the vintage slim handle shapes like Rubberset 200, C-mon, Dubl Ducks, etc.

But larger knots? I’m okay with larger knots, though I can’t see going over 28mm. 24-26mm seems like it’ll be the sweet spot for me.
 
I think I’m starting to understand the larger brush thing.

Now that I have a number of wet shaves under my belt, I find myself wanting to use the large 28mm Zenith every time. That big ol knot of hair is a treat.
That said, I don’t particularly enjoy the big chonky handle. There‘s just no ergonomics to speak of.

My Simpsons T2, same story- I like the knot & fibers but I don’t enjoy the handle. It’s built like a shower knob.

Going forward, I’ll be keying in on brushes with slimmer, more ergonomic handles. Handles like the Zenith 507, the vintage slim handle shapes like Rubberset 200, C-mon, Dubl Ducks, etc.

But larger knots? I’m okay with larger knots, though I can’t see going over 28mm. 24-26mm seems like it’ll be the sweet spot for me.
I've got a 2000 CXE-whatever... comfortable handle for me, it's like a better, unbleached version of the SOC. 2-3 wet cycle break in. it's a "big" 24
 
I have a 24mm synthetic and I think that’s as large as I could go (maybe a 26mm). My favorite brush is a C40 I put a 20mm synthetic knot in but I also want an 18 and 22mm as well. The smaller brushes are just so handy and maneuverable and I’ve never felt like I could run out of lather. I don’t personally like larger brushes, but if you do, God bless you!
 
2 shaves in with my Semogue and the finish is already splitting in 3 places.
I guess there’s a reason they cost $14.
Don’t know that I’ll buy another.

img_3432-jpeg.1797450


 
1708273241787.png
I have been using this brand and style brush for a number of years. I purchased it on Amazon. It has increased its price over the years, so I always have one as a backup. Very comfortable and does the job. I am very satisfied with this brush. I have tried many, but this is the one for me!
 
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