Member
Chicago
(This post was last modified: 08-31-2016, 07:08 PM by bijou.)
For all of us that have been on these forums for years either lurking or participants and those that have just come aboard I thought it would be a good idea (only my opinion, also this maybe has been discussed before) for those with thoughtful knowledge and loving experience to share, to let others know (experienced alike) why we choose a bush that could eventually be that special brush that will become part of our daily routine, that will be put into our daily grouping of special rotation of brushes.
My question is how many brushes and what brushes (one or more) are in your rotation and why did you choose those brushes (knot type, knot size, loft, softness, backbone, density, handle design, handle grip, handle color, handle material, brand). And lastly how your brush rotation has evolved through your wet shaving years.
To begin with I'll start with how my brushes and rotation which has changed over the years depending what was available to me. Years ago there were fewer places and a smaller variety of shaving items to purchase, this has changed over the last 15 years because of the internet and larger downtown shopping malls and dept stores. The items available before the internet were located in some men's haberdashery shops, dept stores and drug stores, a few barbershops, besides looking for out of town dept store catalogs, the Sears Roebuck and Fuller Brush catalogs.
I went from boar and floppy badger, to better boar and better badger, to badger that had more density that was less floppy to a better 3 band evolving to 2 band which by the way has been my preference over the last years. Knot sizes have increased over the years and of cause the handle designs have also evolved as new brushes/knots have entered the market place through out the years.
To get to the point I'm going to start on what brushes I have in my rotation 8 at the moment that can and will change at any given time (my smallest rotation has been 2 many years ago) that I use on a regular base's depending on the soap and sometimes the size of the container I choose each day (I choose my soap and razor & blade the night before each morning shave. I have being doing this pretty much my whole adult life, I do the same for the clothing I will be wearing the next day). I will also bring a brush into the rotation for a short time every once in awhile from my collection of Simpson Manchurian or 2 band, Shavemac, Romera, Rooney, Henri et Victoria/I feel is a beautiful vastly overlooked brush at a spectacular price, TGN etc. I will add I like nice things, well made, deigned and aesthetically pleasing items, things.
My rotation below is not in any specific order of likability.
1- Paladin 26 2 band fan, 53 loft Lotus in Jade (55 handle height). Good density (nice full feel), soft-tips, good flexible backbone, Nice head spread, love the look of the handle the rich feel of the lathering.
2- Thater 26 2 band fan, 54 loft in a DK Soldier Tortoise top Off White grain bottom handle (transplant). (54 handle height). Good density, very soft-tips for a fabulous cloud like luxurious feel (no scrub whats so ever), good backbone that reinforces the softness of the tips. Nice head spread. The Thater is 5 years old, I liked the knot but did not like the handle. Now with the DK handle the look and feel with a different loft height, I absolutely love the Brush/knot
3- Elite 27 2 band fan, 54 loft DK7 milk green (69 ½ handle height). Good density (nice full feel), soft-tips, full flexible backbone. Nice head spread, beautiful handle, lathers luxuriously.
4- M&F Finest, 1/3 black 25 ½ 2 band fan, 48 loft (50 ½ handle height). Good density (nice full feel) for a pleasant scrub, soft-tips, good backbone for a soft scrub.
5- M&F Blonde L7 Tortoise, 24 2 band hybrid 51 ½ loft (57 handle height). Good density, very soft-pillow tips, medium backbone.
6- Elite 27 2 band bulb 53 ½ loft a Paladin designed light yellowish wood handle (58 ½ height handle). Good density (nice full feel), soft-tips, a full flexible backbone, a tighter more structured head /tip spread that does not take away the from the lovely soft tips and face lathering feel.
7- Envywhite 26 2 band fan, 53 ½ loft in a fluted red wooded handle by another vendor (57 handle height). Strong density (nice full feel), semi soft-tips (not scritchy) I use when I want a gentle scrub, strong flexible backbone.
8- Rooney 24 2 band hybrid, 50 loft Emillion Tortoise (59 handle height). Good density (nice full feel), super soft-tips, super cloud like feel, medium flexible backbone. Displays a very handsome bloom.
Now what is in your rotation and why. (photo's optional)
My question is how many brushes and what brushes (one or more) are in your rotation and why did you choose those brushes (knot type, knot size, loft, softness, backbone, density, handle design, handle grip, handle color, handle material, brand). And lastly how your brush rotation has evolved through your wet shaving years.
To begin with I'll start with how my brushes and rotation which has changed over the years depending what was available to me. Years ago there were fewer places and a smaller variety of shaving items to purchase, this has changed over the last 15 years because of the internet and larger downtown shopping malls and dept stores. The items available before the internet were located in some men's haberdashery shops, dept stores and drug stores, a few barbershops, besides looking for out of town dept store catalogs, the Sears Roebuck and Fuller Brush catalogs.
I went from boar and floppy badger, to better boar and better badger, to badger that had more density that was less floppy to a better 3 band evolving to 2 band which by the way has been my preference over the last years. Knot sizes have increased over the years and of cause the handle designs have also evolved as new brushes/knots have entered the market place through out the years.
To get to the point I'm going to start on what brushes I have in my rotation 8 at the moment that can and will change at any given time (my smallest rotation has been 2 many years ago) that I use on a regular base's depending on the soap and sometimes the size of the container I choose each day (I choose my soap and razor & blade the night before each morning shave. I have being doing this pretty much my whole adult life, I do the same for the clothing I will be wearing the next day). I will also bring a brush into the rotation for a short time every once in awhile from my collection of Simpson Manchurian or 2 band, Shavemac, Romera, Rooney, Henri et Victoria/I feel is a beautiful vastly overlooked brush at a spectacular price, TGN etc. I will add I like nice things, well made, deigned and aesthetically pleasing items, things.
My rotation below is not in any specific order of likability.
1- Paladin 26 2 band fan, 53 loft Lotus in Jade (55 handle height). Good density (nice full feel), soft-tips, good flexible backbone, Nice head spread, love the look of the handle the rich feel of the lathering.
2- Thater 26 2 band fan, 54 loft in a DK Soldier Tortoise top Off White grain bottom handle (transplant). (54 handle height). Good density, very soft-tips for a fabulous cloud like luxurious feel (no scrub whats so ever), good backbone that reinforces the softness of the tips. Nice head spread. The Thater is 5 years old, I liked the knot but did not like the handle. Now with the DK handle the look and feel with a different loft height, I absolutely love the Brush/knot
3- Elite 27 2 band fan, 54 loft DK7 milk green (69 ½ handle height). Good density (nice full feel), soft-tips, full flexible backbone. Nice head spread, beautiful handle, lathers luxuriously.
4- M&F Finest, 1/3 black 25 ½ 2 band fan, 48 loft (50 ½ handle height). Good density (nice full feel) for a pleasant scrub, soft-tips, good backbone for a soft scrub.
5- M&F Blonde L7 Tortoise, 24 2 band hybrid 51 ½ loft (57 handle height). Good density, very soft-pillow tips, medium backbone.
6- Elite 27 2 band bulb 53 ½ loft a Paladin designed light yellowish wood handle (58 ½ height handle). Good density (nice full feel), soft-tips, a full flexible backbone, a tighter more structured head /tip spread that does not take away the from the lovely soft tips and face lathering feel.
7- Envywhite 26 2 band fan, 53 ½ loft in a fluted red wooded handle by another vendor (57 handle height). Strong density (nice full feel), semi soft-tips (not scritchy) I use when I want a gentle scrub, strong flexible backbone.
8- Rooney 24 2 band hybrid, 50 loft Emillion Tortoise (59 handle height). Good density (nice full feel), super soft-tips, super cloud like feel, medium flexible backbone. Displays a very handsome bloom.
Now what is in your rotation and why. (photo's optional)
Steven
![[Image: VXacjQp.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/VXacjQp.jpg)
![[Image: kL01Jz0.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/kL01Jz0.jpg)