Anyone else not get along too well with stiffer brushes?

[Swistak]

The dilemma’s in the title. I purchased a well-recommended brush not long ago, one known for its stiffness and gentle ‘scrubbiness,’ with the intended purpose of lathering a hard soap that I had been having trouble with. That brush has been excellent for lathering the soap, but I have found it a notch or two too stiff for my taste. While it’s only been a dozen shaves and it’s likely it that it hasn’t fully broken in yet, I’m not sure if it will ever become as soft as the other brushes that I use. The stiff brush in question is the well liked mixed bristle brush, and is remarkable in every other way. It should be noted that I face lather, have medium growth, as well as moderately sensitive skin. Finally, ‘stiff’ is a subjective descriptor, so I am aware of my subjective or user bias.

Let’s open this up to general discussion:
Does anyone else not get along too well with stiffer brushes?

Recommendations, tips, and advice are welcome, too.

 

[Roy]

The only brush I find comfortable today face lather is my excellent SV BRUSH which is described as being of white high mountain hair, badger. It's soft, does everything right for face lather.
Other less soft brushes and feel uncomfortable on my face. The6 are great bowl lathering.
You may need to get a nice soft badger brush. My synthetics are too springy and although soft, don't face lather very well.

 

[taiga]

I think there are two variables to consider here : stiffness (backbone) and scritch (tip of the hairs).

I don’t have an enormous amount of experience with brushes, but I believe these two factors can be mutually exclusive.

I don’t have a problem with backbone, but if the tips aren’t soft my face doesn’t feel too good afterwards.

 

[DesertIguana]

Some people are lucky they can abuse Skin with Brush that is like Paint Scraper, others do get along with the Paint Scraper Brush types.

 

[shave/brush]

I like to use a shave stick to make lather and I find with most stiff brushes I cannot get a second pass with them. The lather is just not there. For making lather I find you can't beat a good synthetic brush. RazoRock makes one for just $9.00 and it is outstanding. Try one. Not much to lose.

Brushes | RazoRock

www.razorock.com

 

[ERS4]

The one I have encountered stiffer is Omega S-brush.

What really bothers me is that it keeps bouncing lather out of my face and landing all over the bathroom.

And this is an early synthetic that's as solid as a tank and probably won't be softer until my great-grandson receives it.
Other synthetics I bought later, whether cheap or expensive, were better than it.

 

[spacemonkey42]

My first brush was a cheap boar and I thought I liked stiff and skritchy. Now I like soft synthetics. Use whatever you like, no wrong answers.

 

[Swistak]

I think there are two variables to consider here : stiffness (backbone) and scritch (tip of the hairs).

I don’t have an enormous amount of experience with brushes, but I believe these two factors can be mutually exclusive.

I don’t have a problem with backbone, but if the tips aren’t soft my face doesn’t feel too good afterwards.

I think this plays a huge part.

The brush I’m thinking of is both stiff and slightly scritchy—and it doesn’t take much scritch to make a brush feel abrasive, especially when the brush is already quite stiff

 

[Swistak]

The only brush I find comfortable today face lather is my excellent SV BRUSH which is described as being of white high mountain hair, badger. It's soft, does everything right for face lather.
Other less soft brushes and feel uncomfortable on my face. The6 are great bowl lathering.
You may need to get a nice soft badger brush. My synthetics are too springy and although soft, don't face lather very well.

Soft badger is good advice. I have one that I enjoy using, though wish it were a touch smaller.

I do find pure boars to be softer than the brush I have in mind in my first post. I think it’s the badger in this mixed bristle brush that makes it scritchy enough to be slightly uncomfortable in use.

 

[Swistak]

I like to use a shave stick to make lather and I find with most stiff brushes I cannot get a second pass with them. The lather is just not there. For making lather I find you can't beat a good synthetic brush. RazoRock makes one for just $9.00 and it is outstanding. Try one. Not much to lose.

Brushes | RazoRock

www.razorock.com

I have experienced this as well. My stiff brush takes more product to get a passable shave. I think it’s the size of the knot and density of all the hairs. It simply takes longer/more product to lather up than smaller and softer brushes. If it weren’t so stiff I wouldn’t mind so much.

 

[Edgelord]

The best badger Simpson brushes are what I like as far as hair texture.

My skin doesn’t handle too much face lathering from any brush. It doesn’t matter if it is synthetic or Manchurian badger.

 

[nav]

I can deal with some soft scrub but high density knots really punish my skin!

I use medium backbone and medium density brushes.
My favourite badger being Simpson Commodore x2 best badger. To me, it feels like a silvertip with a hint of scrub and it has the perfect density and ready splay. It's perfection in every way!

When i don't get brush burn, even my beloved blackbird feels smooth as silk!
But when a brush irritates my skin, the blackbirds huge blade feel makes for a brutal shaving experience!

Same thing goes for scented soaps, which is why i use only unscented soap.

 

[Swistak]

I can deal with some soft scrub but high density knots really punish my skin!

I use medium backbone and medium density brushes.
My favourite badger being Simpson Commodore x2 best badger. To me, it feels like a silvertip with a hint of scrub and it has the perfect density and ready splay. It's perfection in every way!

When i don't get brush burn, even my beloved blackbird feels smooth as silk!
But when a brush irritates my skin, the blackbirds huge blade feel makes for a brutal shaving experience!

Same thing goes for scented soaps, which is why i use only unscented soap.

Agreed!

I often go along with the crowd/forum recommendations and end up buying a brush that doesn’t actually suit my needs. If only there were shops where one could see and feel the brush before buying it online sight unseen!

 

[Darth Scandalous]

If only there were shops where one could see and feel the brush before buying it online sight unseen!

Even that can be hit or miss. I have badgers that feel a little pokey dry but are great in use, and ones that feel soft dry but scritchy in use.

Interestingly I have a couple of objectively soft synthetics that can give me brush burn if I face lather with them, but boars, which seem scratchier, aren't a problem even only partly broken in.

 

[Alex Jr]

Yes. I don’t like the huge backbone trend nowadays.

I like floppy broken in boars. The badgers I’ve tried all seemed overly harsh and gave me major irritation.