Help me understand what size, shape, and material does for brush performance

[Roobaix]

I've been reading everything I can, but I'm having a hard time finding information about all the different sizes and shapes of brushes and the context in which they generally perform better. I've checked stickies, wikis, and searched away. If there is a post with all of this info, please point it out!

What roles do the knot diameter, loft, and shape generally play when selecting a brush?
What makes a brush better suited for a soap over a cream and vice versa?
How does the grade of hair correlate?

Here is some background: I've been wetshaving for about 6 years now. I never really gave my brush choice much thought and was/am fairly happy with my current Merkur Vision brush that I'm using. I can't explain what I do and do not like about it (other than it's ugly looks) as I've never used anything else. It seems to do a decent job at everything for me. I like to use a wide variety of different soaps & creams and rotate a different one every day of the week. I'm strictly a bowl latherer.

Lately I've been getting the itch to try something new. I'd like to pick up a few brushes in the near future.
1. All around good brush for soaps and creams
2. Soap brush
3. Cream brush

I've been wanting to pick up a Simpson because I just love the way they look, but I've got no clue which one to try. I also plan on doing some builds or restores very soon since it's cheaper, but not knowing the above info really kinda puts a damper in those plans.

Help!

[kbuzbee]

Well, here's the thing most people miss when they are searching. It ALL comes down to what YOU like.

There are statistical sweet spots of course. Bowl latherers tend to like longer, less dense brushes with longer handles. Face latherers tend to prefer stiffer, shorter brushes with softer tips.

So you'll see general recommendations for things like Kent or a softer boar like the SOC for bowl and Chubby or Stubby or a stiffer boar for face.

But, in the end, only you can figure out what really works for you. Me, for example. I face lather hard soaps. But my favorite brushes are medium dense and quite large (Kent BLK12, Shavemac XXL and Rudy Vey all three are around 30mm knots, the first two have somewhat taller lifts). For my use, I doubt I'd get many recommendations to try these brushes (especially the first two)

I also plan on doing some builds or restores very soon since it's cheaper, but not knowing the above info really kinda puts a damper

Actually, I disagree with this point. The cost of "rolling your own" makes it much easier to try a wider variety and figure out what YOU prefer.

Enjoy,

Ken

[JPDyson]

It's a bit like photography - I can talk about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc all independently, but how they work together is half art, half science, and all preference.

That being said, generally, larger knots mean more hair on your face at one time, and less scrubbing/painting to cover your whole beard. I tend to prefer medium-small brushes in this regard, as more movement = more agitation/lifting of beard hairs, and for me, better "prep". This is largely a preference, perhaps more so than other qualities (and not so much a soap vs. cream orientation).

The loft tends to relate to the perceived "floppy-ness" of the brush; longer lofts mean the hair bends more easily when pressed into the face. This can make it feel softer, but can also result in loading the brush on hard soaps taking more time and effort. That's why you'll see a lot of guys who prefer soaps and face lathering will opt for shorter lofts. However, longer hairs arguably whip lather more efficiently, especially in a bowl. For a lot of guys, 50mm is the "middle" of the road - at or under that is face lathering and soaps territory, at or over that is bowl and cream land. That's a bit over-generalized, but I find it to be commonly the case.

Density is a big factor - a more dense brush (all other things equal) will be stiffer, and will hold onto the lather more. But, it loads soaps better, and gives a nice scrubbing sensation (not scratching - you may still want very soft tips with your very dense brush). Also, density can affect how large a brush feels on your face. A more dense brush of the same knot size will splay less.

As to hair grades, this is a function of preference, pricepoint, and surely other things. Generally, Silvertip hairs are finer and thusly softer and less springy. Two-band hair is coarser, so firmer, but can still have very soft tips. Best/Super/other middle-grade hairs can be pretty soft and often between silvertip and two-band as far as resilience. "Pure" badger is generally coarser and scritchy at the tips, though some pure grade brushes aren't all that bad. There's also "black badger" which is a cheaper grade that has some springy-ness to it, and less soft tips, but by many is considered superior to "pure".

Your Mileage WILL Vary wildy here. Experimentation, I'm afraid, is the only real way to find out. However, think about your brush in terms of how "stiff" it is when you press it into your face, and whether you think you'd like more or less of that. Think of how soft the tips are - one brand's Silvertip can be a lot softer than another brand's. Think about how much of your beard your brush covers at one time - do you want more or less of that? Consider what you want to spend as well - that can be the difference between what hair grades and brands you consider.

Any of that helping you narrow down the search?

[Roobaix]

Actually, I disagree with this point. The cost of "rolling your own" makes it much easier to try a wider variety and figure out what YOU prefer.

I do agree with you and that's exactly why I want to do it...I guess I'm just not exactly sure where to start. I'll probably pick up a few knots from TGN if I decide to go this route and go from there.

Any of that helping you narrow down the search?

Absolutely! Very helpful.

Thanks for the replies!

[Rossmeister]

I only own two brushes. The first I got as a part of a starter kit when I had no clue. It's a Proraso boar, really long, really soft tips, and a lot of backbone. Perfect for face lathering. I don't like the long handle though, as it's a bit big in my hand.

The second is this:



I love the design. The hair has spread out a bit more, and truly looks like a mill when standing. I bought it because of design and I wanted to try a badger. It's a fine/best badger. The ends are much more prickly than the split ends of the boar, but I get by

So for me.. I just try stuff out and I like to keep my gear in the same range.