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Brush substitute

M

matthew86

Ok now before anyone makes fun of me I have only recently started full on wet shaving. That means the soap and brush part I have always the canned goo. I have mentioned before that I did this because I need to save money so I can blow it on something as trivial as tuition. ($20k a year for nursing school, that's a lot of razors, blades and soap that I could be buying.) I have yet to pick up a shaving brush as it seems that I am in a wet shaving desert. I have been using a (cough-cough) paintbrush :blushing:. I was wondering if there was something similar that I could use till I save up enough for a brush.

I could have bought a brush if gas wasn't $4.15 a gallon and me having a 5 liter V8 engine. (bad bad truck)

The paint brush kind of works I have given it a hair cut to get it into the shape I need. I was wondering if I could "borrow" one of my sister's or girlfriend's make up brushes and have that sub in for a few months. :confused2 I have tried a bronzing brush but I think it is to soft for my face when wet and it bleeds the dye constantly.
 
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Drubbing

Drubbing

It doesn't matter where you are, everywhere is a wet shaving desert. The only Oasis is in the US Art of Shaving shops, but when you get in there you'd wish the prices were a mirage.

I'm not going to make fun of you for being new to wet shaving, but I should retain the right to do so after you said you're using a paintbrush. Not only will it not work well, it'll be harder to work with.

You had my sympathy until you mentioned the V8. You can afford $10 for an Omega or Semogue boar. Anyone can. And it will do a better job than any of your other options.
 
M

matthew86

I build it up in the bowl and I use VHD from wally world. It does a good job and I can make a decent shaving lube out of it. (won't call it lather since I think it is a little runny in comparison to the canned goo) But it never looks quite like the pictures that some people have posted. I just notice the canned stuff doesn't provide enough slickness for the blade. I know the car is a bit much but I have had this car since gas prices were at $1.25 so in retrospect it wasn't bad. Been looking for new car to trade to.
 
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inspiringK

inspiringK

Okay, so money is tight.
Just want to make sure I know the situation - In Canada you can buy a $13 boar from the local Drug Store and really have a great usable brush. Is there no similar option in the US? Or, is money so tight that you can't afford $13? In that case, I guess getting a non lathering cream, like CremoCreme, would be a sort of substitute.

Being low on funds is tough, good luck finding something that works:thumbup1:
 
M

matthew86

Yeah the drug stores and walmart just don't have the brushes or I would have picked one up. I can afford up to a $30 brush but I still have to wait for it to get to me and then wait for the campus to sort the mail.....they slow things down by like 2 days and I need to be clean shaven for my job at the VA on the airforce base in fort worth. Just needed something to get me through about a week and a half.
 
Tak

Tak

Personally I'd just order an omega boar from Amazon and use the canned stuff.

That's really kind of useless of them to not have the brushes with the pucks. I guess they don't want to create any new soap-and-brush users, just keep the existing ones!

EDIT: Can you use the PX on the base, or do you know someone who can? They might have a brush there.
 
B

BrianK

matthew86 said:
I build it up in the bowl and I use VHD from wally world. It does a good job and I can make a decent shaving lube out of it. (won't call it lather since I think it is a little runny in comparison to the canned goo) But it never looks quite like the pictures that some people have posted. I just notice the canned stuff doesn't provide enough slickness for the blade. I know the car is a bit much but I have had this car since gas prices were at $1.25 so in retrospect it wasn't bad. Been looking for new car to trade to.
Click to expand...

The lather we can work on, lets get you some tools first.

I have been waiting for the right person to show up and you my friend are the right person.

OK, bowl lather, that's what I needed. You, grasshopper, are having a lucky day whether you know it or not.

I was PIFed a Shea Moisture brush a few weeks ago. The person IMO who should have received it was someone who was "finger lathering" but he wouldn't respond to the gent PIFing the brush, so it came down to me. I face lather and the brush is the absolute pits for that, it's too big, too soft, and too springy. It flings soap all over when used for face lathering. But what it does OK is bowl lather. BTW, it's a badger, not a silvertip, but it does make fantastic velvety, glossy lather. BTW, I tested it with VDH. I cleaned it after use and sprayed it with a Quat' disinfect and just let it air dry.

Have I got a deal for you... PM me your address and not only will I send you the brush, but I'll also send a sample of homemade Bay Rum. Both are free and I pay the shipping. OK, not completely free. You must tell me how you like the BR. Honestly. If you think it sucks that's what I want to hear, if you like it that's what I want to hear. If you use it and you and the GF and you wind up having hot, well, I don't need to know about that.

Obviously you have a razor, to sweeten the deal I'll even throw in 10 Personna Medical Blades. That should hold you for awhile. I get 7 shaves per blade.

Deal?

BTW, this is the way I PIF. Few ever see it and I like it that way. Just a random act.
 
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fluffman86

fluffman86

A Semogue 1470 is an *EXCELLENT* brush, and only $16.50 shipped from Portugal. Don't want to wait that long? Buy mine for $20 and I'll make due until I can order another. :p

Not sure it's a better brush, kind of a toss up for me, but Amazon has the Tweezerman for $11.60 now. Free 2-day Prime shipping or free super saver (shaver, hah!) shipping for orders over $25.

edit: Whoa! Take the deal above! I posted too slow. :p Very nice of BrianK to offer a Shea brush. :)
 
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DE_Dude

DE_Dude

Awesome! :thumbup: Great sudden PIF, Brian.

It's your lucky day, Matthew! As original owner of the Shea brush I want to hear what you think of it! :thumbup1: It works great with a bowl, which is why it got PIFed in the first place (I prefer face lathering, like Brian does). I'm sure it works a lot better than a paintbrush and no one will laugh at you for being the guy who used a make up brush to lather up.

The bay rum is great too!!!
 
PozzSka

PozzSka

Good on you, BrianK!

I was just thinking about offering up a little restore I just finished, but you have him taken care of.

Congrats to the lucky PIF-ee!
 
Go West Young Man

Go West Young Man

Buy some shaving cream (the real stuff, not the aerosol foam/gel - ie Real Shaving at Rite Aid, Bigelow at Bath+Body Works, Macca Root at The Body Shop, all available for under $10 a tube) and just apply 'as is' to your face. All shaving creams can be used brushless - the brush just makes everything better.

BTW, makeup brushes and paintbrushes won't work. All they share with shaving brushes is that they look similar. You want bristles that absorb water and slowly release it into the lather (which is why only a few specific animals can supply the hairs for shaving brushes), while paint and makeup brushes are made specifically NOT to absorb liquids.
 
Bobtrumpet

Bobtrumpet

Go West Young Man said:
Buy some shaving cream (the real stuff, not the aerosol foam/gel - ie Real Shaving at Rite Aid, Bigelow at Bath+Body Works, Macca Root at The Body Shop, all available for under $10 a tube) and just apply 'as is' to your face. All shaving creams can be used brushless - the brush just makes everything better.
Click to expand...

+1 Terrific advice (especially since I was just about to post the same thing). You can even use the VDH (or other) shaving soap without a brush.
 
M80

M80

Only for bowl lathering though.
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Come on... it's scrubbing bubbles!
 
dpm802

dpm802

You don't absolutely need a brush. Any soap or cream can be lathered up by hand, and neither your razor nor your whiskers will know the difference. I went for about six months lathering by hand, even though I had several brushes to choose from. I still do it on occasion.

I agree with those that said an Omega or Semogue boar will be a good starter brush. They are dirt cheap and will give you a lot of bang for your buck, especially if you like to face lather.

My current fave is a Semogue 1305, and it is also the least expensive of the dozen or so brushes that I now have.
 
BlackBard

BlackBard

Go West Young Man said:
Buy some shaving cream (the real stuff, not the aerosol foam/gel - ie Real Shaving at Rite Aid, Bigelow at Bath+Body Works, Macca Root at The Body Shop, all available for under $10 a tube) and just apply 'as is' to your face. All shaving creams can be used brushless - the brush just makes everything better.

BTW, makeup brushes and paintbrushes won't work. All they share with shaving brushes is that they look similar. You want bristles that absorb water and slowly release it into the lather (which is why only a few specific animals can supply the hairs for shaving brushes), while paint and makeup brushes are made specifically NOT to absorb liquids.
Click to expand...

Good advice. I was going to say about the same. Then I decided to read on and found the above.
 
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