Kent BK4

Antique Hoosier · Post by **Antique Hoosier** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:40 am

I changed my mind about using the Kent BK4 with MWF after reading the post by Goose. I chose instead the Trumper's Rose Shaving Soap as shown below.... Simply fantastic!

goose · Post by **goose** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:31 pm

Yep,

One of my favorites. Nice picture as well. You can see how much lather that brush can whip up.

Clint

jayb · Post by **jayb** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:07 pm

Antique Hoosier wrote:I changed my mind about using the Kent BK4 with MWF after reading the post by Goose. I chose instead the Trumper's Rose Shaving Soap as shown below.... Simply fantastic!

I don't guess you have problems with the tips turning pink?

I'm afraid to use my silver-tipped brushes with my rose soaps/creams. Especially my Trumper's rose cream.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:02 pm

Justin, It's mainly the heavily colored creams that can be a problem, and even then, it seems to depend on one's water. I've not personally heard of anyone who discolored a brush with hard soaps alone.
Regards,
Gordon

Sando · Post by **Sando** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 10:20 am

Antique Hoosier wrote:I changed my mind about using the Kent BK4 with MWF after reading the post by Goose. I chose instead the Trumper's Rose Shaving Soap as shown below.... Simply fantastic!

AH, that is amazing. I routinely use Trumper's Sandalwood with my D3 but my lather suffers by comparison with yours. It's not terrible but yours is clearly superior. The D3 must be capable of better but if not then a BK4 could be in my future.

...Ray

Antique Hoosier · Post by **Antique Hoosier** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 10:35 am

Sando wrote:
Antique Hoosier wrote:I changed my mind about using the Kent BK4 with MWF after reading the post by Goose. I chose instead the Trumper's Rose Shaving Soap as shown below.... Simply fantastic!

AH, that is amazing. I routinely use Trumper's Sandalwood with my D3 but my lather suffers by comparison with yours. It's not terrible but yours is clearly superior. The D3 must be capable of better but if not then a BK4 could be in my future.

...Ray

Ray... The Simpson Duke 3 was one of my most favorite brushes of all time...however the dense nature of the D3 which has its advantages tends to hold in the lather while the BK4 seems to whip up more than really needed and releases it in large amounts. For well under $70.00 shipped, the Kent BK4 is certainly one of the biggest bang for the buck in all of shavedom. I plan on using this brush exclusively until one of my Plisson's practically begs to be pulled from the medicine cabinet.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 11:52 am

Ray, The nature and volumn of the lather you get is dependent, to a considerable degree, on the quality of your water. I've seen videos of a guy just whisking a brush a few times over a cake of T&H soap, and, voila!...just mounds of lather. That can not be done where I live, regardless of how much time you take or what brush you use. For years, Rich struggled with his shave, secretly thinking himself somehow inept because he couldn't get a good lather like others seemed to do. Finally, he figured out that he just had exceptionally hard water, and that was the problem. So, always keep this factor in mind when purusing other gent's photos of brushes and lather. But yes, the Kent BK4 is unusually easy to use well. It seems to be due to their combination of fairly dense packing, very fine gauge bristle, and a lot of loft. The only gents for whom the Kent BKs would not be desireable are those who insist on a firmer feel, and/or some degree of 'scrubbiness'. That, the Kents do not provide.
Regards,
Gordon

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 1:58 pm

I've ordered a BK2 purely for research purposes, I'm hoping it has the feel of the Kent T4 I never bought. I'm crossing my fingers because the Kent AP4 (clear acrylic handle) was a load of rubbish.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 3:13 pm

Richard, Well, should be interesting. Suppossedly, the BK2 is pretty much the same bristle that they used to use in their 'T' series brushes, but with a bit more loft, I think.
Regards,
Gordon

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 3:45 pm

bernards66 wrote:Richard, Well, should be interesting. Suppossedly, the BK2 is pretty much the same bristle that they used to use in their 'T' series brushes, but with a bit more loft, I think.
Regards,
Gordon

I hope, but where did that AP4 come from?

:

Sando · Post by **Sando** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 6:11 pm

Gordon, if I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to talk me out of a brush. I should have recalled on my own what you say regarding water quality since I've read it here in various posts. My water quality is good to very good I'd say.

So, I whipped up some lather with my D3 tonight in honor of this post. Nice, even very nice, but not quite up to AH's level. The upshot - the BK4 goes from the Buy Now List to the Want List.

...Ray

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:48 pm

bernards66 wrote:Richard, Well, should be interesting. Suppossedly, the BK2 is pretty much the same bristle that they used to use in their 'T' series brushes, but with a bit more loft, I think.
Regards,
Gordon

A bit more experimentation is in order but there seems to be very little difference between my BK4 and BLK2. The bristle looks very similar, the BLK2 is only slightly scritchy, almost unnoticable. My T8 was very different, much greyer and scritchier. If all BK2s are like this I can't see the point of spending more to get a BK4. I will take side by side pictures once they both dry and I have time (I compared both).

I am slightly disappointed because I expected something a little...rougher...yet still soft. Like the old T's.

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:59 pm

BK4 and BLK2. They feel the same, perhaps the BLK2 has slightly more backbone. There was a BLK2 sticker on the bottom, so no confusion there.

goose · Post by **goose** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:36 pm

From the picture it looks like the BK2 might have a little less loft and isn't quite as densly packed as the BK4. I can't decide if this post is making me want a BK2 to go with my BK4 or making me realize I don't need one.

Clint

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 5:27 pm

I don't like the new logo.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:53 pm

Neither do I.

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:06 pm

goose wrote:From the picture it looks like the BK2 might have a little less loft and isn't quite as densly packed as the BK4. I can't decide if this post is making me want a BK2 to go with my BK4 or making me realize I don't need one.

Clint

The visual difference in loft size is more to do with the fact the BLK2 is still really new. I think.

Hodari D. · Post by **Hodari D.** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:18 pm

Richard,

Is the Blk2 as much of a lather making monster as the bk4? It looks like the bk might be just slightly larger?

Scott

Hodari D. · Post by **Hodari D.** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:28 pm

i like the new logo btw. of course, i am in no way attached to the old one, having never owned a kent.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:34 pm

Richard, It's only a photo, of course, but I agree with Clint; the knot of the BK2 does not appear to be as dense. There was never a great deal of difference between these two, but the impression I usually got was that there was more than you seem to be finding.
Regards,
Gordon