The Brush Preferences of Shaving Soaps

Unseen_Blade · Dec 6, 2016

Recently I finished the soaps in a soap/cream sampler, and observed something curious in them: The Barrister & Mann example seemed to like either my Tweezerman badger or Semogue 1250 boar brush, but the Sterling example preferred only the badger.

Do y'all typically experience this sort of thing? With YMMV firmly in mind, are there commonly-observed trends in the brush preferences of shaving soaps based on manufacturer, hardness, ingredients, etc? Thanks!

paintflinger · Dec 6, 2016

Unseen_Blade said:
Recently I finished the soaps in a soap/cream sampler, and observed something curious in them: The Barrister & Mann example seemed to like either my Tweezerman badger or Semogue 1250 boar brush, but the Sterling example preferred only the badger.

Do y'all typically experience this sort of thing? With YMMV firmly in mind, are there commonly-observed trends in the brush preferences of shaving soaps based on manufacturer, hardness, ingredients, etc? Thanks!

Not for me. Just keep loading till you have enough soap. The lather will be consistent no matter the brush or soap.

captp · Dec 6, 2016

I only have badger and have no problem loading any soap or cream. Never noticed any preference for any of my soaps or creams

Steve_in_CT · Dec 6, 2016

I have noticed that some brush/soap combinations work better than others, but I've never figured out why. Maybe it's related to how much water each brush holds and how much each soap needs to perform optimally. I don't always go with those combinations, but that's just me being stubborn. I keep thinking I can get every combination to perform equally well.

BSAGuy · Dec 7, 2016

This is true for me as well.

paintflinger said:
Not for me. Just keep loading till you have enough soap. The lather will be consistent no matter the brush or soap.

adamchur · Dec 7, 2016

All of my brushes, Chinese Synthetic Silvertip, Unbranded Dark Badger from England, Vie Long 4101 Professional (60%Boar/40%Horsehair), Chinese Horsehair and DIY Aluminium Badger Travel Brush work well with creams, soft soaps and hard soaps
But my Vie Long seems to work best when bowl lathering with hard soaps (especially Williams) and my Synthetic Silvertip seems to work best when face lathering with Proraso soft soaps

Maven454 · Dec 7, 2016

I find that some brushes need longer spent loading on the same soap. It appears (haven't done a lot of testing) that the less backbone the brush has and the harder the soap is, the more time I have to spend loading. Though, if you're using a hard soap and you bloom it, then it acts softer than it otherwise would be.

Dog Whiskerer · Dec 7, 2016

Unseen_Blade said:
...are there commonly-observed trends in the brush preferences of shaving soaps based on manufacturer, hardness, ingredients, etc?

If I have a preference, it has more to do with the mug that the soap is in. The deeper the container, the higher the loft I prefer. If the soap is in a container that is filled to the top, I prefer a synth brush with backbone for easier control, so I am not slathering lather all over the place.

CigarSmoka · Dec 7, 2016

Maven454 said:
I find that some brushes need longer spent loading on the same soap. It appears (haven't done a lot of testing) that the less backbone the brush has and the harder the soap is, the more time I have to spend loading. Though, if you're using a hard soap and you bloom it, then it acts softer than it otherwise would be.

My experience also, although I don't bloom my soaps. It seems my finest are faster loading than my silvertips. My Gamechanger synth, which has major backbone, is also much faster loading than my two "regular" synths, which seem to have no spine whatsoever.

nemo · Dec 7, 2016

It's not what you got but how you use it. All my brushes work with almost all my soaps (I do have one dud soap).

Starting off with a dry puck and getting just the right amount of water seems to work best for me. I don't go in for the water-logged puck theories.

Remember that some brushes will hold a lot more water than others, so shaking the right amount of water from the wet brush initially may require a bit of practice.

auk1124 · Dec 8, 2016

I do find that some soaps work better for me with boars, and some work better for me with badger. Rather than fight it, I just go with it and use whatever I feel the soap prefers. It is a zen kind of thing. Works for me.

coonskinner · Dec 8, 2016

I have badgers, boars, and synthetics.

The vast majority of the time I use my Stirling Kong brush, regardless of the soap.

The one exception is Cella.

It seems to work best with the old Omega 49.

I'm sure any brush works with any soap.

That is just the way it works for me.

ciderguy · Dec 8, 2016

Almost everything I own does great with boar or my Omega S-Brush (synthetic boar). Esbjerg lathers faster with the Omega S-Brush. The S-Brush makes Proraso creams a bit too airy, and I'm working on adjusting that. I only recently tried a badger, and I'm still working on getting great lather out of it.

Ad Astra · Dec 8, 2016

Harder the soap, harder the brush: boar for the triple milled, soft synth for the croaps.

AA

tsellati · Dec 8, 2016

I have not observed that one brush type works better than another with soaps vs. croaps vs. creams. Also does not make a difference if I am face lathering or using a shaving scuttle. And, I use just about every brush type imaginable - badger, boar, horse, combinations thereof, and even mongoose!

Tim

dpm802 · Dec 8, 2016

tsellati said:
I have not observed that one brush type works better than another with soaps vs. croaps vs. creams. Also does not make a difference if I am face lathering or using a shaving scuttle. And, I use just about every brush type imaginable - badger, boar, horse, combinations thereof, and even mongoose!

Tim

I knew that Mongoose makes a razor ... neversaw a brush like that.

I don't thinkle it's fair to compare badger v boar v synthetic ..
it's an apple v orange thing.

each one is good at lathering and face feel and softness and backbone and water retention, they just get to it by different means.

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The Brush Preferences of Shaving Soaps

Unseen_Blade

paintflinger

captp

Pretty Pink Fairy Princess.

Steve_in_CT

BSAGuy

adamchur

Maven454

Dog Whiskerer

CigarSmoka

nemo

Lunatic Fringe

auk1124

coonskinner

ciderguy

Ad Astra

The Instigator

tsellati

dpm802

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