Thread: Circular vs straight brush strokes

I'll do an experiment with two different brushes of the same brand and model, using one back and forth, and the other circular swirls. Neither will be mashed. Assuming that both badgers were healthy, it should be a valid test. I'll get back to you in 20 years or so when the hairs that didn't shed in the first week start to break off.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I'm quite confused by this one. Is it of an "adult" nature or what?

No Ron,
I meant a tool to guage the advice given in a BS detector way.

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

I'll do an experiment with two different brushes of the same brand and model, using one back and forth, and the other circular swirls. Neither will be mashed. Assuming that both badgers were healthy, it should be a valid test. I'll get back to you in 20 years or so when the hairs that didn't shed in the first week start to break off.

Well, not quite 20 years, but I still have my first brush, a saville row, which I purchased in 2003. I used it with circular strokes (no mashing) exclusively before it was put into semi-retirement in 2008.

I was concerned about what was happening in the middle of the brush and after some reading, figured that it was probably due to the circular motions causing more wear on the middle bristles. So I bought a fancier Rooney silver tip in 2008 which I have been using since with brush strokes only.

Not a fair comparison, as they would have to be identical brushes, but still indicative.

Here they are pictured next to each other.

Originally Posted by petercp4e

I agree 100% with BobH. Don't mash the knot! I can see the validity of changing the stress with a back and forth stroke, but like Glen says, all soap containers are round. Aren't clockwise then counter-clockwise circles kinda doing the same thing? If circles are bad then someone needs to explain how to load Cella soap in the little red container with back and forth strokes....

Pete <:-}

As I understood it the damage, doing circles, comes from the hard beard hairs. I assume it's pretty safe to load a brush on either a soap puck or a tub of cream using circles.

BUT your circles should be widdershins !

Originally Posted by Jimbo

You guys are all nuts!

The only way to load your brush is using a Foucault's Pendulum setup.

James.

It swirls the opposite way here in the Northern Hemisphere! ruined my favorite brush!

Although the instructions say to use paintbrush motions, I use circular strokes to load the brush and lather on my face. I only use the back and forth strokes at the end to get an even coverage of soap on my face just before the shave. My brushes are in excellent shape, and as previously said, it's the "mashing" of the knot that damages the brush. If you just use the tip of the brush, I can't see a problem. The brush lathers 100% better with circular motions, so why not?