So I have been using a shave brush (a starter badger brush from AoS) and shave soap for the past 5 years but have recently decided to start learning how to wet shave properly. I recently received a Merkur 23c as a gift and am looking to round out my new tools with a good synthetic brush. I was given an Omega Hi-Brush and had the following thoughts after a couple of uses: 1. I would prefer to face lather and found this brush difficult to splay and (while soft against my face) very stiff; 2. Given the small size of my old brush, I am used to a smaller loft. The Omega was much taller and I found that the stiffness (backbone I guess?) of the knot made the brush feel even longer when I used it. I've started reading everything I can on shave brushes in the hopes that the perfect brush will present itself, but at this point I am just feeling overwhelmed. I am sorry if this is well covered territory, but if you folks would mind shedding some light on the following questions I would greatly appreciate it. 1. Given my initial desire to face lather, am I correct in assuming that I likely want to gravitate towards smaller lofts? 2. Is there a synthetic out there that face latherers prefer? Thanks for humoring me!
Welcome to the Den! I'm not sure on how the dimensions compare to your Omega, but many of us have the L'Occitane Plisson brush. It is a fantastic face lathering synthetic. You can pick it up at a L'Occitane store or online for $30 USD.
A great inexpensive face lathering brush is a Semogue 1438 (<$20). It's boar bristle but will break in nicely after a few shaves. Semogues are great brushes that are very well made and attractive. However, a word of caution, the 1438 & 1305 have beautiful painted handles that could chip if dropped on a hard surface (which is your entire bathroom). Also, soaking these brushes with their handles submerged will cause the wood to swell/contract and crack the paint. I ruined the handle on my 1305 by soaking as I did not know this. Now I just run the 1438 under warm water w/o submerging to wet the bristles prior to using and have had no problems. Great brush! Remember there really are no face lathering or bowl lathering brushes, just brushes. Obviously some work better than others with soaps or creams, face or bowl lathering but we're still just applying lather to our face. Just create a good lather with good prep and enjoy the experience of a fine relaxing DE shave. I've even used my Omega Pro to face lather and boy is it messy!
Welcome to the Den - I got the Plisson Brush for Christmas. Used it this morning. Very soft but did great job creating the lather.
Thanks, I've definitely seen that suggested but haven't been able to find the measurements on the Plisson. The Omega I currently have has a 58mm loft. Does anyone have the measurements of the Plisson? Does anyone have any opinions on the Grooming Company synths? I've read it's the same fibres as the Plisson but has more backbone. Given my dislike of the stiffness of my current Omega, any thoughts on how the GTC might compare to my Omega?
The Plisson is the brush you want... Based on what you're looking for. Super soft Face feel, good splay with minimal pressure, and perfect for face lathering. You can try finding the Grooming co. brush, but for the price, you will save money getting the Plisson synthetic. If you look at the Buy/sell/threads, you will find alot more grooming co. Brushes rather than the plisson brushes which may tell you something.
@GDCarrington is our resident expert on synthetic brushes (and badger or boar for that matter). I'm sure he'll be by before long to offer some advice too. The L'Occitane brush is my only synthetic but I have no problem recommending it. It's a great brush for face lathering IMO. I know the Muhle synthetics are highly regarded too but I haven't tried one.
I would also suggest the Plisson if you are in the USA as you can get it for $30. Fantastic brush! Also, you don't need to gravitate towards the smaller knots if you want to face-lather. I started out with them, but not only use 26mm and larger. Once you adjust your technique with larger brushes, they are pure luxury and you will find smaller brushes to small! They are also a great way to go through all of your soaps!
I too found the synthetic brush hard to splay. While it was soft and easily made lather, it proved somehow lacking. So unless you are completely devoted to synthetics, I would consider a shorter loft badger brush. There are several ready made, such as Simpsons and Vulfix, or you could contact LarryAndro@ WhippedDog.com (a well known & trusted vendor) http://whippeddog.com/ and have him make you a very nice badger brush with the loft set at whatever height you please. It's a very common practice these days to choose an extremely soft silvertip badger knot, and have it set very deep in handle. This tends to produce a brush that is incredibly soft, yet with enough backbone to use with most hard soaps. Here is one example. Many here have opted for such a custom brush, and I've not heard of any regrets yet. As far as I'm concerned, nothing beats a natural hair knot. Whatever your decision jcheat, best wishes to you and Happy Shaving!!