I have been looking at purchasing a badger brush and have read a few reviews about how Omegas in particular are better with cream than soap. Is this true with all badgers and soap? I really like using my boar with soap; There is something satisfying about it. I would hate to get a badger and lose that ability to make loads of lather from my soap or still be able to do so but with considerably more effort. AND, cream (tubed soap) isn't even close to readily available here.
The only quality brush I have is an EJ BBB and it works great for anything I have. For loading triple milled soaps, I just mash it in really good and swirl to get the inside of the brush, then I swirl the tips, then I follow up with some painting motions to load the outside of the brush. That gives me plenty of soap for 3 passes. Honestly, the only reason I even go that far with the loading is due to a video (or maybe a thread) I saw that mentioned that most noobs don't load soap long enough, particularly with MWF. The only boar brushes I can compare against aren't of a similar quality, with my best brush being a Men-U boar brush (other from VDH deluxe set). The Men-U brush worked a decent lather, but not nearly as much lather - just due to it's size I imagine. I haven't had any problems with my EJ BBB but then again, I haven't been able to compare it against a high quality boar brush.
I'm a soap guy. The only creams I have are Tom's of Maine and C. O. Bigelow. Off the top of my head, I'd say I have about 12-15 soaps. Did I mention I'm a soap guy? I have a Vulfix 406 and a C&E Pure - both badger brushes. I have an Omega 49 and 10098, and a Semogue 2000 - all three boar. They all work great with my soaps. Now, all brushes will hold different amounts of water. This is determined by the size of the brush and what the brush is made of. That being said, with every new brush you get, regardless if it's boar or badger, a 20mm knot with a 50mm loft or a 24mm knot with a 65mm loft, you're going to have to play around with with it to find just the right water/soap ration your brush works best with. Happy hunting!
I have an Altesse badger brush and and Omega boar brush. Both work equally well with soaps and creams. I alternate between the two just to make sure that one dries fully before using it again. I do find the badger to be softer and more luxurious feeling on my face, but it's a big, floppy brush, so it should feel that way. I do have to use different techniques for loading with each brush, but that was just a matter of trial and error.
I've used badger, boar, and synthetic with both soaps and creams with good results. Part of that is due to learning to work with a particular brush, and part due to the quality of the construction. Some brushes are easier to use with either and soap or a cream, but they'll all work with both once you learn how it handles.
