Soak your brush? Yes, No, and why

My observations being that soaking allows more water retention and helps with flow through, I simply give a quick squeeze of the brush and off I go. If I just rinse a brush, it seems to take longer to build the lather which in turn wears out my face.

*edit* It does also make the bristles softer, only because they're completely saturated with water*

 

As in the ability to hold and release lather, generally its more important for face lathering, or in your case leg lathering!

happy102happy102

 

A good question with obvious differences among the members as noted in their posts. You have given me something to consider and tomorrow morning I will try a good rinse before lathering instead of a soak.

 

I'm a soaker.. just seems logical.. I rinse my hair a few times before I wash it. Since a hot shower is generally deemed better than a splash of water, I hypothesize that the a soak is better for the brush than a rinse.

 

For years I just rinsed and lathered, found the wet shave forums and tried soaking, I'm back to rinse and go for it.

 

I guess I am like most of us here, I soak my brush because that is how I was taught to do it. I have been reading this thread since it began and I do think that I will try just giving it a good rinse and see how that works. I am also one that floats my lather bowl in my sink water because I like the feel of the warm lather on my face. Although doing this sometimes makes the lather break down faster, but I don't mind whipping it around between passes.

 

You rinse your hair, you don't soak your head.

 

I have done it, but usually I just put my brush, either badger or boar in the sink while I fill it up. I don't really think it helps anything to soak longer than it takes the sink to fill.

My dad always left his brush in the mug so I learned from him to do the same. Next morning, you just pulled it out with all of the dried soap on it and dunked it into the water and directly back into the mug and soap and whipped up the lather. And so I did for many years and it worked fine, but with a bent ever ready boar brush, which by the way worked just fine.

I don't do that now, that I know better and to take better care of my brushes, but soaking isn't as much for the brush as it is for the lather working on my face. Lather back to me then was just for shaving, not enjoying and savoring.

Will N.

 

Good question indeed. I didnt soak at first, I just warmed it under the running water and flicked the excess out. I then began to soak it. It really doesnt seem to change my shave. Ill revisit this in the AM when i shave.

 

When I first started using a DE, I soaked my brush .. because Jeff said to. Back then, I would let the brush soak until I was finished washing my hair, get out of the shower, grab the brush and my mug and then head back into the shower. Not very Lean thinking, so I did a mini-Kaizen on my process and here's what I do today ...

• Place the razor in the shower, while placing my clean rag in the shower.
• Gather my SC, mug and brush.
• Run the brush under hot water to wet it.
• Build my lather.
• Jump in the shower with Jeff while he's finishing up.
• Wash my hair and commence the shaving.

Leaner process, no more soaking, and a faster more enjoyable shave.

 

While this is a most interesting question, or more so, interesting replies, I don't think that it is such an issue whether one soaks or doesn't soak to make a difference. I know it was intended to provoke the reasoning of why most do soak the brush. If I am so pressed for time B4 shaving, that if I soak my brush for 2 minutes or five minutes will mean the difference of being on time or being late, guess what, I won't shave until I have the time. Just saying, old habits
(neither being good or bad) die hard sometimes.

 

Not the place I expected to find a Lean / TPS / whatever name is being used this week for it practitioner. I absolutely love some of the stuff I was able to do in a previous job using Lean and Theory of Contraints. Now, if Jeff right with you on it, or does he roll his eyes like my wife?

 

I always soak my brushes because early in my traditional shaving life (about a year ago) I read that I should. For the past few months I've been shaving at the gym some mornings where soaking is not an option. To tell the truth there is no difference in the lather, temperature, or how the brush feels on my face. Will I continue to soak?
I haven't decided, I'll let you know tomorrow.

 

Hey... is this some kind of market research thread for a new TSD ISZ product? Something like Frozen Badger Squeeze?

 

I soak mine in a old spice mug of hot water. I found that when I just wet it in the sink it seems like it doesn't hold as much water. I don't know if that is just in my head, or real, but I have tried without soaking and went back to soaking.

 

Never soak my Boar, just hold under hot running water for a few seconds, shake out excess and hit the face lathering...Always kind-of felt I was doing something wrong by not soaking so I never said anything...I'm a closet, brush non-soaker )

 

OK - So this morning I did not soak the shavemac. I just rinsed until I thought it was good. I did not notice any difference in the lather or how the brush loaded. Who Knew?

 

He loves it ... although I haven't brought the label-maker home ...Yet.