Going firm

Hi everyone - long-time lurker. After using a Vulfix for a long time and deciding I hate that moppy/floppy feel, I ditched it. I knew it was time to ditch when the random eShave travel brush with its nice firm bristles was just more enjoyable for me.

I face lather mostly, but have been using Mitchell's lately - but mostly load the brush and then face lather even then. I definitely mix up soaps once in a while, but Mitchell's is the mainstay. DE Merkur Classic HD for shave with Feathers.

Been thinking a Plisson HMW 12 or 16 is in my future, I hear the backbone is solid. Thought about a Rooney Heritage as well.

Welcome and congratulations on breaking the ice with your first post. I lurked for quite a while myself.

Before jumping to a really expensive brush, my advice would be to experiment first some with some less costly alternatives to better dial in your preferences. For example, if you haven't used a good boar brush, you owe it to yourself to give on a try. No shortage of backbone, and once broken in, rival a badger knot in softness. Of course, there are plenty of brushes with excellent badger knots of varying grades available as well.

Good luck in your quest.

Semogue 1800 seems to be what you may desire.

I have been using my travel eShave fine which I picked up once while out of town and frankly like it a lot better. I even like the bit of scritch it has as being stimulating. I may go with boar to try - either Semague or Omega.

Semogue 610 is an excellent face lathering brush, as is the 1305. If you want to try a badger, I would recommend a two band finest like the Vintage Blades Brand Brush. A Rooney Heritage in Two band is a fantastic brush, but I did not care for the Heritage three band. If you are looking for serious back bone, the Shavemac D01 Two band is your answer.

Mike H said:

Semogue 610 is an excellent face lathering brush, as is the 1305. If you want to try a badger, I would recommend a two band finest like the Vintage Blades Brand Brush. A Rooney Heritage in Two band is a fantastic brush, but I did not care for the Heritage three band. If you are looking for serious back bone, the Shavemac D01 Two band is your answer.

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Just because I am a bit picky - how would those Semogues compare to the wood handled 1800 or SOC?

1305 is a painted wood handle. The SOC is in a class by itself, fantastic brush, but for me, a little too big for face lathering.

Go boar for backbone and softness. Semogue 1305, 610, 620. All will do you right and easy on the wallet.

The Omega 11137 is a great face lathering brush. Good backbone and pleasing to the eye

tknx said:

Hi everyone - long-time lurker. After using a Vulfix for a long time and deciding I hate that moppy/floppy feel, I ditched it. I knew it was time to ditch when the random eShave travel brush with its nice firm bristles was just more enjoyable for me.

I face lather mostly, but have been using Mitchell's lately - but mostly load the brush and then face lather even then. I definitely mix up soaps once in a while, but Mitchell's is the mainstay. DE Merkur Classic HD for shave with Feathers.

Been thinking a Plisson HMW 12 or 16 is in my future, I hear the backbone is solid. Thought about a Rooney Heritage as well.

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First, I doubt you'll get many people here who have used a Plisson, I certainly haven't but can tell you they generally aren't considered the "firmest" of brushes, however if you read @ben74 reviews, he tends to think they are great and firm just different.

Rooney Heritage is a great brush. If you aren't opposed to buying used try to snag an M&F or if you aren't opposed to a hassle get one new. Certainly try a HMW, I believe the 16 you can get with the two band HMW. That'd be what I try. Then again I'm bias. The Thater brushes are not moppy but they aren't really firm. Anyway, love those as well and they have a cult following.

Anyway, if you do try the Plisson, they are absolutely beautiful and loved on other forums, I would love to hear about it!

The individual Plisson HMW hairs are thick and strong, similar to Simpson Manchurian. However the knot construction is very different. Plisson are high lofted and not dense. As a result the knot is more yielding and will splay under pressure. The result is a brush that provides feedback against the face (due to the strength of the individual hairs) and superb flow through. The brush responds well to circular motions and doesn't feel like a wall of badger against the face. The Plisson HMW is not floppy like Kent or Muhle silver tip, but doesn't display exactly the same sense of backbone that denser and shorter lofts do. In short the individual hairs are firm and rigid, providing backbone, but the knot construction allows for splay rather than an unyielding presentation against the face.

Get an omega if you want a face lathering brush with backbone.

I own a SOC and while I enjoy using it, I would say it only has a moderate amount of backbone and decent amount of splay. However it feels great on the face, and don't mind the splay at all because it helps with the lathering. My only real gripe with the SOC is that I have to load more product than with other brushes I've used. If you want the most backbone, as said Omega is probably the way to go, but I prefer something more middle of the road.

If you're looking for a comparatively less expensive badger brush, you can either order a whipped dog drilled deeper ($35), or a drilled handle from whipped dog ($11) + TGN finest knot ($29 shipped) and glue it yourself. The latter will probably have a bit more backbone, but you can't go wrong either way. If you're willing to try a synthetic on the cheap, the pur-tech knots from virginiasheng on ebay get good reviews at a fraction of the price of a Muhle. You can find a 22/55mm virginiasheng brush for like $13, or purchase the knot for $11.50 if you want to do it yourself.

JaxJim said:

Before jumping to a really expensive brush, my advice would be to experiment first some with some less costly alternatives to better dial in your preferences. For example, if you haven't used a good boar brush, you owe it to yourself to give on a try. No shortage of backbone, and once broken in, rival a badger knot in softness. Of course, there are plenty of brushes with excellent badger knots of varying grades available as well.

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+1. Read up here about all the different brushes available. An inexpensive Omega 49 boar comes to mind, and try out 2-bands at the Golden Nib. This is a very personal opinion, but I would not waste my money on a Plisson. The QC is not good for the price you pay, and it was the most disappointing brush I ever purchased. Of course, YMMV. Go Shavemac, Thater, or, for a really good inexpensive knot, the Golden Nib.

digitaldome said:

The Omega 11137 is a great face lathering brush. Good backbone and pleasing to the eye

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+1 The 11137 is a terrific face lathering brush with a nice wooden handle to boot. After break-in the tips are soft, but it has a nice backbone that makes tons of lather. Used with Tabac, Wilkinson, Arko and Palmolive sticks so far and the results have been excellent.
Omega Professional series are great for bowl lathering, but I find them too large for face lathering. The 11137 has just the right knot/loft ratio, not too long and with a dense 24 mm knot.

Also suggest Simpsons Classic or Duke 2 - both are my go-to face latherers and I find them nicer to use than boars.

The DUKE 2 in BEST badger is my favorite face lathering brush of all time. I think you'll love it. Happy hunting!

My CL2 in best is a nice face latherer.

For a firm badger brush at a modest price, look for a brush with a TGN Finest knot. They have soft tips and excellent backbone. You can have one made by any artisan or pick on BST.