Gel-like tips - Manchurian

I was washing my my Manchurian badger hair brush for the first time after using it and kept washing the tips over and over wondering why the soap was getting out. The tips felt like gel.

I thought it was very soapy-soap that wasn't washing off.

Then a week ago I was skimming through a thread and the phrase "gel-like tips" caught my attention. I then remembred my Manchurian badger hair Simpsons brush.

So today before using it (was completely dry, hadn't shaved in 48 hours) I wet the tips and felt them. They did feel like gel.

So a word of warning. Its not drenched in soap. Its how it is.

I hear that fondling brushes is a felony in some States.

clk said:

I hear that fondling brushes is a felony in some States.

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Hopefully not in Texas!

clk said:

I hear that fondling brushes is a felony in some States.

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What happens in the shave den, stays in the shave den.

Boy, that is a lovely feeing, especially on the face! Enjoy the brush.

Apparently gel-like sensation has been associated with M&F and Rooney brushes not Simpsons and especially not Manchurian hair.

I'll explain the sensation.

I've washed the brush with water and have clumped it together in my palm. From knot to tip to squeeze out water. I start squeezing from the knot towards the tip. At the tip , the brush slips out of my grip. Almost like there was soap on it.

So I did it a good 5 to 10 times and wondered why the hell it was still soapy.

Then a week later I read "gel-like" and remembered my brush.

So yesterday I wet the tips of the of the dry brush and felt it. It was like gel. Very slippery.

Almost as if they were coated with a lube.

If you look closely at the ends of the hairs, are they straight or hooked?

Will we start seeing your picture in post offices anytime soon?

beginish said:

If you look closely at the ends of the hairs, are they straight or hooked?

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All appear straight.

dpmtherrien said:

Will we start seeing your picture in post offices anytime soon?

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Whachoo mean

This is a very interesting thread. I've been following it on B&B and on TSN. Softness is one of those YMMV things that we have different perceptions about. I have sensitive skin, so softness is the most important propety of a brush to me.

I used to have a couple of TGN Finest brushes. I still have one of them. I hadn't used it for a long time, so I used it this morning to remind myself how soft it was. It's much softer than I remembered it. I can easily see why people would call it 'gel-like' soft. As you can see on my photo below, taken 5 minutes after I used it, it has the crusty and hooked tips, typical for some very soft brushes. BUT this brush is not a a 'gel-like' soft. Its softness is very similar to Shavemac Silvertip, Savile Row, just above Simpsons 2-band, almost as soft as my Thater 2-band, and not quite as soft as Thater 3-band. I call this kind of softness 'pillow' or 'cloud' soft which are synonyms in my shaving vocabulary. My Thaters (2- and 3- bands) were the softest brushes I had until recently. I didn't know what 'gel-like' softness really was until I bought my two vintage Rooney Super 2-band brushes from Classic Shaving. I don't have a Manchurian, but so far what I've read about it is that it's soft between Simpsons 2-band and Super. I have quite a few brushes softer than Simpsons 2-band, and their LE Super which I used to have, was scrubby even below the average compared to all my brushes.

edgerunner, everyone talks about the gel-like sensation on the face.

What about my phenomenon where I felt the gel-like sensation when I touched the tips with my fingers?

Great post, Boris. I asked the question about the hooked tips on the premise that the hairs stick together more easily, clumping when wet and delivering the gel-like feel. The Vintage Blades brush I have been using is full of hooked tips, and it's as gel-like when wet as can be. Based on hedonist's pic, the hooks can't be the only reason why they feel that way. Perhaps the brush makers are getting some hair that just has different physical properties, such that the hairs are attracted to each other when wet and give that face feel.

hedonist222 said:

edgerunner, everyone talks about the gel-like sensation on the face.

What about my phenomenon where I felt the gel-like sensation when I touched the tips with my fingers?

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I get this same feel in hand from the Vintage Blades brush. The ends feel slippery.

Las Vegas, eat your heart out!

dpm802 said:

What happens in the shave den, stays in the shave den.

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I recently bought this brush from The olde town shaving co in pasadena. I was told it is a gel tip due to the tips crinkling and bending over sideways. This gives a soft, gel like sensation on your face when lathering, I mean crazy soft. But still has quite a nice bit of backbone and provides nice scrub. It also has spear shaped tapering hairs that none of my other brushes have. I think it is a HMW but not sure about that. Can anyone confirm this information?

Here's a pic of the Shavemac 2 Band Silvertip knot in one of my Wolf Whiskers brushes.

All of my Shavemac 2 band knots eventually develop the gel tips.

Here's an image of some gel tips wet. The tips could stab someone when dry.



Here's my shavemac 2 band silvertip, I would call it gel like in comparison.

Derek where's that first knot from?

Everybody has great tastes & great pictures too. One day I hope to get a custom blue marbled Shavemac badger silvertip brush 2 band knot!

Chaddy187 said:

Derek where's that first knot from?

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Bob Quinn at Elite Razor. The tips are so soft I have trouble loading enough soap. Same brush.