I've never had a brush...

[rustyblade]

that didn't work equally well on creams or soaps. I think the concept of a "soap brush" or "cream brush" is pure nonsense dreamed up by those with too much time browsing shave forums . I'll even go as far to say that if you can't get a good lather with either, you simply need to go back to lather making 101.

I've had a number of brushes in my time, either I'm really good at picking brushes that just work well with both or I'm very lucky.

I've only had one brush that was equally bad with both and that was the Kent VS1. Otherwise finest, super, best, gray badger and boar big/medium/small lather really well. BTW, I'm not referring to the feel of one brush over another. All brushes I've owned make a great lather in a short period of time.

More stupidly obvious advice always available...PM me.

[drP]

Sigh......i've been waiting 1328 posts for this insight and such a statement......finally.....at last.......

plus one......

[EL Alamein]

You were reading that thread too, huh? Yeah I didn't quite get it myself when I read that. I actually felt that the softer bristles made the best lather for me.

Chris

[drP]

Sigh......i've been waiting 1328 posts for this insight and such a statement......finally.....at last.......

plus one......

i should have stated this in a more Cato-like way, as he did about 2000 years ago: "cetero censeo there are no such things as soap and cream brushes esse delendam"...damned...

[notthesharpest]

To conform with a recent fad, I will say:

+1



I have used some very different brushes, including Wilkinson boar, Vulfix, Shavemac, Omega boar, and Rooney. Each one works a little differently, and you have to try it a few times to find out. (e.g. brush A needs to be shaken out well, brush B takes ten strokes on the soap instead of six in order to have enough, whatever.) If you're used to a boar brush and you get a badger brush, the "nicer" more expensive brush will be "no good" until you learn how to make it perform.

[With The Grain]

you simply need to go back to lather making 101.

Is SMFU offering this course for the winter trimester? who is the prof

[CMur12]

I agree.

I only use soaps, but I have never had a brush that I couldn't load easily from a cake of soap and produce good lather with. A couple of my early brushes were not very dense and were on the "floppy" side, but they still did the job with relative ease.

- Murray

[goose]

I agree that any brush will work for soaps/creams, but I think certain brushes will whip up lather faster/easier than others. For example my Chubby 1 in super will lather up a puck of soap easier than anything else I use. Now it still does a handsome job on creams as well, but my Tulip I recently sold lathered up creams a little easier. I assume this difference is what everyone is referring too when they describe a brush as a "soap brush" vs a "cream brush."

Clint

[dada]

Sure

I was just sayig something like this to Mama Bear on another forum.

But I don't think this is anything new - I bet Gordon and others have said it before, because I remember seeing it.

Cheers
Ivo

[rustyblade]

I agree that any brush will work for soaps/creams, but I think certain brushes will whip up lather faster/easier than others. For example my Chubby 1 in super will lather up a puck of soap easier than anything else I use. Now it still does a handsome job on creams as well, but my Tulip I recently sold lathered up creams a little easier. I assume this difference is what everyone is referring too when they describe a brush as a "soap brush" vs a "cream brush."

Clint

I would argue that there is nothing else going on here but the amount of soap a brush will pick up in a set amount of time and the amount of water that you leave in the brush.

[Brett G]

Richard,
I basically agree with you. An experienced wetshaver can make good lather with any decent brush; therefore, the "soap" or "cream" delineation is for the most part unnecessary. I also agree with Clint that some brushes are inherently better with one or the other. This really only comes into effect if you have multiple brushes. For example, I have a 2006 B&B Edwin Jagger that works better with hard soap than any other brush I own. The particular qualities of the brush lend itself to that medium. Like you said, it's all about how much soap it picks up and how much water it holds on to. The B&B grabs soap very quickly yet doesn't hold a lot of water. I find those characteristics idea for hard soap. Of course I could use it with cream and do just fine but I have other brushes in my possession that do a better job. That's the kind of shavegeekery that we practice around here.

[drP]

With the right water hardness you can make a perfect lather even with a toilet brush.....

[With The Grain]

With the right water hardness you can make a perfect lather even with a toilet brush.....

Pics?
yup meaningless post #2 to this thread

another obvious thing is that a person could have 2 brushes that differ in size quite a bit, shake them out the same, say two decent flicks (leaving more water in the big brush) and bam, birth of a better cream brush.

[rustyblade]

Sure

But I don't think this is anything new - I bet Gordon and others have said it before, because I remember seeing it.

Cheers
Ivo

I know, blindingly obvious and discussed before many times but I just couldn't help myself.

[dada]

Oh, sorry then - I thought you may have missed it (even though, on second thoughts, it would be unlikely, as you are much more active than me here... what was I thinking )

Cheers
Ivo

ps edit: OK "much more active" turns to be the understatement of the month - you have ~7K posts and I have ~100!

[rustyblade]

Oh, sorry then - I thought you may have missed it (even though, on second thoughts, it would be unlikely, as you are much more active than me here... what was I thinking )

Cheers
Ivo

Slow day at work and trying to create discussion. Next up: Straight Shaver's Superiority Complex thread and Cats vs. Dogs in the offtopic forum.

[M6Classic]

I agree that any brush will work for soaps/creams, but I think certain brushes will whip up lather faster/easier than others.

Clint

Quaker Instant Oatmeal takes about thirty seconds to prepare and Quaker Quick Oatmeal takes one full minute. (Proper oatmeal...say, McCann's...cooks for an hour or more.) To me it hardly seems worth stocking both Quick and Instant and it hardly seems worth having a Soap brush and a Cream brush.

Buzz

[Leisureguy]

I totally agree, Rustyblade. The whole "soap brush" vs. "cream brush" is, IMHO, a red herring. Brush preference is just that: what type of brush you enjoy using. With that brush, you can get excellent lather from soap or cream. Or so it seems to me, in my experience.

[goose]

I agree that any brush will work for soaps/creams, but I think certain brushes will whip up lather faster/easier than others.

Clint

Quaker Instant Oatmeal takes about thirty seconds to prepare and Quaker Quick Oatmeal takes one full minute. (Proper oatmeal...say, McCann's...cooks for an hour or more.) To me it hardly seems worth stocking both Quick and Instant and it hardly seems worth having a Soap brush and a Cream brush.

Buzz

Buzz,

That oatmeal analogy just killed me. I don't disagree with you. I really don't need to own another brush other than my CH1.

Clint

[M6Classic]

Buzz,

That oatmeal analogy just killed me. I don't disagree with you. I really don't need to own another brush other than my CH1.

Clint

I am a one brush guy, Clint, and I think more people on this list use only one brush than would ever admit to it. If you have one brush that you really like and that seems to work really well, then you are indeed fortunate. By the way, since it was my analogy that killed you, will your next-of-kin give me your brush?

Buzz