In Praise of the Kent BK4

What kind of shaving brush do you use? Tell us all about it!
brothers
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by brothers »

Clive, the end of the rainbow for those hoping to experience a really good boar brush is here. Italian Barber Limited Edition Semogue. It's an amazing brush. If you get it and don't love it, you can sell it easily. This is based on the Semogue 1305, with a custom Italian themed color scheme, and 90% premium bristles. If anything, it's a 1305 on steroids.
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Gary

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jww
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by jww »

brothers wrote:Clive, the end of the rainbow for those hoping to experience a really good boar brush is here. Italian Barber Limited Edition Semogue. It's an amazing brush. If you get it and don't love it, you can sell it easily. This is based on the Semogue 1305, with a custom Italian themed color scheme, and 90% premium bristles. If anything, it's a 1305 on steroids.
:shock: Truly a thing of beauty.... and much less expensive than the BK4 that has been the topic of this thread ..... I'm just saying ..... :wink:
Wendell

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marsos52
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by marsos52 »

hi guys, as you already know Clive let me borrow this BK4 . I have always been curious about these animals. Going from pictures, the handle just didn't make sense to me. Going by user comments, I have mixed feeling about the brush itself. Understanding that I am a lather hog brush fan and the Kent being the opposite I'll share my thoughts.

after waiting for two weeks the brush finally arrived, generally from Clives neck of the woods to mine is a two day USPS travel time, it took longer because the post offices couldn't figure a address and zip code. haha, upon opening the box (Simpson) I thought he send the wrong brush, but inside was the BK4. First thoughts, the handle felt just fine, the brush was extremely light weight, O man the bristles where as soft and smooth as you be. also the color of the hair was excellent, anyone could easily tell it is a quality made product.

Frist try was with a soap crème (croap) and it had a hard time lathering that product, I washed the product down the drain and went for a real crème. I had some vintage (4yr old) Trumpers
I been saving, The two worked just fine together and produced great lather and my shave was excellent, next day I tried the BK4 with Michaels Natural and again the brush proved it self again, lather no problem, and made enough for a 5 pass shave but I only go 3 passes. each day after I tried and different soap or cream and the BK4 did its job fine...

Another thing that was most impressive to me after a solid week of use, the brush never lost a single hair. Wish I could say that about a Rooney's.

Well nothing bad to say about the Kent's, I just personally like my hogs

Marc

P.S. many thanks to Clive for being so generous, since I've been a SMF member we have become friends with out every have met for real, He always has my back.
bernards66
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by bernards66 »

Clive, Well the Plisson #14 that I have is a bit unusual. The #12s & #14s both have the same knot diameter but the #14 has more loft. Mine has a lot of loft, is VERY domed, is very dense, AND this is the old 'European White' bristle that we believe really did come from eastern Europe. The gauge is quite thick. So, all this adds up to a brush that is quite different from the more recently made #12 HMW that I have. Personally I like the #12 HMW but it's a different critter. The bristle is finer gauged, the brush is not as markedly domed, and the whole thing feels noticeably lighter weight than my old #14. It's also more flexible in the sense that it works well with any shave product that I use and is not that different from several other brushes that I have; the Simpson T3 for example. But that old #14 EW is unique. With the English creams it creates a very rich dense lather and, as I said above, there is less of it and it all gets pretty well used up by the end of three passes.
Regards,
Gordon
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by owenm »

marsos52 wrote: Another thing that was most impressive to me after a solid week of use, the brush never lost a single hair. Wish I could say that about a Rooney's.
I do like the lather my BK4 generates (DR Harris Lavender soap at the moment - top combination), but it does shed for me - at least a few hairs per shave. Think I have a bad one.
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Owen
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rtaylor61
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by rtaylor61 »

I've been through a lot of brushes. This still remains an elusive one for me. Someday. Someday.

Randy
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EL Alamein
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by EL Alamein »

A pox on you all! Enablers!

Chris
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by brothers »

There have been a couple of times I took my trusty BK4 with me as a travel brush. It's ideal for that too.
Gary

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bernards66
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by bernards66 »

Chris, Ahem....very sorry....you know how it is....sigh...
Regards,
Gordon
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by EL Alamein »

bernards66 wrote:Chris, Ahem....very sorry....you know how it is....sigh...
Regards,
Gordon
Yes, Gordon, I know how sorry you are, ahem! I gave in and finally ordered this one which I have been wanting for many, many years now being a BK12 owner and lover (I still use it every now and then). I received it, used it for a week and it is worth all the praise heaped upon it. It won't be my mainstay but it definitely goes to the top of the heap and will probably be a regular in a rotation.

Chris
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fallingwickets
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by fallingwickets »

use in good health Chris

clive
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by Squire »

It certainly is a standout Chris, some brushes just seem to bring it all together and this model is one of them.
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Squire
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by EL Alamein »

Clive, thank you.

Squire, I agree. After many years of use my mainstay brush, the T&H turnback, has very soft bristles - softer than even the BK4 when doing a dry comparison on your hand. But that BK4, when loaded with lather is thee most pillowy brush besides it's bigger brother, the BK12. Just can't get over how soft it feels to lather with. And that lather it generates is simply fantastic.

There's not that much difference, to me, between the two (the turnback and the BK4) so for most of the time I'll probably continue using my turnback (you can feel the stoutness of the bristles a tad more because of it's shorter loft and I really prefer the long handle) because I've always really enjoyed it. I'll probably have stretches here and there where I use the BK4 because sometimes I like variety.

Anyway, I'm glad I finally did this.

Chris
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fallingwickets
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by fallingwickets »

really prefer the long handle)
I would use the 4 too instead of the t3 if the handle was different.....damn t3 ruined me forevahhhhhhhh :roll: :D :D

clive
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bernards66
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by bernards66 »

Chris, Well, see?...all's well that ends well, what? Even 'enabling' is not ALWAYS bad....just usually....
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Gordon
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by Rufus »

After a brief discussion via PM's with Gordon, I purchased a BK4 whilst in Scotland for the last fortnight. What a great brush! I've used it for 2 weeks now and haven't a bad word for it. I was concerned that it might be too floppy for my liking, but I have to say that the feel of it when I lather on my face is simply exquisite. So much for dense brushes with lots of backbone; the BK4 gets the job more than done in a most luxurious way.
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Sam
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by Sam »

Ok, I may have to splurge and get a brush. Best price for this? I loved my Bk8, first real brush (well, Crabtree and Evelyn brush they had at one time for $35 was some sort of badger). Thought it was floppy but smaller brush, who knows.
bernards66
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by bernards66 »

Bryan, Ahh!...glad to hear that the BK4 is working out for you. Enjoyed your trip to Scotland I trust? I would have loved to join you.

Sam, Well the BK brushes haven't changed since you had that BK8....but your perspective may have, who knows? The Kent BK line are not brushes that anyone would call 'stiff' or 'firm'. They remain rather pliant due, in part, to their considerable loft as well as the fine gauge of the bristle. So, compared to say a Simpson Chubby I guess one could call them 'floppy' but really they are fairly densely packed. As Squire observed earlier in this thread they are more than the sum of their parts and one has to experience them to appreciate them fully. But if one absolutely insists upon a brush being decidedly firm then the BKs won't seem to be quite the ticket. Because of the other brushes that he favours I wasn't sure whether the BK4 would ring the bell for Bryan, but clearly it has....which is a relief lol.
Regards,
Gordon
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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by brothers »

It's probably the one brush that the typical wet-shaver needs to have for any occasion. Similar to that little black dress that the fairer sex keep on hand for special occasions. One never knows when it might be just the right brush at the right time.
Gary

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Re: In Praise of the Kent BK4

Post by Rufus »

brothers wrote:It's probably the one brush that the typical wet-shaver needs to have for any occasion. Similar to that little black dress that the fairer sex keep on hand for special occasions. One never knows when it might be just the right brush at the right time.
I think you have summed it up rather well. I like my Colonel in best, my Tulip2, my Rooney Finest,etc., but my BK4 is special. Gordon, the trip to Scotland was great; met up with a few cousins and visited a few dead relatives. On the way home we spent a few days in London and, of course I called in at TOBS, Harris and Trumpers where I re-provisioned my shaving supplies for the coming year. Dr Johnson put it rather well, "...when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
Bryan
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