Tripped over this article from 35 years ago....

I was doing some searching about an older brush that I had just picked up, and I found this article from the NYT, circa 1983.

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/07/style/shaving-the-perfect-brush.html

 

Great article-find Jared. Best advice I took from it was this:

"The most common fault among shavers is that they tend to lather up with a circular motion of the brush, Mr. Archer says. ''Nothing will spoil a good brush faster. You're twisting the hairs against themselves. You should always use straight up-and-down strokes - in the shaving bowl and on your face - and don't apply too much pressure.''

Of course, this isn't new to us seasoned wet-shavers, but considering the money that many of us invest in our brushes, it is advice, which I will more closely follow.

 

That’s interesting.
I thought everyone swirled.

I guess I’m going to have to buy more brushes if I’m wearing them out.

Maybe I’ll try going back and forth, but going in a circle seems so natural I’m not sure if I could not do it.

 

Great article, Jared! So you're telling us in a roundabout way that you use your Simpson brushes as powder puffs? No judgement here.

 

I do likewise.

 

I'm a swirler as well. Seems to be easier to load that way.

 

There have been a lot of discussions about this, because Simpson still sends out a slip of paper with their brushes, about not swirling, and a lot of people sort of knee jerk react about how they didn’t spend $150 dollars for a brush they have to paint their lather on with.

Look at it like this: circular motions in and of themselves aren’t going to hurt anything. Use them, (and I think it’s mostly human nature), but in one direction, and let the hairs follow, not push against. Don’t scrub clockwise/counterclockwise. Longer lofted brushes make it worse.

Scrub up and down, but don’t swirl while you do it. Ever tied knots into a brush? I have.

You can tell who the people are that beat on their brushes. It shows in their SOTD pics. And BST listings that wither away on the vine.

 

I just learned this with the purchase of my first Simpson. Their indic l instructions say exactly that.

Herm

 

Oh, I know, but I have been guilty of ignoring that sage advice.

 

I’ve been swirling since day one and never had an issue. Maybe I’ll heed the advice.

 

I take good care of my brushes but I definitely swirl them.

How can you whip up a good lather - not to mention applying it to your face - with just backwards and forward strokes?

Anyone got a YouTube?

 

I tried, with some difficulty. I think that advice is aimed at the folks who don't wash the equipment after each use. I don't think I've ever had a knotted knot. I heard horse knots were more prone toward the problem. I've not had an issue with badger, boar, or synthetic.
I realy tried to only back and forth, but in the end, i ended up doing it my way(a combo of swirling and painting).
Ive always heard, IF IT AINT BROKE,DONT FIX IT. I think I'll follow this advice, I'm not trying to sell my used brushes. I want to enjoy them till the hairs or bristles fall out, decide then if its a handle I want reknotted. The handles i like most won't be known by any one but US. (Jayaruh, oscar11, cferguson, brothers bristles). My newest T-400 may get to be widely known it's very good, who knows. I feel like anyone can have a semouge, Simpson, or any other manufacturer, but I'm happily lovin' the ones you guys made or remade for me (Gdcarrington, clint64).
Sorry for the hijack and rant. Please return to the swirl or noswirl discussion.

 

Thanks for the advice. Now that I've got this little gem broken in, I'll stick with paint brush strokes. If I can keep the splay under control, I'm fairly certain I can get a few more years out of it. It has really paid off to let it dry hanging upside down and to wash & condition it every month or so.

 

I'm just glad Simpson isn't the only game in town. Very pricey. I own several Badgers of differing quality, that I put together myself, for under $50. So, I'm going to Swirl It Like I Stole It. Then again, most of my strokes are straight, back and forth. I just do what makes it work, and try not to overthink things. Overthinking a shave ruins the shave experience.

 

I have "swirled" my shaving brushes for the past 35 years. Only one ever exploded, and that was an Omega with a faulty knot.

--
Pitralon forever - Real pens have a nib - If it doesn't tick, it's not a watch.

 

I am doing a 180. I am going to swirl, paint, scrub because in the end, if I don't get the lather I want, what's the point? What I still won't do is mash. (Just potatoes)

 

Excellent article, thanks! I’m a brush swirler too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Blah ..horse feathers. I swirl to make lather...to apply lather...and to dry the brush. Never had a brush knot up. Maybe that is just expensive ones.

 

I think your suppose to shampoo it after ever use right after you scrub and polish your razor.