Will it decrease the life of the brush if I don't hang it on a stand even if I squeeze out the water, shake it out, and dry it on a towel before storing it upside down?
Some people say it makes no difference how you store the brush and others say it does. Personally I don't have an opinion. I hang mine by the handle via velcro dots on the end of the handle under a shelf just to keep them tidy.
No. You do not need a stand. I have and rotate through 14 brushes. 13 of 'em get dried the way you do it, then set on their base to dry, bristles up. Just don't store a damp brush in a cabinet or closet unless you want 'em to get moldy. They need the air circulation to dry properly.
Glad to hear it from someone with experience! That seems to be the most valuable kind of information I can get!
I have brush stands only 2, and I have about 10 brushes, I dont really use the stands and ive never had a problem
In the past I never really used stands and felt no need for one. However, I now have 1 cheap stand to hang my wooden handle brushes to dry on after use. The reason being, the paint on my Semogue Italian Barber LE started chipping/peeling for no reason after only a few months of very light use..I'm talking only about 3-4 times a month usage in my rotation. I cleaned it well after every use, I gently squeezed and shook excess water out and even lightly "stropped" it on a towel to remove extra moisture from the hair and I always store my brushes on a shelf in my bedroom away from excessive moisture from my small poorly ventilated bathroom. Yet it started peeling and cracking anyway, so while my resin/plastic handled brushes still dry bristles up..I don't trust it any longer with my wooden handled ones.
I totally agree with Swarden43. No need to hang them from a stand. I've always just shook them out and stood them to dry. I've only just started hanging them because my Father made me a display stand.
My Semogue 2000 started to chip and peel around the collar. Here's what I did ---> *click here* That was over three years ago. The brush gets used regularly and I haven't had any issues since.
Stands are great for display purposes, but I've yet to see ANY difference in the drying time of those hanging on the display (inverted) versus those I place upright on the counter. I keep 2 of my four brushes in a stand, and they all reside on the window sill where fresh air circulation is optimal. Takes about a day or so for all to dry. Post-shave, they are thoroughly rinsed, shaken out, and then I 'paint' a dry towel with the brush for a few moments, which I've discovered enhances the development of a good brush bloom.
All I know is my grandfather never hung his. He had a fair sized Italian cheapo boar as long as I can remember and he always had the same one. Just the one. No problems.
My Semogues dry with the boar bristles up and I've never had a problem. I don't have room for my stand. Clayton
How do you fathers keep your brush away from little hands that might use the brush in the dirt or in their morning cereal? I thought I would put it in the medicine cabinet, but based on this: , I probably shouldn't do that. Any ideas?
I'm still young and naive, but I believe in do's and dont's so I'll tell my kid that the countertop is off limits, just like my stereo and speakers are
I saw recently some stands with the brush not "up-side down" but in a 40 degree angle Stands are main for exhibition or you can say to protect the brush from droping in the side accidentally.
Since evaporation is the way a brush dries, as long as it's well shook and toweled off lightly, it will be better on it's base. Just my scientific observation.
+1, kinda. We have two bathrooms in the house. The kids have one bathroom, and the wife and I have the other. The mom and dad bathroom has two sinks- a his and hers. Mine has a permanent shave setup. My oldest is seven and is tall enough to reach my razors and hurt himself, so I've had that talk with him. He doesn't touch my razors and is under strict instruction to keep his sisters away. One time, they were in the mom and dad bathroom and wanted to do something nice for me. They cleaned my sink. With my badger brush. My sink was filthy. Their heart was in the right place so I couldn't get mad. As a dad you just have to take the hit sometimes. Sometimes that means you have a very funky badger brush.
I hang my brush just because I think it looks cool. I have a nifty little chrome stand with a spot to stand my razor up. I bought one for my dad for Christmas too. Here's the link to what I'm talking about. http://www.bullgooseshaving.net/om226brandra.html
Here are the arguments I've heard: 1) You gotta dry your brush bristles down, that way the water won't run down into your knot. Rebuttal: Everyone knows water evaporates up, you gotta dry bristles up. 2) You gotta dry your brush bristles up. Everyone knows water evaporates up. Rebuttal: Then the water runs down into your knot and can make it come loose. Two things I know: 1) I have yet to see any puddles form under my brush if I hang it bristles down. If water isn't running down to the tips in this position, it ain't running down to the base if placed bristles up. 2) The inside of my drinking glasses still manage to dry when placed bottoms up in the rack, even though the bottom, now on top, prevents "upward evaporation." The handle of a brush isn't going to stop a brush from drying if placed bristles down.
