Fan vs. Bulb knots

[Dimitri]

I placed an order today for a Timeless 'adjustable' brush handle. Need help deciding on what brush type to order. I'm inclined to lean fan shaped because I like to splay my brushes on my face when lathering. I have a a Simpson synthetic, bulb shape, which doesn't lend itself too well to splaying, compared to my Semogue, which is more of a fan shape, but I think that may have more to do with how deeply the knot is set into the handle.

Anyway, what are your experiences with fan vs bulb with regard to splaying? Also, anyone have experience with the Timeless handle?

Your input much appreciated.

 

[Jayson74]

I dont splay my brushes, but have come to prefer a fan shaped brush.
Semogue 1250, 1305 and APSHAVECO G5C synthetic.

 

[tehnothing]

I personally prefer bulb or at least hybrid. I find fans and flat tops too floppy. I bowl lather creams, and, face lather soaps.

 

[AlphaFrank75]

I seem to have fallen into the thinking of fan for face and bulb for bowl. Although I think it really doesn't matter one way or the other. I don't bowl lather very often, but I do load soft soaps and creams from my bowl. I do know that I prefer 24mm fan over my 26mm preference I have for bulb knots. A 26mm fan would get too large for my face and I'm actually thinking of trying a 22mm fan. So knot size might need to be considered along with the shape.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I seem to have fallen into the thinking of fan for face and bulb for bowl. Although I think it really doesn't matter one way or the other. I don't bowl lather very often, but I do load soft soaps and creams from my bowl. I do know that I prefer 24mm fan over my 26mm preference I have for bulb knots. A 26mm fan would get too large for my face and I'm actually thinking of trying a 22mm fan. So knot size might need to be considered along with the shape.

That has been my experience as well. I bought one of the last Mozingo knots and 28mm fans were all that were left at the end of his run. Now, it is true that the Monzingo knots bloom large, so that is a factor as well. Rudy Vey made a lovely Cobalt Blue Persian Jar handle for it. I just loved how it looked and the handle was a perfect fit for my hand, but the knot was too big for my face. It lathered well in a shaving bowl, but it was difficult to control the lather when getting it on my face..... The bristles were everywhere, it seemed. In any event, I put it on BST with a warning that it was a huge brush... and it sold in minutes.

Most of my brushes are 26mm with one 28mm.... But that one, the 28mm is about the same size in actual use as my SV 26mm brushes. Rudy reknotted one of my favorite handles for me with a 28mm ShaveMac Two-band Silvertip... in that Elite Razor Blood Basin Jasper handle Bob turned, with an added silver inlay band.

All that to say... I prefer bulbs. <eg> As always, YMMV.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Fan knots can be a cool variation, but bulb shapes are most common for a reason. It's beneficial to have a little less bulk at the tips of the bristles. The fan loft on average is higher, meaning it will tend to be more floppy and out of control than a bulb of similar size.

 

[rockviper]

Fan knots can be a cool variation, but bulb shapes are most common for a reason. It's beneficial to have a little less bulk at the tips of the bristles. The fan loft on average is higher, meaning it will tend to be more floppy and out of control than a bulb of similar size.

"Out of control," you say.
Sounds like it was made for me!

 

[NorthernSoul]

"Out of control," you say.
Sounds like it was made for me!

Maybe I should have said the slightly shorter outer bristles support the inner bristles, making them feel firmer when the knot is splayed. They also hold lather in reserve instead of delivering it all at once.

 

[flask28]

I seem to have fallen into the thinking of fan for face and bulb for bowl. Although I think it really doesn't matter one way or the other. I don't bowl lather very often, but I do load soft soaps and creams from my bowl. I do know that I prefer 24mm fan over my 26mm preference I have for bulb knots. A 26mm fan would get too large for my face and I'm actually thinking of trying a 22mm fan. So knot size might need to be considered along with the shape.

+1

When I started wetshaving I used a bowl and grew to prefer bulb knots with taller lofts that had a healthy amount of splay.

As I moved to face lathering I discovered I preferred fan knots more, mostly because of the greater effective surface area I could feel. I lost some splay moving to fans, but because of the bigger contact patch you don't really need to splay like you do with a bulb. As @AlphaFrank75 says, this is tuning the last 1%. It's not really going to matter too much.

When I compare my fany-est fan with my most bulb-ish bulb, I don't feel like we're talking a whole world of difference.

 

[rockviper]

Maybe I should have said the slightly shorter outer bristles support the inner bristles, making them feel firmer when the knot is splayed. They also hold lather in reserve instead of delivering it all at once.

Since my ear hair might sometimes be longer than my head hair, you're saying I'm doing it wrong?

 

[Tulsa1977]

Fan… Fan here. Almost exclusive face latherer. I find the fan to provide more face contact while lathering. The bulb shape “seems” to eat holes in the soap puck faster.

With over 30 brushes, I would say try both. No experience with the handle in question. Enjoy the ride OP.

 

[musicman1951]

When I compare my fany-est fan with my most bulb-ish bulb, I don't feel like we're talking a whole world of difference.

I would agree. I recall this discussion in the Wald thread and someone had both and also thought there was not a whole world of difference.

I'm sure you can find a bulb from one maker is very different from the fan of another maker, but that's likely to be due to other factors.