Just got my replacement Simpson Colonel brush direct from the UK (thanks to excellent customer service from Simpsons -- see separate thread titled "Shedding Simpsons").

The directions that come with every Simpsons brush say to use back-and-forth strokes rather than circular strokes for brush longevity. I've read this elsewhere too, that circular brush strokes are hard on the brush hairs.

I want to do the best I can to preserve a nice brush, but find it very difficult to load the brush with a hard soap with back-and-forth strokes on the soap. It's no easier face lathering with the same back-and-forth stroke either. And virtually every video I've watched, including Lynn's DVD, shows experienced shavers using circular brush strokes, both for loading the brush with product and for face lathering.

So --- what's the truth here? Does anyone actually use exclusively back-and-forth brush strokes to load and lather? Does it matter, for brush longevity, or can I just forget about this and do what seems most natural and use circular strokes?