• Domain Change - We have moved to https://paste-and-cut.com as our new domain.

    If you are using shortcuts or bookmarks for the old paste-and-cut.com.au domain, you need to update these or they will cease working from the 25th January, 2025. Please check the notice post for more details on this change to the forum.

Badger brush care

StratMan

StratMan

Member
hey guys.. now i have a brush worthy of care i was wondering if there is anything you do to care for your badger brushes? When you soak do you soak in hot, warm or cold water and for how long? do you do anything special to clean the brush from time to time? cheers
 
StratMan said:
hey guys.. now i have a brush worthy of care i was wondering if there is anything you do to care for your badger brushes? When you soak do you soak in hot, warm or cold water and for how long? do you do anything special to clean the brush from time to time? cheers
Click to expand...
Warm water about 5mm below the knot from the handle, do NOT soak the whole knot. For about 5 or 10mins depending on the type of badger hair.
 
Never use water, that is warmer than comfortable on your hands.
Try not to soak into the handle, as @SpeedyPC already pointed out.

After the shave, wash out all soap residue with warm water. Then wash with cold water to close the hair follicles, GENTLY shake dry and then GENTLY towel dry. Leave standing in a dry spot, until knot is completely dry, but avoid sun.

Every blue moon, I clean my brushes using this method - which I can't find now but will add a bit later...
 
alfredus said:
Never use water, that is warmer than comfortable on your hands.
Try not to soak into the handle, as @SpeedyPC already pointed out.

After the shave, wash out all soap residue with warm water. Then wash with cold water to close the hair follicles, GENTLY shake dry and then GENTLY towel dry. Leave standing in a dry spot, until knot is completely dry, but avoid sun.

Every blue moon, I clean my brushes using this method - which I can't find now but will add a bit later...
Click to expand...

Great point as I recall @Tony Forsyth mentioned not to dry natural haired brushes on the window seal exposed to potential sun.

Allow an extra day or two for the Rhodium to dry completely as its a super dense knot.

Follow these simple steps to ensure your prized brush provides many Happy shaves!
 
Thanks for all your replies and I’m glad I asked.. when I first got the brush I was using it everyday day so not sure if it was dry properly but it felt dry

I got the water out of the brush by flicking it as I would with a synthetic and not sure if I went over the handle with water, that’s something I never considered before

If I did go go over would I have done any damage? hope not
 
Found it...depending on how often you use the brush - with my large rotation I might do it once a year, but if you use your brush every day, maybe once a month? But better get a couple more badgers in, so you can give them some rest ;)

 
alfredus said:
Found it...depending on how often you use the brush - with my large rotation I might do it once a year, but if you use your brush every day, maybe once a month? But better get a couple more badgers in, so you can give them some rest ;)

Click to expand...
My advice is to get at least a total of 4 or 5 badger brush into your den to allow 48hrs for each badger brush to properly dry out, @alfredus has a whole collection of Cheeky Bastard Badger showoff in his den.
 
SpeedyPC said:
My advice is to get at least a total of 4 or 5 badger brush into your den to allow 48hrs for each badger brush to properly dry out, @alfredus has a whole collection of Cheeky Bastard Badger showoff in his den.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, what you say seems more like a recommendation for synthetics...
 
Gargravarr said:
Hmmm, what you say seems more like a recommendation for synthetics...
Click to expand...
Nope! you can use one synthetics brush for a very long time, roughly about 10 years or more and it's dried out a lot faster about 8 or 10hrs (or overnight) than badger and boar.
 
Last edited:
Gargravarr said:
Exactly, my point 😀
Click to expand...
Natural badger and boar hairs hold water to keep the lather nice and moist much longer during face lathering, because, synthetics brush cannot hold water and sometimes the lather can dry out and you need to add a little bit of water during each passes. I don't have any issues with synthetics brush, because, I only bowl lather it's a lot quicker than face lathering and easier to control the amount of water when bowl lathering.
 
My poor brushes!
Select brush
No preparation
Straight under the hottest water I have available
Brush the hot water over my face a few times
Load the brush
Use
Rinse under running cold water tap
Flick the residual water out in the shower cubicle
Stand up under the window till I decide to use it next time
No trouble- All brush types mistreated the same way
 
Last edited:
Gargravarr said:
Hmmm, what you say seems more like a recommendation for synthetics...
Click to expand...
Sadly I'm starting to notice significant wear and tear of my synthetics and agree it helps to have a few badgers/boars to allow for rotation.
 
SpeedyPC said:
Which brand and what type of synthetic knot is starting to wear and tear?
Click to expand...
My original RazoRock plissoft 400 knot is starting to lose its shape in the middle (now used as a travel brush). It reminds me of my boar brushes. :(

Also noticing similar issues with my PAA Atomic Rocket which has a knot that resembles a plissoft...? :unsure: I admit I'm more inclined to lather hard with the synth's but still dry them properly and keep them in rotation...

I prefer to bowl lather with my synthetics so this adds to the wear and tear.
 
Razor Burn said:
Sadly I'm starting to notice significant wear and tear of my synthetics and agree it helps to have a few badgers/boars to allow for rotation.
Click to expand...

Like anything man made, it will eventually wear out. Who knows what plastic polymers are used in production. In saying that my travel synthetic brush used extensively for over 16 years still looks and feels like when I bought it. I had another synthetic brush fall apart within a year.
 
Razor Burn said:
My original RazoRock plissoft 400 knot is starting to lose its shape in the middle (now used as a travel brush). It reminds me of my boar brushes. :(

Also noticing similar issues with my PAA Atomic Rocket which has a knot that resembles a plissoft...? :unsure: I admit I'm more inclined to lather hard with the synth's but still dry them properly and keep them in rotation...

I prefer to bowl lather with my synthetics so this adds to the wear and tear.
Click to expand...
I've had no shaving brushed loose their shape before, a bit of hot water to make them malleable and then hang upside down usually returned then to shape before some cool water. It May not be the best idea for shave brush, but might be worth a shot if the brush isn't getting any love.
 
Errol said:
My poor brushes!
..All brush types mistreated the same way
Click to expand...
Me too. My last badger, a Simpson I bought in London in 1982 got retired last February, so it had 38 years of this abuse. I think it should have stood up to it: maybe I should complain... ;)

I now use synthetics exclusively, and couldn't be happier.
 
Razor Burn said:
Sadly I'm starting to notice significant wear and tear of my synthetics and agree it helps to have a few badgers/boars to allow for rotation.
Click to expand...
IMG-20200911-165231.jpg

IMG-20200911-165239.jpg

Very disappointed with the left as the fibres have gone super dry // right still soft but starting to show the same signs and they're both plissoft style knots...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top