This is a comparison of the four brushes I use for face lathering sticks. My intention is to point out some of the characteristics of a brush I consider important and to set a structure for brush comparisons. I believe brushes are better to compare than to review alone. It is easier for a reviewer to communicate his opinion if he describes his way of shaving and his preferences.
I have been DE shaving for 8 years and tested quite a few brushes along the way, mostly ad hoc. I have finally arrived at this check list on brush properties (which I have shamelessly copied from an ancient B&B post!
). This is my strategy for brush comparisons and it is highly subjective. Your mileage will vary!
My method of shaving with sticks consists of a shower , MR GLO applied on the face with a cloth ATG to exfoliate, brush soaking in cold water during shower, cold water shaving with 2+ passes (XTG, ATG + free form), cold water rinse and an AS balm (DR Harris or Castle Forbes). On doctors orders I apply extra moisturizer once a week or daily during cold/dry season. I shave every day and all my shaves for the last five years have been BBS.
I use the following brushes with sticks: Mühle 23/56 mm V2 synthetic, da Vinci Uomo 293 22/56 mm silvertip, Shavemac custom 23/53 mm finest and a Vie-Long custom 24/50 mm white (50/50) horsehair. For a brush to qualify into my den I have to consider it my desert island brush. Unfortunately (for my wallet) I have during recent years taken a liking for bigger brushes...
http://www.connaughtshaving.com/33k257.html
http://www.promakeupbrush.com/shaving.html
http://www.shavemac.com/selfmade.html and choose brush configurator
http://www.giftsandcare.com/en/hors...rocha-de-afeitar-caballo-vie-long-13061b.html
Face feeling
Of all the characteristics of a brush I value the feeling on my face the most. I cannot stand scritch, scratch, prickliness or any unpleasantness on my face at all. I do not need exfoliation from the brush, I get it during prep.
I consider the softness of the brush when it is on my face, after a good soaking. Sometimes I even soak my Mühle though it is synthetic and doesn't need it. The softness is of course dependent on the type of bristle, density and to some extent the loft.
Much to my surprise I have found that the softest tips are those of the Vie-Long horse brush. Mühle is a predictable runner up and the Shavemac is softer than the da Vinci. The differences between the first and second and between the third and fourth is very small, much smaller than between the second and third.
Lathering
For me the lather building and release are the second most important characteristic of a brush. The size, loft and density of the knot are important properties in this respect.
Effortless and efficient lathering is of course dependent on how you use the brush. I first spread the stick paste in swirling round motions and then mostly build it on my face with painting motions.
The Vie-Long is very efficient and easy as is the Mühle in releasing lather. The da Vinci is the least efficient brush to release the lather while the Shavemac is close to the Mühle. These are the results after I learned to only use the tips for loading and building. If you press the knot when loading and building lather a synthetic or a horse knot won't work for you.
Backbone
The backbone is dependent on what material the knot is made of and how the loft is set.
The backbone of a brush is important in assisting to pick up the soap from the puck. A weak backbone will result in splaying of a brush while building lather. If the backbone is not there a careless user might splay the brush with the result that the water is released while pressing too hard on the knot. After using the earlier generations of synthetic brushes I have learned to only use the tips of the brush.
I find that of these brushes the da Vinci has the strongest backbone while the Vie-Long is the weakest in this respect. The Mühle is second and the Shavemac third. On the other hand the da Vinci has the highest loft, so there is a lot to take care of.
I have set the loft on the Vie-Long to 50 mm (from 53mm). I would consider setting it at 48 mm with present knowledge and my usage. Of course this would compromise the loading capacity of the knot.
Knot
The feeling of the knot on the face is dependent on the diameter, loft, shape, density and bristle type of the knot. All my brushes except the Vie-Long are bulb shaped. This is highly intentional with my way of using them. The lone exception is the Vie-Long which has a strange hybrid shape.
I like big knots!
The biggest knot impression on the face is the da Vinci. This is partly because of the loft but certainly to a degree also because of the excellent backbone.
The Shavemac might seem bigger to the eye when dry but the lesser backbone and density makes it feel smaller when wet and in use.
The Mühle is a surprise for me. I have had Mühles as travel brushes for some years now but they have not made it to my den until this version 4 appeared on the market a while ago. When I consider the rapid development of these synthetic knots there is no doubt in my mind that this is the way into the future.
The Vie-Long is the brush with the smallest knot on the face. In spite of this I have grown to like it because of the very nice mix of properties (and the heavenly soft tips). Did I mention I like soft tips? This one has it!
Handle
The ideal handle is a very personal choice. I use all my brushes for face lathering, from stick or puck. This usage calls for a compact handle. The total height of the brush should not be too tall or it will be uncomfortable to hold to the face.
The da Vinci has the tallest handle and the highest loft making it the tallest brush of the lot. The beadle form of the handle is very unorthodox, but the da Vinci can be ordered with a more conventional handle. I would not have ordered this handle with a custom brush but it was the only one available at the time for this brush.
Of the handles I did order the Shavemac is my favorite and the only 100 % custom brush of the lot. It is by far my favorite.
The Vie-Long is very comfortable, if you do not bowl lather which I don't do.
The Mühle handle is manageable and classic.
Budget
This is a binary variable. Either you have a budget for the brush or you don't. It is clearly worth noting that the correlation between a favorite brush and its price is in no way predictable.
Brand
Can be a deal breaker or something that is not so important. For me the brand has always been the least important characteristic of a brush.
These are the sticks that have made it to my den. I want to particularly point out the new formulation of the Lea stick. It is a huge improvement that might go unnoticed because the holder is almost unchanged. It now contains both glycerin and lanolin!
So what are your favorite brushes?
What do you think of this kind of brush reviews?
I have been DE shaving for 8 years and tested quite a few brushes along the way, mostly ad hoc. I have finally arrived at this check list on brush properties (which I have shamelessly copied from an ancient B&B post!
). This is my strategy for brush comparisons and it is highly subjective. Your mileage will vary!My method of shaving with sticks consists of a shower , MR GLO applied on the face with a cloth ATG to exfoliate, brush soaking in cold water during shower, cold water shaving with 2+ passes (XTG, ATG + free form), cold water rinse and an AS balm (DR Harris or Castle Forbes). On doctors orders I apply extra moisturizer once a week or daily during cold/dry season. I shave every day and all my shaves for the last five years have been BBS.
I use the following brushes with sticks: Mühle 23/56 mm V2 synthetic, da Vinci Uomo 293 22/56 mm silvertip, Shavemac custom 23/53 mm finest and a Vie-Long custom 24/50 mm white (50/50) horsehair. For a brush to qualify into my den I have to consider it my desert island brush. Unfortunately (for my wallet) I have during recent years taken a liking for bigger brushes...
http://www.connaughtshaving.com/33k257.html
http://www.promakeupbrush.com/shaving.html
http://www.shavemac.com/selfmade.html and choose brush configurator
http://www.giftsandcare.com/en/hors...rocha-de-afeitar-caballo-vie-long-13061b.html
Face feeling
Of all the characteristics of a brush I value the feeling on my face the most. I cannot stand scritch, scratch, prickliness or any unpleasantness on my face at all. I do not need exfoliation from the brush, I get it during prep.
I consider the softness of the brush when it is on my face, after a good soaking. Sometimes I even soak my Mühle though it is synthetic and doesn't need it. The softness is of course dependent on the type of bristle, density and to some extent the loft.
Much to my surprise I have found that the softest tips are those of the Vie-Long horse brush. Mühle is a predictable runner up and the Shavemac is softer than the da Vinci. The differences between the first and second and between the third and fourth is very small, much smaller than between the second and third.
Lathering
For me the lather building and release are the second most important characteristic of a brush. The size, loft and density of the knot are important properties in this respect.
Effortless and efficient lathering is of course dependent on how you use the brush. I first spread the stick paste in swirling round motions and then mostly build it on my face with painting motions.
The Vie-Long is very efficient and easy as is the Mühle in releasing lather. The da Vinci is the least efficient brush to release the lather while the Shavemac is close to the Mühle. These are the results after I learned to only use the tips for loading and building. If you press the knot when loading and building lather a synthetic or a horse knot won't work for you.
Backbone
The backbone is dependent on what material the knot is made of and how the loft is set.
The backbone of a brush is important in assisting to pick up the soap from the puck. A weak backbone will result in splaying of a brush while building lather. If the backbone is not there a careless user might splay the brush with the result that the water is released while pressing too hard on the knot. After using the earlier generations of synthetic brushes I have learned to only use the tips of the brush.
I find that of these brushes the da Vinci has the strongest backbone while the Vie-Long is the weakest in this respect. The Mühle is second and the Shavemac third. On the other hand the da Vinci has the highest loft, so there is a lot to take care of.
I have set the loft on the Vie-Long to 50 mm (from 53mm). I would consider setting it at 48 mm with present knowledge and my usage. Of course this would compromise the loading capacity of the knot.
Knot
The feeling of the knot on the face is dependent on the diameter, loft, shape, density and bristle type of the knot. All my brushes except the Vie-Long are bulb shaped. This is highly intentional with my way of using them. The lone exception is the Vie-Long which has a strange hybrid shape.
I like big knots!
The biggest knot impression on the face is the da Vinci. This is partly because of the loft but certainly to a degree also because of the excellent backbone.
The Shavemac might seem bigger to the eye when dry but the lesser backbone and density makes it feel smaller when wet and in use.
The Mühle is a surprise for me. I have had Mühles as travel brushes for some years now but they have not made it to my den until this version 4 appeared on the market a while ago. When I consider the rapid development of these synthetic knots there is no doubt in my mind that this is the way into the future.
The Vie-Long is the brush with the smallest knot on the face. In spite of this I have grown to like it because of the very nice mix of properties (and the heavenly soft tips). Did I mention I like soft tips? This one has it!
Handle
The ideal handle is a very personal choice. I use all my brushes for face lathering, from stick or puck. This usage calls for a compact handle. The total height of the brush should not be too tall or it will be uncomfortable to hold to the face.
The da Vinci has the tallest handle and the highest loft making it the tallest brush of the lot. The beadle form of the handle is very unorthodox, but the da Vinci can be ordered with a more conventional handle. I would not have ordered this handle with a custom brush but it was the only one available at the time for this brush.
Of the handles I did order the Shavemac is my favorite and the only 100 % custom brush of the lot. It is by far my favorite.
The Vie-Long is very comfortable, if you do not bowl lather which I don't do.
The Mühle handle is manageable and classic.
Budget
This is a binary variable. Either you have a budget for the brush or you don't. It is clearly worth noting that the correlation between a favorite brush and its price is in no way predictable.
Brand
Can be a deal breaker or something that is not so important. For me the brand has always been the least important characteristic of a brush.
These are the sticks that have made it to my den. I want to particularly point out the new formulation of the Lea stick. It is a huge improvement that might go unnoticed because the holder is almost unchanged. It now contains both glycerin and lanolin!
So what are your favorite brushes?
What do you think of this kind of brush reviews?
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