I'm new to DE shaving and absoultely hooked now! I have an awesome set up I got from classicshaving.com and have been using it for about 2 months now. However everytime I shave I always end up with hairs on my face from my brush. I's a Rooney Boar brush and really nice. I was just wondering if this is common or if there is a way to break in the brush so it doesn't shed?
Two months is long if you use it every day. If you got it in water that was way too hot, left it set wet overnight, or wrung it out in a towel every day you might have caused the shedding. You'd have to seriously abuse a brush to make it shed in two months. probably a dud. it happens. I have a beautiful brush that sheds every time I use it. It's very irritating to have a hair in your lather. I feel your pain. Ask for a replacement or just replace it. I'm sure an odd brush gets through without enough epoxy or set too high. No company's perfect. Sometimes how they handle QC issues makes all the difference.
Some brushes just do this. However, they really shouldn't. If you are treating the brush right and it is still having these problems with daily use, contact either Rooney or classic shave to see if either will replace the brush. Some companies will.
What is the proper way to care for your brush? I just ordered a Parker Silvertip chrome handled shave brush. I have two Art of Shaving pure badger brushes that shed. They both cost $50.00 a piece.
Most any brush should give you a couple of decades of use. Everyone should own at least one boar and one badger. It helps to change from one to another and let a brush completely dry out for a couple days every week or so. To 'care for' a brush (in my opinion); Do not use a brush without letting it absorb warm water to soften up first. If you take a dry brush straight into soap or cream and go to town swirling your lather you may break or damage the hairs- they are brittle when dry- soften them first and let them absorb some water. Just like your beard. Don't soak it in water that is too hot to hold your hand in for a minute. Don't mash it into your soap or onto your face very hard. Do rinse it very well after every use. Go through the motions of building lather in clear water until all the soap is cleared out of the brush. Do shake it dry gently after every use. Take a look at it an hour or so later and enjoy how nice it 'blooms' - if it's badger. Boars don't really bloom. It will puff out when drying and then contract again. Very cool. Do not set it bristles up to dry, this may rot the handle or knot as moisture will settle with gravity. When done shaving, and done rinsing, give it a couple of good shakes and either hang it bristles down or lay it on its side. Do not wring a brush in a towel to dry it. When you notice soap residue building up where the knot sets in the handle clean your brush. Use shampoo, vinegar, or some borax and water. Rinse and dry thoroughly before using to shave. Don't drop your brush. Do use your brush and enjoy it. Always soak the bristles before lathering. Try not to submerge the handle when soaking. Try not to expose the brush to harsh cleaning products or extreme temperatures. Brushes tend to get better over time. They soften and break in. The boars get split ends and after a lot of use hold much more lather and water than when new.
Awesome feedback, thanks! I actually do take great care of my brush. My "man corner" as my wife calls it has become my pride and joy. However I do get the water really hot, so that might be the issue. I will try to keep the water from getting so hot and see if that makes a difference. Will this stop the shedding or is it to late and if a brush starts to shed will it always shed?
Usually the brush sheds initially because you're pulling loose hairs from the bundle that weren't completely combed out after the process of bunching and tying or later after its been epoxied, after that its either a pocket in the epoxy, or a poorly tied knot *Hand tied*. If the brush sheds everyday for a few months and doesn't stop, no its not going to stop probably ever. Also are full pieces of hair coming loose, or only small bits?
I had 2 new brushes from T&H which shed and they had no problem replacing them. They were more than happy to help.
Really? I thought this was standard procedure. I thought that was the intention of the "standing" design of the handle. Is the glue in the knot typically that unstable?
Excellent advice. I've heard two schools of thought on leaving the brush to dry. I offer these arguments when setting the brush to dry: A - "Let it hang bristles down. You don't water to run down into the knot." I have yet to see any drops of water either on the end of the bristles or puddled up under any brush I have left hanging bristles down. If the water is not running down to the tips while hanging down, it won't run down into the base if setting up. B - "Stand it on it's base, bristles up. It won't allow proper air flow for the water to evaporate if hanging." Try this, set a wet glass bottom up in your dish rack, then come back the next day. Is the inside dry? I rest my case. Note - I do shake the brush, then rub it over a towel a couple of times before leaving it to dry. I have yet to have any issues with my brush drying or mold forming on any brush I own, regardless of how I leave it.
Which way you set your brush down to dry is really just preference. I've always set mine on it's handle, and have never had issues with it drying. Soaking, or not, your brush is also preference. I've done both, and find no difference. Do what you prefer. No hard and fast rules on either of those points.
Good advise, both. I've always left mine up and never had issue, but it is just a VDH boar, nothing fancy. Perhaps the higher dollar ones need more of a proper care. But since I am looking at getting a nice badger, I will keep this in mind.
I'm of the school of thought to store your brush with the bristles down, it should dry more easily that way IMO. This is true of most any other brush, one would not store their paint brush bristles up nor even a broom with the head of the broom up, just isn't good for the bristles. However YMMV.
For a few years now I've had a Kent BLK4 (considered a bit high dollar, I guess), and have always stored it bristles up. No problems. Just personal preferences. No right, no wrong. I've never heard of anyone doing a long term experiment to support either school of thought. So, do whatever makes you comfortable. Not trying to argue, but just wanted to provide some food for thought. Most brooms are nylon/plastic or straw, and most people probably aren't too concerned with how they store their brooms. If my broom got wet, I probably would prop it up in a fashion to dry out. Paint brushes, whether for art or house painting need to retain their shape, if you wish to keep them for any length of time. I've done quite a bit of both types of painting, and while not anywhere near an expert, can't say I've seen (m)any paint brush holders/hangers (such as the brush holders we see). Generally they get stored handles down, or just plain laying down on their sides.
Back to the OP. As others have said, consistent shedding is not common, nor should it be acceptable, after the first couple of uses. If it continues to shed, either contact the maker or seller for a refund or exchange, or toss the brush and get another. There is no special way to break in a badger brush that I've heard of. Just use the thing, although I have heard of folks using hair dryers and bricks on their boar brushes in the hopes of breaking it in quicker. Again, I say just use the thing. Yes, bricks. They would lather up a brick in the hopes of splitting the ends faster.
Agreed, I've been setting my Savile Row brush upside down for probably 15+ years, and except for 2 bristles the first time I lathered with it, there is absolutely no signs of any wear.. And it's been my only and daily brush until I got a Smegue boar a month or so ago to play around with. No signs of any kind of problems with the bristles at all. (I've also never cleaned the brush, other than a thorough rinse by "pumping" it up and down in a bowl of water, shake, refill bowl with water, repeat... until the water is clear.) No signs of any buildup at all... Although it's always been treated to a water softener except on trips.
I have stored it bristles down and always taken great care of it so maybe I just got unlucky! But on a better note I just made my first purchase from the shave den and very excited about the soaps, preshave and m-bomb i just purchased! Shedding brush or not very excited what I get to use the brush with! At the end of the day it's the great smelling soaps and feeling after the DE shave that got me hooked. Never tried Menthal but very excited to try it. A couple loose bristles can't take away that experience!
