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Using Badger Brushes with Hard Shaving Soaps

I was wondering if anyone here uses badger brushes with hard soaps?

I don't think I've tried hard soaps with a badger brush

Any input would be appreciated.

I'm thinking it will not go well.
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
Of course! The thing about badger brushes is that the variances are enormous from one type to the next. I've used all sorts now and love all types of brushes but nothing loads up a hard puck of soap like a really dense, scrubby badger. I have a Chubby 1 Super that will absolutely eat chunks out of hard soaps. It may actually be TOO rough on my hard pucks because they seem to get eaten up a little TOO quickly when I use it sometimes.
 
I can use any of my Silvertips on any soap. That doesn't mean that it is always optimal though. With really hard soaps, Silvertips take a bit of time and finesse. A stiffer brush, like a Finest or Best, handles the hard soaps more quickly. Some of them even have nearly as nice of a face feel as Silvertip, but in the end, nothing feels as nice as a Silvertip so the extra effort is worth it.

But hey, I enjoy nearly all of my brushes and enjoy rotating through the selection.
 
I only have one brush, a WD silvertip installed in my 45-year-old vintage Floris handle. I have about 30 +/- soaps, etc., in my rotation. And yes, I use my brush on very hard soaps. It does take a little more finesse. Big help if I let the soap soak in hot water while I shower. But I do get good lathers with this combination.
 
I can use any of my Silvertips on any soap. That doesn't mean that it is always optimal though. With really hard soaps, Silvertips take a bit of time and finesse. A stiffer brush, like a Finest or Best, handles the hard soaps more quickly. Some of them even have nearly as nice of a face feel as Silvertip, but in the end, nothing feels as nice as a Silvertip so the extra effort is worth it.

But hey, I enjoy nearly all of my brushes and enjoy rotating through the selection.
Big Jim nailed it, IMO. I can lather harder soaps with even a floppy brush. People mash their brush down on a soap way too hard most of the time. I lather with mostly the tips. Just a tiny bit of splay if the brush is soft. With one with good backbone, I don't need any splay at all. If the brush is damp, and the puck is damp, it may take a little bit longer with a badger, but it is easily done.
 
Thanks for the input. This is very informative

The bristles being very soft is what makes me think that they will not function. Especially silvertip
 
I consistently use my Vulfix Super Badger on all my soaps and creams. It works just fine.

I strongly suspect that the whole "badger for creams and boars for soaps"was made up by an AD afflicted member.
 
I only have badger brushes (5 silvertips/2 best) and I use a hard soap for most shaves. All of my brushes lather hard soaps just fine, even my softest silvertip.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
I've had no trouble at all with my Duke 3 Best taking up hard soap, and the Parker I used before that also worked just fine. It is not as if you are scraping or gouging dry soap off the puck. A brief pre-soak doesn't hurt, either, but it's not necessary if you have the time to load.
 

mswofford

Rest in Peace
I've had no trouble with boar or badger when lathering hard soaps. It's been mentioned to not mash any brush and that's very good advice. Don't ever mash a brush you care about, the center tips will break off and your brush will look like a donut! Using the tips only will load the brush with enough lather for multiple passes.
 
I use my badgers on hard soaps and have no problems. Pre-soak the puck as mentioned before. One of my favorites is a Whipped Dog silvertip.
 
I was wondering if anyone here uses badger brushes with hard soaps?
Not currently but I used my silvertips with hard soaps (and hard water) for a long time before settling on MDC. A little water soaked on the puck and a lot of loading always worked for me. I've never had problems lathering any soap aside from one odd terrible shaving soap. As other have said, loading isn't about scraping the soap up.

I strongly suspect that the whole "badger for creams and boars for soaps"was made up by an AD afflicted member.
I think that this statement is what had me thinking that badgers will not work on hard soaps.
Yeah, don't rely on that generalization.
 
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Just put couple drops of hot water before prep and let it stay while you are prepairing face and stuff for shave (includes shower) helps creating a soft surface on top of a hard puck which makes it really easy to load up any brush. Helps me with Pens BB, but YMMV.
 
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