Do you prep a brand-new shaving brush?

[cryhavoc]

Gents, brushes break in by themselves. Just use them!

+1 As usual Marco know what he is talking about.

 

[Al Bundy]

I don't know if prep/break in is exactly the right phrase but having discovered the smell of a soggy badger is a less then pleasant one I do now always lather up and leave over night any new brush before first use

Tends to remove or minimise any olfactory nastiness...

 

[htownmmm]

I hand lathered my Zenith 506 Manchurian when it arrived only because I had already shaved that day. In fact, it was the first time I have done w/ any of my brushes. Bloomed nicely too!

marty

 

[MilkCrate]

Gents, brushes break in by themselves. Just use them!

That is what I have done with all my brushes.

Although on my horsehair, I wondered which end it came from.

 

[Fairwind]

Whether it’s natural or synthetic? I mean, do they need some sort of a “breaking in” period? I have a new Omega Hi-Brush. It is my first shaving brush, and I don’t know a damn thing about it. I’m new to all this after growing up with carts and electric shavings.

Prep? Prep? I don need no stinkin prep! Just use it. That will break it in. If it's a vintage, well, that's horse of a different color. Soak it in dish soap, some like Dawn and some like Joy. Rinse and let it dry, then use it.
I mug lather, so all I do is wet the brush with warm water, give it a shake and start whipping away for about 45 seconds. IMO all of this pre-shave ritual is just that, something that someone claimed is the way to do something and it became gospel. Like one member says in his signature "Don't over-think it, it's just shaving"

 

[Badgerstate36]

With any brush, even a new one, I like to give it an inital cleaning. I like to wet/soak mine and clean them with shampoo (especially if its a natural hair brush) and then load it up with a soap/cream and do a quick palm lather.
Is it an absolute must? I dont know. Maybe, maybe not.

 

[TiffanyGT]

Boar brush. 2 or 3 days in cold water. It worked for me.

This!
I have also used this technique to soften my boar brush. And, I don't know if anyone does that but I have added ice into the water, results are pretty good. I have an Omega boar brush by the way.

 

[Scaramouche]

My last few badgers (admittedly high quality) didn't require anything - I just used them. My one boar needed a couple of rounds of shampoo and conditioner and was fine. My Vie Long horse (described before) originally smelled like the US Cavalry just rode into town after a month of patrolling the Arizona territory. In the desert. In July. With some casualties. And it never smelled significantly better no matter what I did to it, which was not inconsiderable.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

Just in case the hair could use a quick cleaning I give a new brush a lather with Bronner’s baby soap and then rinse it out and lather up my shaving soap or cream of choice.

 

[ShaverAZ]

Gents, brushes break in by themselves. Just use them!

Unlike you, I've found brushes with funky odors to be offputting, so I simply soak & shampoo them. But, to each his own.

 

[cleanshaved]

I tend to consider breaking in and removing any funky odours different. A few washes will remove the funk but not break the brush in.