Brushes for face lather

Discussion in 'The Brush' started by Turk, Dec 9, 2013.

  1. Turk

    Turk Well-Known Member

    I currently have a Thater and AoS. Both of them are silvertip. I find they seem to be so soft that getting a good lathering on the face is sometimes difficult so I go to my Tweezerman which is much stiffer. I used to lather in a scuttle so it wasn't much of an issue using the Thater or AoS brushes. Anyone recommend a good brush for face lathering besides the tweezerman?
     
  2. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    I'm sure you'll get plenty of suggestions, but just so new folks know, there is no such thing as a "face" lathering brush, or a "bowl" lathering brush, or a "soap" brush, or a "cream" brush, only "personal preference" brushes.
     
    battle.munky likes this.
  3. HolyRollah

    HolyRollah BaconLord

    I prefer a slighty stiffer brush for face-lathering and so often grab a Semogue boar. Soft tips, but enough backbone to create a good lather. However, as Steve mentioned, it's more about personal preference in what you like in a brush versus a task-specific design. I will sometimes face lather with plush silver tip as I like the softness, and still get great lather development.
     
  4. Turk

    Turk Well-Known Member

    I totally agree with the personal preference input. Just looking to experience or get a recommendation on a brush out there with enough bite for face lathering. I feel like I'm mopping the floor when I use my Thater or Aos brushes to face lather. Perhaps I should spring for a boar and try one out.
     
  5. JRod22

    JRod22 Well-Known Member

    A good place to start according to my taste and experience is Simpson Berkeley 46 in best. Not too expensive but something that's great quality and will last your lifetime. Simpsons set their loft correctly IMO. Something not all manufacturers do. I hate a floppy brush and feel your pain.

    And just for reference, I face lather only. Quit using my scuttle several months ago. I prefer a small badger 20-22mm knot with a relatively short loft 47-48mm. I use a Semogue Italian Barber SE too, but prefer my many badgers.
     
  6. Monkeylord

    Monkeylord The Lather Lord

    I would also join in with recommendations for a Semogue boar. Probably among the best boar brushes out there , affordable, beautiful and performance marvels, but they need some breaking in
     
  7. dougr

    dougr Well-Known Member

    The horsehair Semogue's are my favorite and very reasonably priced for such high quality.. Also, the hair is taken from the mane and tail for the horse lovers out there like me.
     
  8. Aimless1

    Aimless1 Active Member

    For face lathering I like my Koh-I-Nor boar and two bands. YMMV.
     
  9. Robzilla

    Robzilla Well-Known Member

    My favourite is the omega mixed midget.
     
    impetus likes this.
  10. Robzilla

    Robzilla Well-Known Member

    Yup.
     
  11. sffone

    sffone Member

    I've been wet shaving for lots of years, and for most of those years I used whatever boar brush was available at the particular store I happened to be shopping in. Living in the country, my choices were greatly limited. My shave soap was usually Williams, sometimes Colgate. Several years ago I got into badger brushes in a big way and accumulated a bunch of high-end soaps. After a while, I decided that badger brushes were, by and large, just too soft for me. They were like trying to lather with a big cotton puff-ball. And the high-end soaps lathered no better than a lot of the cheap stuff. So I have now gone back to using only boar brushes, and I get great lather with whatever soap I use -- from Williams on up.
     
    Bristle Me likes this.
  12. Cool Breeze

    Cool Breeze Sushi Shaver

    My personal preferance for face lathering is the good ole Vander Hagen Boar. Easily found at any Walgreens, very inexpensive and above average quality. I have 1 thats several years old and still works very well.
     
  13. lradke

    lradke and doggone it, people like me

    Anything with backbone for me.
     
  14. Turk

    Turk Well-Known Member

    Looks like I need to head out to cyberspace and pick up a boar. Thanks for the inputs on this. Don't get me wrong, the Thater and the AoS are great brushes and for scuttle lathering they work great. I however have put down the scuttle about 8 months ago or so and strictly face lather. Hence needing a brush with bite.
     
  15. Bristle Me

    Bristle Me Insufficient

    I face lather about 90% of the time now.
    I prefer boars for this, and the larger ones in particular.
    Omega "Pro" models are very nice. I have and use regularly the 48, 49, 83, and 98.
    These typically have knots >25mm and lofts >60mm. After a bit of break in, the tips
    are as soft as any badger, but they have backbone which keeps them from becoming a mush mop like the badgers.
    I find the medium boars (22-25mm knots) a bit stiffer yet, not quite as soft at the tip, and require a bit more work to lather.
    But, I very much like and use the Omega 10066 and 10275, the Semogue 2000, and the Semogue Owners Club (cherry).
    It's a shame that the boar is so often overlooked, because they can be such terrific performers and quite a bargain as well.
    Best of luck with your new brush.
     
  16. LookingGlass

    LookingGlass Well-Known Member

    I will recommend a Semogue 1520 or 1460. Great brushes at most reasonable prices. Good backbone; feels good on the face. I like it when face lathering with a stick.
     
  17. feeltheburn

    feeltheburn Well-Known Member

    The VDH boar is decent for the price but go to CVS and see if they have the white-handled one. It's much better than the green handled one you find almost everywhere else and at under $9 it's worth a try. I like mine for face lathering.

    I also agree a shorter lofted badger works well too. I made one with a 22mm TGN silvertip and set the loft at about 48mm. It has enough backbone for face-lathering and didn't cost near what a Simpson would've set me back.
     
  18. gzp

    gzp Well-Known Member

    I face lather 99% of the time. I have an EJ silvertip (medium) which I at first found to be very disappointing for face lathering. After experimenting with technique it's now a pleasure to use, getting almost as much use as my Omega 11047, the badger/boar mix brush.
     
  19. Erik Redd

    Erik Redd Lizabeth, baby, I'm comin' to join ya.

    The Omega 49 is a brush I like to face lather with, it's a big brush with good backbone.
     
  20. Doryferon

    Doryferon Well-Known Member

    Boars work better for my in bowl lather
    Pure-Black badgers in face lather but not Silvertips
    Synthetics also in face lather.
     

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