$8 brush, $300 brush -- Can't tell the differfence

OK, I'm far enough along my straight journey to experience and appreciate subtle differences in the kit -- an edge finished on an Asagi v. a fine coticule, full hollow v. 1/2, 1/4, or wedge, tallow v. glycerin, etc. But for the life of me I cannot distinguish between the lather-making qualities of any of my brushes. NB: I'm talking quality of the lather from a given soap, not how the brush feels on the skin, how floppy it appears, etc., which, for me, are minor issues.

For the record, I have a couple of Simpsons (Polo 10 and Eshan), A Rooney Heritage, and a Kent BK8, all in silvertip, a Plisson Euro white, an AOS Pure and an EJ Best, and Omega and VDH boars -- a pretty wide range. I rotate through all of them regularly. They all feel comfortable to me, and none is the above the others in terms of making lather. Other than looks and names I find no real difference.

Am I the only one?

In terms of lather, I generally can't tell the difference between a Tweezerman, and a Thater... However, in terms of face feel, I can... The thater feels so much softer, and more luxurious on the face... However, past a certain point, they all feel the same to me (excepting the Thater... This thing just stands alone.)

So I'd say there's nothing wrong with your findings... There will be a difference if you take bacbone into account.. But that probably only effects how long it takes to load the brush

Granted, I'm not the most experienced, but I'm getting pretty well along.

IME my Simpson Supers (two band) and Rooney finests are my favorites. One of two Plisson HMWs is right up there with them. It is a two band and feels similar to them. The Plisson HMW three band is soft like a Kent BK4. I don't like that as much as stiff and somewhat scritchy the way my two bands are.

All of the other brushes I have are not as "nice" to me. OTOH, someone else might like my other brushes better than I like my favorites. I can definitely feel a difference between the brushes, even among the favorites.

The differences between brushes isn't in the lather, it's in the face-feel. You're assuming the wrong thing.

Lather is just water, soap/cream and air...you can make it with your hands. So why would your brushes make it differently?

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

IME my Simpson Supers (two band) and Rooney finests are my favorites. One of two Plisson HMWs is right up there with them. It is a two band and feels similar to them. The Plisson HMW three band is soft like a Kent BK4. I don't like that as much as stiff and somewhat scritchy the way my two bands are.

All of the other brushes I have are not as "nice" to me. OTOH, someone else might like my other brushes better than I like my favorites. I can definitely feel a difference between the brushes, even among the favorites.

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So; we'll divorce our spouses, yet hold on to shaving brushes that "are not as 'nice' to [us]"... good thing we've got our priorities right, eh?

:w

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Originally Posted by JimR

The differences between brushes isn't in the lather, it's in the face-feel. You're assuming the wrong thing.

Lather is just water, soap/cream and air...you can make it with your hands. So why would your brushes make it differently?

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I've read so much about different brushes (esp. badger v. boar) holding water, releasing lather, being effective for soaps but not creams (or vice versa), having "backbone" to pick up soap more efficiently, "making lather out of pot roast," etc., that I assumed they went about it somewhat differently, and produced different results. I find it hard to believe that "face feel" alone (which again is lost on me), and not actual performance, is the primary thing that justifies such vast price differentials.

I've used only three brushes thus far: a $5 boar brush, a Semogue 730 silvertip, and a Thater finest. It was definitely easier to load up the boar brush that the Semogue with soap. It was because the Semogue didn't have as much backbone. But if I was to take the time to do it, I could load up the Semogue just as well.

My Thater is more dense than the Semogue was; it holds heat better. The Semogue was more dense than the boar; it held heat better.

As far as creating the actual lather; I'm sure the density and backbone make a difference as to how much you have to "work the lather" vs how much the brush does on it's own, but I haven't really paid attention to that.

I guess in short, I did find differences in areas besides how they feel on my face.

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Originally Posted by pcb01

I assumed they went about it somewhat differently, and produced different results.

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The first, yes. The second, I don't think so, past a point. It's true that boars load hard soaps more easily and badgers hold more water (both of which DO affect the lather production process, if not necessarily the end result), but it's still possible to make halfway decent lather using TOBS cream and a fork.

On the other hand, that's like saying your Porsche and my Pinto both got us to the same destination.

I would be selling my $300 brushes and buying some more razors if I was you. :)

First off, I'm not a brush snob or a connoisseur. In fact, I spent a couple of weeks lathering with only a boar knot (no handle) this summer when I was away from my main gear. I can get the same lather out of an Omega boar (or any other so far) as Silvertip Badger, but there are some differences for me without a doubt.

1. The boar feels stiffer on the face where the badger feels pillowy (FWIW I love both)

2. While the lather is the same, IME my badger is noticeably faster at making the lather.

But as Slart said, if they all felt the same to me, I'd start selling them off and putting down money for a nice custom razor :D

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Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

I would be selling my $300 brushes and buying some more razors if I was you. :)

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:p Unfortunately, I get attached to things. Since starting this craziness, I've bought more than fifty razors, 30+ soaps, all kinds of hones, etc. What I've sold do far....

Nothing.

I knew someone who drove around in a Yugo and thought it was the best car in the world and the only one he needed. A friend loaned him an Audi A4 one day and after driving it said well, it's got leather and plush carpeting and a nice radio and is a little faster at start but otherwise I don't see any difference.

If you don't see a difference in brushes at those price points then your probably a lucky guy and will save a lot of money on brushes.

Face feel is one important factor in comparing brushes. The other, imho, is their longevity. My experience with cheaper brushes is that they tend to shed more and lose hair from the brush knot earlier on their lives. I have owned many brushes in my wet shaving career, a few of which I still have in my medicine cabinet and the brush knots look like the fur of a mangy dog.

That having been said, I think that the wide variance in the price of shaving brushes as with razors is determined by a lot of variables such as the name/reputation of the manufacturer, hand-made vs. machine made, the denseness of the brush knot and the type of material used to make the handle.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I knew someone who drove around in a Yugo and thought it was the best car in the world and the only one he needed. A friend loaned him an Audi A4 one day and after driving it said well, it's got leather and plush carpeting and a nice radio and is a little faster at start but otherwise I don't see any difference.

If you don't see a difference in brushes at those price points then your probably a lucky guy and will save a lot of money on brushes.

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Yeah, if I were lucky AND smart.... Do I sound like a guy who's saved a lot of money on brushes? :boohoo:

I find that certain brushes are more likely to give me better results depending on what I use, but I don't find any one to lather better than the other. I usually like to use a boar or a 2-band with the hard triple milled soaps, but only because they load quicker for me. I've used others to great results as well. User knowledge and technique is what it comes down to, not the cost of the brush thankfully. Now if you'll be able to avoid buying every brush in existence because you enjoy using them all, well that's another story. :)

Only time, the usage, and the utility (satisfaction) will tell if the brush is worth what you paid for it.

How well does it lather with different soaps and creams?
How well does it hold the lather between passes?
How do you like the feel?
How much value do you hold for the way it looks, the name?
How long does it hold up?

Pabster

Not too long ago I went on a short vaction trip and I forgot to bring a brush with me. Needing a solution, I picked up a VDH boar from a drug store. For $8 or $9 it worked pretty much as expected. It made lather and got it on my face. Compared to my other brushes....:td. I'm not sure if you're lucky or unlucky if you can't tell the difference. :-)

Uh..I was gonna talk about brushes,but....what's up with the acuuwhatever ad here ??:confused:

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Originally Posted by JimR

The differences between brushes isn't in the lather, it's in the face-feel. You're assuming the wrong thing.

Lather is just water, soap/cream and air...you can make it with your hands. So why would your brushes make it differently?

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I have an AOS badger brush and a custom made brush and with regards to lather making quality, they're equal. But as JimR states, it all in the feel. I love the feel of the custom brush, but due the skill and artistry required to make the custom, it is rarely used. So I humbly use the AOS as my daily go-to. Save your money and buy more razors!:)

I have a few badger hair brushes, a omega boar brush and a cheap vielong bristle brush, they all do thier job and i enjoy using them all, but the cheap ones work as well, for me, as the expensive ones.

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Originally Posted by pcb01

OK, I'm far enough along my straight journey to experience and appreciate subtle differences in the kit
...snip... But for the life of me I cannot distinguish between the lather-making qualities of any of my brushes.
...snip....

Am I the only one?

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Well I picked up a big Thater recently and I can absolutely
tell the difference.

However soap, water, method, experience and expectations differ
so each of us will see this differently.

Some years ago when I lived near Taho the local Ford dealer
gave away ski lift tickets if you took a test drive in a new
PickEmUp truck. I would drive my old truck in take a
test drive and golly want a new truck. To be fair to myself
I would then also critically test drive my OLD truck and find
it was a durn fine truck too and I did not need the new shiny
one.

I catch myself doing the same thing with shave kit.
New razor, new soap, new brush I always want to dance
with the new one in town -- bottom lines it is GOSH
hard to evaluate quality products and not bias the evaluation.

But there are differences....
And if they matter to you it is worth the effort
it takes to find the right one no mater which is
right for you -- $150 Thater or $7.95 VDH or whatever
what ever floats you boat....

BTW I very much enjoy both my $150 Thater and my $7.95 VDH,
for what they are both are bargains.