Shaving brush loft

Fido

Fido

Messages
6,286
Location
New Forest, England.
These brushes have the same silvertip knot. One is set at 48 mm, the other at 54 mm. Each 2 mm in the loft of a brush makes a lot of difference to the feel and performance of a brush.

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When choosing a brush it's not only important to know what the loft is. It's also important to receive a brush close to the loft you thought you had bought. I once ordered a Thater brush with a specified loft of 52 mm. The brush I received was 48 mm. I'd normally return such a brush unused but I decided to keep it. I know we are all different but I think a loft that differs by more than 2 mm from the specification is just not acceptable.

In the West, most people seem to prefer shortish lofts. In the East, men prefer larger brushes and higher lofts. Personally I enjoy variety. I used the brush on the right today. Lathered in a bowl and just painted it on. A really luxurious experience and a near perfect shave. Tomorrow I'll probably face lather with a shorter lofted scrubby Two Band.

If choosing a first badger brush a loft of around 50 mm will suit most people. Stiffer boar brushes will be OK around 55 mm.
 
I don't have any unique insights about brushes. I have used many different types, shapes and sizes of brush and read very widely the things people say on the forums. Some people treat it like rocket science. Most of it is just plain common sense. Loft in itself is not the main factor affecting the performance of a brush, shape is vitally important too, as well as the amount and type of hair in a knot . A great irony about brushes is that many people like to use a brush in a way that manufacturers will say shortens the life of a brush and make it more likely to shed.

In the West, a lot of people like to face lather and press the brush firmly on their face using circular and scrubbing motions. Manufacturers stress the need for only the tips to be used to create lather and to paint it on with long to and fro motions with very light pressure. If everyone did this, they would soon discover that when brushes are used like this, virtually all brushes start to feel the same regardless of grade. Good quality silvertip and two band brushes only really show their paces when used as "scrubby" brushes - that's when you really notice difference in the softness of the tips. And yet you are using your brush in exactly the opposite of the "correct" way.

I take no notice of how I am supposed to use my brushes. I just use them the way I prefer and mood of the day.
 
Good post Peter. I also think that hair type and knot size will also change the characteristics of a brush too.

I just had a old ever ready brush restored by beejay and that has a 18mm knot with a 47.5 loft in 2 band. I thought it would be a floppy brush but the 2 band has given it quite a back bone.

As a result, the longer loft has worked really well, any shorter loft and it would just be a pointy stiff knot that wouldnt be as enjoyable. If however it was a 3 band hair type, I'd imagine this would be a floppy brush for sure.
 
I'm looking forward to the tubby 2 and check the performance difference and feeling with the Semogue 2020 (26 mm. knot tubby 2 and 22 mm. knot the Semogue 2020)
Do I feel the difference in sizes of knot??
Do I feel the difference in the hair??
I don´t know if you understand what I mean, my English is very bad.

Greetings from Spain!!
 
This is the Semogue 2020

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You will notice big differences. A 22 mm Best Badger set at 57 mm loft is likely to be quite soft and flexible - some would say floppy.

A 26 mm Two Band has much stiffer hair and, set at 54 mm loft, will have much more backbone than the 2020. You will feel and see the differences yourself!
 
Doesn´t the type of hair influence that thought? The 2020 is a pure badger, if I´m not mistaken? A 2 band has much stiffer hair than those?
 
The Semogue 2020 is described on the Vintage Scent site as Best Badger. My Pure Badger brushes tend to have similar backbone at similar lofts as my Best badgers. Two Band generally have more backbone all other things being equal.
 
My bad, never had a pure because I only face lather and I don´t enjoy scritchy tips but I whought pure was the "hardest" type of all.
Loving your 2 band, BTW.... ;)
 
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