Thread: Circular vs straight brush strokes

A barber friend of mine who is 4th generation barber told me to use short 3-4 " back and forth strokes and make sure it's against the grain of your beard. Then use a paint motion to get off excess lather and smooth the lather out. I find it works very well and I don't put as much pressure on the brushes. I still think if you are using a good soap or cream you could use your hand and get a good results. Barbers do it so how bad can it be?

Originally Posted by 400E

. Confirms what I was hoping, that circular strokes just make sense and seem natural, for loading and lathering (with some linear "painting" strokes to even out the lather).

Sorry, but I don't agree. If you are using a circular stroke, then you are putting a constant stress/pulling in one direction during the entire time you are doing that circular motion. If you do back and forth strokes, then you are changing up the direction of the stress/pulling. I think this is the logic Simpson is using.

Originally Posted by jkatzman

A barber friend of mine who is 4th generation barber told me to use short 3-4 " back and forth strokes and make sure it's against the grain of your beard.

Back and forth cannot both be against the grain.

I spoke to a brush maker (knots, not just handles) a few years back. He's been in business for decades, so I think it is safe to presume that he knows. He said, "do not use circular motions", for the exact reason Ron just mentioned.

That said, he also said, "feel free to clean your brush using [amongst others] circular motions in your hand." I found that odd, but he had an interesting explanation: "The skin on your hand is softer than your bristles and those of your brush. It's the bristles on your face that do the real damage over time."

I hope that helps.

I can't imagine not using circular motions. I would think pressure is much more important than direction to prevent brush damage. Like others, I face lather, starting circular and ending with paint strokes. My daily brush is about six years old and going strong.

If I only get a few years out of a brush and have to purchase another one, that's OK with me. Don't think I could do just back and forth strokes but might give it a shot just to see where I get with it. Looking to buy my first quality brush so I'm off to browse the forum.

There are two things that can, eventually, kill a badger brush: dryness, and friction.

Dryness is typically caused by a lack of removal of soap residue. A shampoo and conditioner every so often can remedy that issue. Failure to remove soap residue will make the badger hair become brittle and, again eventually, break. The often recommended method of "mushing and swirling" is something that should be avoided by all means. Lather is produced by driving air into the suds, and the only part of the brush which can do that is the tip area. Therefore, soap and lather in the core of the knot serve no purpose, but jeopardise the integrity of the knot.

Friction is something that affects the tips. If you own a high quality badger brush, it will have very fine tips. These can develop spliss if you apply too much pressure against something sturdier than the tips itself. For example, bristles.

Or so the story goes. Call me biased, but if a seasoned brush maker (knots, not handles) tells me that is how it works, I tend to believe him.

I'm not a seasoned brush maker - but I am a seasoned user of over 50 years and I really can't believe anyone could contemplate not using circular motions when soap loading or when face lathering. I have used badger brushes for a big part of those 50 years and, apart from the odd one which shed because of a poor knot construction, I've never experienced broken tips or any other signs of undue wear.

It was said earlier, it's a tool for use. Let's not be too precious with our tools.

Hmmmmm

The soap pucks and the Scuttles are round, I would think if I was supposed to go "Back and Forth" somebody would have made them square


Just saying



The brush in the hand goes round and round, round and round, round and round.... Come on you know the tune

Not Invented Here: Ideas and arguments are not evaluated equally if they come from outside a social sphere.

I have a few boars and badgers, and I think splaying the bristles down firmly is what harms the brush, not circular vs. back and forth. I employ both methods, and my brushes have lasted for years.