Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense brush!

What kind of shaving brush do you use? Tell us all about it!
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gr_elias
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Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense brush!

Post by gr_elias »

Hello folks, long time to see you!

After being the last 6-7 years a wetshaver, it seems that the BK4 might fullfills my expectations! I am using mainly soaps and I was wondering if this brush could deal with the soaps.

Before 5 years I bought a Shavemac D01 brush with a 24mm knot. Believe it or not, this brush haven't lost a single hair and yes, I use circular motions. It is very luxurious to use this brush but it is a lather hog. The only solution that I found is to put more product in order to release the lather more easily. With soaps due to the bulb shape and the softness of the hair I have to put more effort, even from my first, cheap, pure badger brush that I bought for 13 euros. This pure badger brush is floppy and prickly but does an amazing job generating lather with both soaps and creams! It looks like a Tweezerman brush Mantic was using in his videos, and pointing out the value for money. The only drawback is the lack of the luxurious feeling I get with my Shavemac.

Therefore, it seems from the research I did that the BK4 fullfills my standards. It is floppy (which I like actually), luxurious, not a lather-hog (?) and does a good job with soaps. Do you agree with this? Kent BK4 has a 23mm knot and I realised from my 24 mm knot Shavemac, that for highend brushes maybe a 20mm is better, but this depends on the density as well. Any suggestions and comments are welcome!
Regards,

Elias
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jww
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by jww »

Ah yes -- another BK4 thread to remind me that I still don't own one .... yet. :wink:
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kronos9
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by kronos9 »

I use my BK4 with soaps (Tabac, triple-milled DRH Marlborough, Cella) and creams (TOBS, Speick). It doesn't bite into the soaps like a boar brush would but it does pick up product without a problem and makes great lathers with everything. Thirty seconds on the triple-milled puck and I'm ready to go.
Ed
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gil3591
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by gil3591 »

i like the size of the bk8 better than the 4. does a great job
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Mr.Max
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by Mr.Max »

The bk4 is one of the best all around brushes available IMO.
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by brothers »

Elias, it's good to see you back among us! The BK4 is a good all-around shaving brush. There's just something about it that seems to work right.
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SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by bernards66 »

Elias, Yes, definitely. Originally I envisioned my BK4 as being mainly a 'cream brush' but as it turned out, if anything, it's even better with the hard soaps I use ( Trumper and D R Harris mainly ). In fact it is, IMO, the very best 'soap brush' I own with the sole exception of that Plisson #12 EW Plexiglass number that I recently acquired. From everything you wrote above I would think that a BK4 should meet your needs admirably.
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Squire
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by Squire »

Yes Elias, the BK4 should admirably suit your needs.
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Squire
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TRBeck
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by TRBeck »

My old BK4 was one of the finest soap brushes I've ever used. The specimen I had a year or so ago was good with soaps, too, albeit scritchier than the one I owned previously. I find less dense brushes better all-rounders in general than their well-packed counterparts, and I generally don't enjoy overstuffed brushes anymore.

Put another way, there's nothing the BK4 can't do, and few things (if any) another brush will do better.
Regards,
Tim

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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by Squire »

Good way to put it Tim.
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Squire
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gr_elias
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Re: Is BK4 good with soaps as well ? Need a not-so-dense bru

Post by gr_elias »

First of all thank you all for your replies!

Tim, I couldn't agree more. Shavemac is a very dense brush, built like a tank and has a luxurious feeling. However, you must use much more product in order to release the lather, and time in case you are lathering a soap. Back then when I wanted to buy a luxurious brush, watching some videos with big brushes and creams made me so jealous. Therefore I convinced my self to buy a bigger knot, but I didn't know that it will be so dense!

Nevertheless, I find my self picking my cheap pure badger brush more! And since I want a bit of luxury in the ritual, I thought why not give a try to Kent BK4 as its successor. It has the same characterists, from what I read, as my pure badger and hopefully it will add some luxury!

I concluded to keep my Shavemac only for creams and use it when I want that King's shave!
Regards,

Elias
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