Vie-Long American style Horse hair brush

Pbgoose

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This thread is in response to @bald as questions re: the 21mm Vie-Long American style Horse hair brush.
bald as said 'Very interested to see you have a Vie-Long barber style horse brush in your SOTD.
Was it funky smelling when you first started to use it?
Is the knot large enough to create good lather and is it more a bowl or face brush?
Being a horse hair brush does it, or has it tangled at all?
How does it compare to other brushes you have?
Oh heck :) All these questions, can you do a review on the brush please?
I'm considering getting one and would value your input.'

The short answer is yes you should buy one.:) Enabling role-Tick.
Yes it did have the new animal brush funky smell but not unreasonable and dissipated quickly enough after a few shaves. Maybe use your stronger smelling soaps up front, or get some Lemon Myrtle into it if you want to nuke it.:LOL:

The brush has a pleasing amount of backbone, I haven't had any troubles lathering my soaps with it. Of course it's not the same as using a 26mm boar. I likened it to going from a 2B pencil to a HB. I find the smaller knot makes for more control over lather placement on the face. I'd say the American style barber brushes were designed for bowl lathering rather than face lathering and I like the longer handle for that, but there's no reason why you couldn't face lather.
I'm assuming the horse hair may be more subject to broken or tangled hair if the brush was mashed but I just let the brush do the work and be patient so to date the brush is holding its shape nicely ( I've had it since mid July). Being a smaller brush with less surface area in play I'm guessing it puts as much surface pressure on the soap per square inch as a larger brush with more backbone.
Flowthrough is good. Very mild scritch, I'm very happy with face feel. I'm very happy with this purchase. I'll probably buy another American style brush (maybe the Omega 10098 Boar).
As mentioned I like the more precise nature of the smaller brush (I also enjoy my Vie-Long Horse/Badger), so being inspired by @Errol 's post on his brush construction, I'm looking at purchasing some smaller badger knots and handles, probably 20 - 21mm and set them at my preference. I would like to make a handle but have not the time for that at present with soap being the priority.:)
I view my various brushes as per my different razors. They all have varying characteristics, performance and drawbacks. I love my big boars, love the feel of badger but also love the different feel of the horse hair. Horse hair wouldn't be my first choice brush but as I have the opportunity, I'm glad I own the Vie-Long 21mm. I prefer it over the 26mm Epsilon Horse which is very dense and seems more prone to losing shape and has inferior flowthrough compared to the Vie-Long. But I certainly do not regret purchasing that brush either.
I think @alfredus advised, when I was fishing for information about brushes to try and decide on a purchase, that the best way to know what you like in a brush is to try them, so whilst I can't afford to try them all, I now own enough different brushes to get a feel for various characteristics, types and performance to know what I like and don't like.
My discussion hasn't mentioned synthetics as I don't own one and don't intend to (at this stage). I'm quite happy with using synthetic fibre in paint brushes and don't at all doubt that synthetic shaving brushes may have some superior performance characteristics but as becomes quite evident comparing different peoples experience on the forum, they can vary quite significantly for the same product. Personally I like the soul and authenticity that I associate with animal hair brushes.
 
I'm a weirdo, I like the funky new brush smell
Actually the Vie-long horse hair wasn't too bad, almost like new car smell, just a little funkier, so in that context I understand your like. The Badger/Boar knot I got from Maggards was a lot funkier and in that context, you would bypass weirdo and go directly to 'nuts'.
 
Great review. It would be interesting to put a small boar in a handle of similar style design. Food for thought.
 
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