Just out of curiosity, how do you know when a brush has reached the end of its life? I know most of you have a few, if not, dozens of brushes but I only have 2 and don't plan on buying anymore.
Either: A) It starts to shed at a rate faster than you're comfortable with 2) It fails to perform the way you want it to with either: III) how it lathers Fourth) how it feels on the face
On a related note, if the bristles are shot and you love the handle, replacement isn't your only choice. You can re-knot it.
On another related note... assuming a quality brush and half-decent treatment from its owner, replacement will be more of a question for your son or possibly grandson. Do not believe the Art of Shaving nonsense that brushes need to be replace every couple years. If you have hard water, you may get build up on your brush that makes it perform or feel not as nice. A simple soak in a borax solution and warm water will remove the scale (hard water build up) and make your brush like new again.
They all beat me to it. You can go a long way with two brushes. If you get the SBAD, you will be checking out all the different kinds of brushes. Try to resist for now. When you tire of using the two brushes you have, then you can branch out.
+1. I would also be interested. All I have at the moment is an Omega 49 boar. A lovely starter brush but I am already looking forward to trying something else like a silvertip or even synthetic
You picked a great starter brush, I agree with you, I think once you try the new synthetic knots you might get hooked. Check out Italian Barber they have a number of great brushes at unbelievable prices.
On this subject. I have an old Ever-Ready 150 with the original boar knot. I obtained it thinking the handle could be harvested into a nice restore project. I washed it, and almost as a second thought, used it. Ugly as it is, it always makes great lather and feels nicely exfoliating on my face. I happily left it as is, and use it often. I guess my point is, ugly doesn't mean non-functional. If you have one, try it before you yank the knot.
About the only certain proof that your brush needs replacement is if, when you use it, you find yourself scrubbing your face with the base of the handle and/or the glue bump -- because the bristles are worn down to the nub. Anything else is really a case of user preference. BTW I reknotted three secondhand brushes and threw out one that were all actually near that point. In the 1920s to 1950s when people were careful with spending money and eked out, reused, or recycled everything possible, shaving brushes got used long and hard -- as in, one brush at a time, used daily, often for decades. @david of central florida just showed a perfect example: that brush probably had ten to twenty years of daily use on it and still has more life in the bristles. I had one like that but had to reknot it, because the bristles had become too brittle with age after sitting dry and unused for a few decades, and they started breaking off when I tried to use the brush. The other ones I reknotted had knots that were either worn down to the length of a toothbrush or else had lost so hairs they were too "bald" to pick up a load of soap.
I have passed up many brushes in antique stores because the knot looked ugly. Should i be buying these even though they look so-so? I'd like to have a collection of brushes eventually. Is this a good way to start?
It's certainly one way to start. Some of those ugly old knots may be much better looking and possibly usable after a thorough cleaning. (Soaking rinse in warm water, followed by latherings with Dawn dish detergent and a soaking in a weak vinegar solution, all interspersed with more rinses.). On the other hand, some ugly old knots are just ugly, old, worn out knots that no amount of cleaning will fix. Again, if you are into handwork, a solid old handle can be cleaned, buffed and polished until it gleams like new and those ragged old bristles replaced with a brand-new knot of boar, badger or the modern synthetics. If you don't plan to get into brush restoration, on the other hand, then it is probably best to wait to find vintage brushes in excellent condition. Otherwise, you simply find yourself with a collection of ugly, wrecky old brushes...
I wouldn't mind adding a few to my collection of shaving paraphernalia. Do i just look for plastic that's in good condition, no cracks or splits? And ignore the condition of the brush? I seen some at an antique store this weekend that the handles were made of a hard rubber. The handles were not in bad shape but the brushes were worn and shedding. They were like $5 each but i didn't get them because i don't know much about brushes. There was an Old Spice mug and brush i probably should've picked up but didn't. I can go back later. I just try to read as much as i can here on TSD so i'm more edumacated when i go to antique stores and the like. Thanks for the advice.
My current go to brushes. Omega 10098(Boar) on the left, Omega 6212(Silvertip) on the right. I also have a Parker Silvertip that is on hiatus. As you can see neither is in any danger of needing replacement. I'm figuring my boys will be trying to figure out what to do with 'em after I've crossed over the bar
