Brush lifespan

[CarloMNL]

I've seen synthetic shaving brushes last a fair bit. My first one is almost 10 years old. Despite being used and abused for eight of those years, it remains serviceable. Natural hair is a different story, or so I hear.

I've read that badger can last a lifetime, or between five to ten years, depending on who you ask. Many members here have rotations that range between 10 - 30 brushes so wear and tear is tempered. Naturally, the brushes in this rotation seemingly last forever.

Given proper care, how long should a 2 brush silvertip rotation last its owner, assuming daily use?

 

[tube_guy]

I have an old Rooney badger brush that I used every day for about 6 years. No rotation with another brush. It still looks like brand new. I'm sure it'd go for another 6 years, but it would probably go much longer than that. Now I have a brush rotation, so I don't think I'll ever find out.

 

[Old School TSD]

I've got 60 year old badger brushes that don't lose a hair.

 

[emwolf]

I've bought some vintage brushes that were okay to use and they were natural hair. I've only gone back to brushes for the last decade and most of the brushes I use are less than 5 years old, so I can't speak to longevity personally.

 

[BigJ]

As the saying goes, ‘Take care of your tools and they will take care of you!’

 

[Hercule]

My dad's synthetic from the '60s lasted him until about 2010. I have it now and it's worn down and pretty much feels like a wire brush.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

My oldest brush is from 2011 and it looks like new although the knot has relaxed slightly. It is regularly used as part of a rotation of a dozen brushes. I would expect any quality brush that is properly cared for to last for ten years as a minimum and usually a lot longer.

Much will depend on the conditions in which the brush is kept, more particularly the climate and drying time. As @CarloMNL is in Manila which has a very humid climate then drying time may be significantly increased. This topic is of particular interest to me as I plan to retire to Luzon in Philippines, possibly to Baguio or Tagaytay, in a few years and I have been wondering about the best way to store my brushes there or any other factors I should consider.

 

[Medivh]

Judging by my (4-5 years old) Maggards synthetic 24mm that looks like a tornado and how my 1 year old Yaqi Timber Wolf 26mm synthetic is starting to look the same, i'd say the synthetics for me last around 5 years at best. They can still be used even afterwards, but the hair in the middle is just way too twisted and that affects the performance. What i've noticed is that most people own at least 5 brushes and they are rotating them, which is why they last longer. Using the same brush all the time will definitely make its life shorter.

 

[CarloMNL]

My oldest brush is from 2011 and it looks like new although the knot has relaxed slightly. It is regularly used as part of a rotation of a dozen brushes. I would expect any quality brush that is properly cared for to last for ten years as a minimum and usually a lot longer.

Much will depend on the conditions in which the brush is kept, more particularly the climate and drying time. As @CarloMNL is in Manila which has a very humid climate then drying time may be significantly increased. This topic is of particular interest to me as I plan to retire to Luzon in Philippines, possibly to Baguio or Tagaytay, in a few years and I have been wondering about the best way to store my brushes there or any other factors I should consider.

Right now, we are entering the summer months which are typically hot and less humid. My current badger knot sizes are 22mm because I figured these would dry faster than a larger, denser knot. My earlier badger brushes were between 24-26mm and during the monsoon season (June to November) it could take two to three days for a brush to dry. So far, the 22mm knots dry within the day and are generally good to go the following morning.

A helpful tip is to try and control temperature and humidity. Air conditioners work well for this. Air circulators like a Vornado are likewise useful. It's not just brushes that you'd have to worry about. Things like pillows, towels, leather goods can readily turn moldy during the rainy season if your air circulation is bad and you let humidity build up in your rooms.

Baguio and Tagaytay have cooler climates (compared to Manila). They are also well above sea level versus Manila so humidity is not as big of an issue. Until the rains come, at least.

 

[Ron R]

Boar brushes can last a long time(decades), As long as you pre soak them for a few minutes in warm before use. I abused a boar brush when I knew nothing about them many years ago and it lasted at least 6 years I recall with out pre soaking daily before it started to lose a lot of bristles.
I have seen boar brushes from antique stores photo's that have hardly any loft left anymore because they where used for decades by previous owners. Boar bristle is one of the toughest natural hairs out there for abusing for wear & tear IMO.
I have a 24mm synthetic cashmere knot brush that I use daily for washing my whole face for almost 3 years and it is holding up real well.
I would not worry to much about badger either because it has been around for many years also.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Right now, we are entering the summer months which are typically hot and less humid. My current badger knot sizes are 22mm because I figured these would dry faster than a larger, denser knot. My earlier badger brushes were between 24-26mm and during the monsoon season (June to November) it could take two to three days for a brush to dry. So far, the 22mm knots dry within the day and are generally good to go the following morning.

A helpful tip is to try and control temperature and humidity. Air conditioners work well for this. Air circulators like a Vornado are likewise useful. It's not just brushes that you'd have to worry about. Things like pillows, towels, leather goods can readily turn moldy during the rainy season if your air circulation is bad and you let humidity build up in your rooms.

Baguio and Tagaytay have cooler climates (compared to Manila). They are also well above sea level versus Manila so humidity is not as big of an issue. Until the rains come, at least.

Maraming salamat po.

 

[CarloMNL]

Maraming salamat po.

Happy to help. Feel free to PM me if you have other questions regarding my country.

 

[Senate515]

I have a co-worker that has a Badger hair Plisson that he bought in the 90's and uses every day

 

[GaryTha]

As the saying goes, ‘Take care of your tools and they will take care of you!’

Even a broom can last 20 years if you "just look after it."

 

[HazMat Shaver]

Properly used and cared for I bet a brush could last 30+ years used Daily. Its the operator that makes them die early. Of course we are talking a quality brush knot.

 

[Tomo]

Sounds like I may never have a ‘good’ reason to ever buy another shaving brush.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Sounds like I may never have a ‘good’ reason to ever buy another shaving brush.

Don't give up hope. I managed to kill off two boar brushes, and a synthetic!!! No idea how I managed that last one.

 

[Tomo]

Don't give up hope. I managed to kill off two boar brushes, and a synthetic!!! No idea how I managed that last one.

You’ll always find an excuse if you’re looking for one.

 

[Legion]

I’ve been using the same badger brush since 2011. Admittedly I don’t shave every day, but that’s still a pretty good run, and the brush still shows no sign of failing, so who knows how long it will last.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

I agree with other's who've said that controlling humidity factors, will greatly increase the life of your brushes. You should always shake out your brush after to get the excess water out of them. And then you should use a brush stand, so it holds the brushes upside down in the air.

I recently got this brush stand, because its recommended to hang a brush up like this, to help extend its life, and to hopefully prevent mildoo or mold. This is a pure badger brush being hung up on the stand. Works great so far!

I'm waiting on my new brush to come in the mail, I ordered a Maseto Avatar 30 silver tipped badger brush, and I am hoping this stand will work for it as well.