Thread: New Brush that is kind of disappointing

I have some really nice brushes including one with an elephant ivory handle I rarely use because they have a business end that is like a marshmallow. yea I could replace the hair but I have too many other brushes I like already.

Originally Posted by Gasman

The o-ring or hair tie will let you know how much more deep it needs to be.but some knots are just too soft and floppy. This means that if you set it in more it might not lather worth a damn. This is why I think you find the lump shape of epoxy inside some low cost knots. The limp holds the hairs up and gives it a little stiffness. A low cost, floppy brush is just not worth any efort in fixing unless you really like it. Otherwise, just buy better quality next time.

I bet I have 10 to 12 brushes I dont use because they dont make me happy for one reason or another.

I understand what your saying, apart from this useless badger which I only paid $15 for and could just bin it for that price, I also have a cheapo synthetic for the same sort of price. That one has so much backbone that it won't splay and is very hard to use, almost hurts.

There is a lesson about cheap brushes here and I reckon I have learned it.

Saying that, because my badger was so cheap and because I could just bin it, it is a good learning opportunity to play with it and see if it can be improved. What have i got to lose?

That is true Steve. Another thing to try, if you're going to play, If the knot won't steam out then drill it out. This will leave you a handle to set a knot in later, of better quality. That is if the handle is to your liking.

Good luck with your project.
BTW, I counted the top row of brushes. 14 of them I don't like for some reason or another.

Originally Posted by Gasman

That is true Steve. Another thing to try, if you're going to play, If the knot won't steam out then drill it out. This will leave you a handle to set a knot in later, of better quality. That is if the handle is to your liking.

Good luck with your project.
BTW, I counted the top row of brushes. 14 of them I don't like for some reason or another.

14 you don't like Jerry? My goodness I don't own 14 brushes - YET

I always make sure to get another brush when I have a new soap so that they only have the one smell to them, I get separate wooden beard combs for the same reason. I already have a comb for the soap I won ready for when it arrives and plan to use the brush that's coming with it.

The handle on my cheapo is just beige wood, I'm sure it's not pine but it's almost that colour.

If I had to drill the knot out i would probably just bin it because I only bought it because it was cheap, my plan was not to tell you all I had bought cheapo stuff if it worked for me

Saying that, some of the prices for shaving brushes makes my head swim, lucky I prefer Boar and they are less expensive.

While a stiff brush can make making lather on some soaps easier, do not lose sight of the goal.

The purpose of lather is to keep your face and beard wet longer. Too often new guys get caught up on thick, stiff lather, (a few years ago “Uber Lather was all the rage), then complain that their lather dries up before they can finish a shave.

Each soap or cream will respond differently to different brushes. It is just like most things in this pursuit, a matter of experimenting to understand how a particular brush will work with a soap. My experience is a thinner wet lather shaves better than thick lather. Also, as you shave. You need less lather with each pass, my third ATG pass is pretty thin, but wet.

Generally, if you want richer lather, use more water, adding a little at a time. Also, clean you brush. A vinegar soak and shampoo are an easy fix to making lather, even, especially with a new brush.

I shaved for my first 10 years with a cheap boar brush, that was pretty floppy and thin, had lost a lot of bristles by the time I retired it. I just learned to make lather with the soaps I used.

You can make good lather with a floppy brush, and you don’t need thick lather to get a good shave.

I've always used an o ring at the bottom of the knot where it meets the brush handle to simulate the knot being set deeper without having to reset the knot..fixed a couple of floppy brushes that way without having to do anything else....