Brush for Bowl & Face Lather ??

Hi guys,

I'm a bit confuse, is there really such specific brush for bowl & face latherer ?

And is there such a brush that can do both style of lathering ?

appreciate some inputs.

Capri

Bowl lathering usually translates to creams and croaps with a 'softer' brush much like Kents. Face lathering may translate to harder, milled soaps requiring a stiffer brush to pick up the soap. There is a lot of overlap and exceptions to this rough division with certain combinations or brushes that defy expectations and work well with both.

IMO there is no such thing as a brush that is exclusively best for one lathering style over another.

However, there are aspects to a brush that some users favour in relation to lathering style.

For example a longer handle can be be favourable for bowl lathering, but certainly does't preclude it from being used to face lather.

You can use any brush for any type of lathering, be it either bowl or face. Nonetheless, you'll find many folks who bowl-lather will prefer a brush with a longer handle to facilitate the process and many will prefer shorter handles for face-lathering. Having said this, this is all very subjective and it will depend on your perspective on which type of brush you enjoy and which feels best in your hand.

Good luck.

I think that Celestino and Ben summed it up well.  I face lather exclusively,  yet I sometimes use brushes with long handles normally seen as being better suited for bowl lathering. However, I do find that while one can bowl lather with a chubby/stubby type handle, that combination is less than ideal.

so in short, its more of the handle issue ? the chubby or thicker one is a bit harder to bowl because it will hit the sides, whereas the smaller handles is more ideal for bowl so it wont bang the sides of the bowl... make sense. thanks

Hmmn... I don't know if it's only the handle. I had a long-lofted badger that was great for bowl lathering, but too floppy for a good face lather. As previously mentioned, it's all about the features that are important to the individual.

You could say many brush users would say that a face lathering brush equates to higher density (possibly lower loft height) and a less dense brush (possibly higher loft height) will be easier to use in combination with a bowl.

I can make lather in a bowl or on my face and hand with both dense and floppy brushes. It is merely a preference in how you want to generate the lather and what types of brushes work for that style. I face lather but I don't use brushes built for face lathering. I use brushes that will give me flow through so sometimes that means using a brush that someone might consider a bowl lathering knot.

In relation to handle length, you can use a long handle for face lathering but it isn't as fun to use a short handle to mix in a bowl that will results in sore fingers and annoyed ears.

For bowl lathering it can depend on how deep the bowl is. I've been using a rather deep bowl lately and if the brush handle has a large diameter it tends to make more noise as it hits the bowl. So I use a slim handle brush for bowl lathering now.  Any brush you like should work either way. As others have said, it depends on what you like.

In my experience, the best handle shape that works well for me in both departments is M7. I am not a fan of floppy brushes, and I find Manchurian badger very suitable for both face and bowl lathering. However, after I acquired a new Zenith B2 brushes, I started enjoying boar bristles too.

It also depends on what bowl you plan on using. My favorite is Aesop stainless steel, and its design allows to use a brush with any handle type without any problem.

As others have already stated, you can use any brush for bowl or face lathering. Some people prefer resting their brush on the edge of their bowl and depending on the bowl dimensions and shape, a longer handled brush may prevent the brush from slipping into the lather. I have always placed my brush on it's handle in-between passes whether I'm face lathering or using a bowl...

I respectfully disagree with any comments in relation to knot attributes catering better to one style of lathering over another. 

IMO knot choice is more about personal preference. 

I can't bowl lather a Chubby 3 in an Old Spice Mug, while I found my floppy Kents were superb on hard soaps and face lathering. 

So, for me its handle choice that really only has any impact in relation to lathering style.