Thread: Brushes, How They Feel, YMMV

A few years back there was a thread about Rooney Finests. I posted in the thread that I loved the half dozen I had because of the scritch I felt when lathering. Some other guys posted in that thread that their Rooney finests had butter soft tips and no scritch/scrubiness. So I was puzzled at why mine were scritchy and theirs were not.

My Plisson HMW (2) and my Simpson Supers (4) also produced that scrubby/scritch feeling on my phizzog. So within the last couple of months I've been divesting myself of some of my accumulations. I've just got too much stuff and want to pare it down.

I sold a few Rooney Finests and a few Simpson supers to two different individuals. The thing that interested me is that upon receiving and using these various finests and supers, which I found scritchy , these guys do not find them so. For their faces these brushes are soft tipped and buttery. Yet another proof that in the world of wet shaving YMMV is axiomatic.

What I am really taking away from this post is that you have a baby face.

Or the two individuals have faces like leather...

I don't know Jimmy. It must be all those years with that riveting machine and heating up those rivets that must have made your face too sensitive.

Just shaved with a Plisson HMW 14. It was prickly. Did 3 passes, which I usually only do two, and sure enough, a little burn after the third pass. So it is probably that my skin is more sensitive ..... thinner maybe ..... than average. Just like those who say they have a 'tough' beard. I used to say that but it occurred to me that I've never shaved anyone else's beard so I've got nothing to compare mine to. Just rambling thoughts wandering through the noggin.

We tend to think all brushes of a specific model should be the same. Not only do batches of knots vary from one to another, so do individual knots within a batch. And the hair of a brush when dry will often vary when wet. I have Plissons which feel scritchy yet when lathered up are as soft as can be. Add to this how each of us experiences the same thing in different ways - is it any wonder that reviews can sometimes be misleading. But when all is said and done, the vast majority of brushes serve us well. And it's our differences in perception that makes this yet another fascinating subject!

And my only Rooney Finest is one of my floppier brushes - yet everyone tells me it should have a strong backbone. C'est la vie.

Scritch? Are we making up new words again?

Badger Burn!!! Now I'm getting worried. Sorry Jimmy, I just couldn't help myself. Howard

Since badger's hair would, I'd think, vary from animal to animal, I'd think it would be impossible for any two brushes of the same grade and brand to be the same.

To my face my Rooney finest is "scritchy," while my Simpsons two band super is firm but smooth. This is something that is purely subjective.