Bulb and Fan knots, which one and why?

Apart from personal preference for a Bulb or Fan shaped knot, what other factors come into play when choosing a knot shape over the other?

I'm (very) interested in hearing people's "negatives" and "positives" toward a specific knot shape...

For me is easy :

-bulb shape : bowl and facelathering with painting movements,which are much better for this task than the fan shaped ones.

-fan shape : facelathering with circular movements.

However I use both fan and bulb shaped brushes, with circular movements when I build lather on my face, with great results.

I prefer fans. I think there is a lot of bias in my decision. I have used fan knots a lot longer.

I face lather in a painting motion with minimal swirling.

The few bulbs I have tried, a Thater and 2 Simpsons, just felt awkward to me. Kind of like using a giant Q-Tip. They felt most awkward when loading soaps. I felt like I had to use excessive pressure on the soap.

I have a few of both in my rotation. I love the look of a new fan knot, but after use they tend to mushroom out into a wider brush. The bulbs I have allow for a bit more precision on where the soap or cream ends up on my face, i.e I would rather not lather my ears and nose, which the wider fan tends to do. But these are minor observations I don't really pick a bulb over a fan in actual practice. I usually select the brush that will work best with the soap or cream I am using which usually has more to to with backbone, density, and how much water the brush might hold.

I like a bulb for boar and a fan for badger. Come to think of it, don't believe I've ever seen a fan shaped boar.

(03-27-2012, 10:43 AM)Johnny Wrote: I like a bulb for boar and a fan for badger. Come to think of it, don't believe I've ever seen a fan shaped boar.

My friend,you mean the other way around : fan for boars,bulb for badgers...
Most of boar brushes have a fan shape.

(03-27-2012, 11:22 AM)Teiste Wrote:

(03-27-2012, 10:43 AM)Johnny Wrote: I like a bulb for boar and a fan for badger. Come to think of it, don't believe I've ever seen a fan shaped boar.

My friend,you mean the other way around : fan for boars,bulb for badgers...
Most of boar brushes has a fan shape.

You are correct. I have no idea what I was thinking or typing. I was in a different zone somewhere.

Some Vulfix boars have a "bulbish" shape. But I must confess that I didn't like the Vulfix boar that I've tried - the density and backbone were nowhere near my Semogues or Omegas.

Thanks

I've decided on the following couple of knots from The Golden Nib:

• 20mm Finest Badger Knot XH for Omega 11047 handle
• 22mm Super Badger BULB for Edwin Jagger handle
  

(03-27-2012, 01:24 PM)oversaturn Wrote: Some Vulfix boars have a "bulbish" shape. But I must confess that I didn't like the Vulfix boar that I've tried - the density and backbone were nowhere near my Semogues or Omegas.

I recently added a Vulfix 28, I would concur that is a bulbish shape. I find the brush to be denser but with little less backbone. Then a Omega or Semougue.

(03-27-2012, 01:24 PM)oversaturn Wrote: Some Vulfix boars have a "bulbish" shape. But I must confess that I didn't like the Vulfix boar that I've tried - the density and backbone were nowhere near my Semogues or Omegas.

I find Vulfix boars a hidden gem. I don't soak mine. Just swirl it in hot water for 30 seconds max and lather up. Prolonged soaking makes them way too floppy. I use my Vulfix them more then my other boars.

(03-28-2012, 11:40 AM)SteelTown Wrote:

(03-27-2012, 01:24 PM)oversaturn Wrote: Some Vulfix boars have a "bulbish" shape. But I must confess that I didn't like the Vulfix boar that I've tried - the density and backbone were nowhere near my Semogues or Omegas.

I find Vulfix boars a hidden gem. I don't soak mine. Just swirl it in hot water for 30 seconds max and lather up. Prolonged soaking makes them way too floppy. I use my Vulfix them more then my other boars.

Thanks for the advice on the Vulfix.

Somewhere in the middle. neither bulb, neither flat top.

I like knots more in the fan shape. Though I bowl lather, I spend quite a bit of time on the face so I enjoy the fan feel better.

Its quite difficult to get "apart from personal preference."

For me, a brush is all about personal preference. I prefer badger. I prefer bulb. I prefer two band.

Much of the satisfaction of the hobby is in trying to discover and hone in on one's personal preferences.

I suggest you don't overthink matters. Just engage and enjoy.

I've gotten to the point that I'll only use fan-shaped brushes. I also want them to have some flex and I don't want them too dense. The perfect brushes for me in badger are the Semogue 2040, 2015, and 730 silvertips, which have just the right combination of the afore-mentioned qualities. In boar, I go for the Semogue 1305, 830, and 2000.

I lather in a bowl, and my lathering bowl is on the flat side of lightly rounded at the bottom, with almost vertical sides. I use the end of the brush to do all the work: Swirling, light compression, and pushing the lather back to the bottom of the bowl for more light swirling and compression. With a bulb-shaped brush I really have to mash the center of the loft to get the same action, while a fan-shape will apply light evenly distributed pressure.

- Murray