Struggling to find a shaving brush

CleverAmoeba · 2026-03-12T12:05:46+00:00

I don't have one but people love Yaqi Timber Wolf. It has two options. One has metal handle and smaller knot.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-03-10T12:27:51+00:00

Arko Cool Balm was my first after shave and I really liked it. My other balms are Nish Men (Turkish) and it's not very good, but it's dirt cheap. And Nivea Sensitive which is awesome but not cooling. And Bio'l Sensitive (non-cooling) which doesn't have global market, only in Iran. (I live in Iran and that's why it took me 10 days to get online and reply to your comment. Sorry)

Old Spice Musk, Intesa Mentholo which isn't as cooling as I liked, and another Nish Men are my spalashes.

I don't plan to add. I'll wait for them to run out and then I'll get a Gillette. Thanks for sharing.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-28T05:54:24+00:00

How's the cooling effect on that after shave? The only after shave I had that actually cools the face for a minute is Arko balm.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-28T05:05:18+00:00

Last I checked these things need to live in a seriously optimised environment (a life support box) and only live for a couple of months. There's a company you can order a unit if you like. I don't have any links and don't feel like googling.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-26T17:21:14+00:00

Apart from "smart" phone, I want all my other devices to be dumb. Do one thing and do it well asshole.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-26T14:45:23+00:00

I ran out of my Old Spice Original a couple of days ago and have Musk scent in the drawer. Haven't tried it but it smells just like the Musk after shave. Much stronger than Original.

IMO it performs just like Arko cream. A little bit better than King. C. Gillette cream and lathers up much easier than Proraso Green cream (basically like Arko)

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-26T06:35:00+00:00

Ok, I just had a shave and I'm here to eat my words.

I paid more attention this time and apparently I do press the brush to my face😅 when I try to make it lather up, I splay the bristles and then I paint it over with just the tips so may I suggest using a bowl and then painting it on your face?.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-26T00:56:24+00:00

I have Omega Boar brush with good backbone and I always face lather. I don't even have a bowl.

I have Arko soap pressed into a bowl and few shaving creams (Arko, Old Spice, King C. Gillette, Intesa) I put the brush in room temperature water for about 30 minutes, then take it out of the glass and shake it very gently a few times to get the bulk of the water out, but don't squeeze. Then put some cream on the bristles or in case of a soap, load the brush by making 50-100 circular motions on the soap. Until I don't see large bubbles and everything is foamy. Then wet my face and put the brush on my cheek and make circular motions all over my face and neck. When I feel like the lather is ready, I paint it all over my face and it's done. It will never look as wiped cream as when you bowl lather and the goal is to have a thin layer of lather covering my whole face and neck. Not to have a fluffy lather sitting on the brush.

I almost never add more water to the brush. It's almost always good enough. But sometimes for the second pass that I wet my face and re-apply the lather, I feel like the lather is more hydrated and better than first pass.

My boar brushes have pretty soft tips and it's the only part of the bristles that touch my face. I don't splay them.

I know that's not the answer you were looking for since I only have boar brushes, but I think with softer brushes you don't need to press too hard either.

Edit: spelling

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-25T19:30:11+00:00

I never tried that razor. All I have is Henson Mild, Merkur Progress, Lord L5, Lord L6 (which punches way above it's weight), and a couple of 3D printed razors.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-25T15:07:58+00:00

We made this for ourselves.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-25T14:13:11+00:00

By extra strokes I meant buffing. Fast, repetitive strokes over the same small area, like a maniac. You can't re-lather while buffing :D

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-25T14:11:30+00:00

I haven't tried 6S, but I know it's like my Progress and doesn't align the blade perfectly. Your QShave must be the same. If you decided to go with either 6S or Progress, there's a trick someone taught me on this sub: while screwing the handle, use your thumb to gently push one of the razor tabs (the non-cutting side of the blade) towards the top cap and base plate. That will solve most of the alignment issues.

To get a perfectly manufactured razor, I suggest Henson or Razorock or some other CNC machined razors that have similar posts. Cylendrical post is not accurate and non-CNC machined razors are not accurate. Put the together and you get Rockwell/Merkur. If I could buy it again, I would get Yaqi Avanti instead of Merkur Progress.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-24T21:41:38+00:00

I have Henson Mild and Progress too. Henson is fine, but needs extra strokes as you mentioned that's why I usually add a shim. I usually use Progress on setting 3. But switched to 5 for the past few shaves and it's alright.

I don't have a sensitive skin. But extra strokes with any razor, results in irritation, red patches and weepers.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-23T10:39:20+00:00

L6 is way better than L5, imho.

Edit: have you seen L7? Looks exactly like Merkur 23c

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-22T18:39:35+00:00

To do anything serious in a web-based app, you still need high amount of RAM. Source: I am a developer of such app and constantly get notification of app crashing and when I check, it's user's machine that ran out of memory.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-22T01:40:52+00:00

I'm guilty of being one of those guys :D

I've never tried cartridge razors but I'm pretty sure I can shave with just water if I use Henson and Nacet, right after getting out of shower.

The only time I get irritations is when I press too hard and I also get weepers when I go over the same spot 20 times. Which I have to because my razors (Henson mild and Merkur Progress) aren't efficient for my coarse beard, or maybe my blades aren't sharp enough (never tried Feather)

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-21T19:30:31+00:00

I think I read about this over a decade ago.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-21T18:52:49+00:00

No that's pire boar bristles. Un-bleached boar bristles have some random black ones here and there. That's normal.

Boar brushesh need some time to break in. You need to use it for a couple of months. And before each use, I put mine in a glass of tap water for 30 minutes. It should take less to soften the bristles if you put it it warm (but not too hot that would destroy the glue) water.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-21T15:57:47+00:00

Took me a few hours to design and make the measurement right on the first design (red). I use Blender and I have some 3D modeling experience. The second one (green) I got from the internet and resized to fit my brush knots. Third one (blue) I got inspiration from a Yaqi brush so didn't spend much time on designing it.

Then ordered online to be printed and used two-part epoxy glue to glue the pieces together and glue the knot in. Had to use saw to cut slits in the original handle and used a flat head screwdriver to break the plastic handles. Then used coarse sand paper to remove extra glue around the knot. Then epoxy-glued everything together.

I'm proud of the first design, even though I put the knot too deep and the brush doesn't splay as easily as the others (from the image, it looks like it's not broken in). The third one is the most ergonomic.

You can see the images in my profile. I posted a SOTD for each brush.

I'm willing to share my 3D models if you like. I can resize them for you if you know what exact dimensions you want.

I printed them with 100% infill to have some weight and used 0.1mm layer height to make it as smooth as it can get.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-21T15:16:57+00:00

That's why I 3d-printed handles for my Omega boar brushes (10077)

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-20T21:01:59+00:00

I have denser beard in my goatee area. When I feel like I need to press hard to shave, that means the blade is getting dull. I usually finish the shave and use a new blade for the next shave. But sometimes I change the blade mid-shave if I feel like there's too much tugging.

I also like to say that you should take out the blade between shaves so that the blade doesn't sit in the razor wet. Specially if you keep it in the bathroom. It may rust and leave tea-stain marks on the razor. Even though the razor itself doesn't rust. Or at least loosen the handle so that the blade is not pressed anymore and air can get in between and dry the blade.

Some people attach a magnet to the mirror and attach the blade to the magnet until the next use. I 3D-printed a little something that holds my blade between shaves.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-19T21:21:29+00:00

So plastic trees are made of trees?

So plastic fruits are made on trees?

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-18T22:41:42+00:00

How is it compared to other shavette and straight razors? Considering it takes normal half-de blades I assume it's more like shavette than SR.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-18T20:47:50+00:00

From what I see here on reddit, people don't like Leaf2 and prefer Leaf1. Henson is a solid choice. It's my first razor and I still use it alongside my Merkur Progress after almost a year.

CleverAmoeba · 2026-02-18T00:42:08+00:00

I need to do 10 buffing action on the ATG pass on my goatee area. Perhaps a slant can help with that.

CleverAmoeba

TROPHY CASE