Always reknot a vintage brush before use?

[goh2499]

I have 5 brushes that I have purchased off the bay either with other shave gear or separate. The 3 I'm waiting on I possibly over paid for use as project handles but I told my self if I like it and it's not over $15 shipped I'll get it. The first 2 are Fuller brushes seen here http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Vintage-F...IDi4Upea4x9ZFpzDox7yk%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

The third a Durabuilt that can be seen here http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-DUR...IDi4Upea4x9ZFpzDox7yk%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I look at the Durabuilt and think it looks good enough to use as is. I'll admit the thought of using someone else brush creeps me out a little. I own vintage razors that I clean before use including a dip in barbercide. With brushes figure I'll just reknot the brush before use then I know it has a fresh knot in the brush that hasn't been used.

Am I just a little paranoid? Or should I replace the knots befor use unless it is clearly NOS or fresh restore?

Is there some way to disinfect brushes that I'm not aware of?

 

[mblakele]

My used brushes were cleaned them with dishsoap, and sometimes a dilute vinegar solution. So far my face still seems to be attached and I still seem to be alive.

Almost anything you could catch from a brush would die as the brush dries out. They say folks used to catch things from dirty barber brushes, but those brushes were used on several customers a day and never had a chance to dry out properly. So if you know the brush has been dry and unused for a week or two, and it does not smell bad, it is already pretty safe. If you want to feel even safer, give it the How to Clean a Shaving Brush treatment. For bonus points use an antibacterial soap.

If you are still feeling icky, Marvicide is supposed to be safe for brushes when used as directed. Barbicide does not make that claim, but I gather some folks use it on brushes anyway. I would not bother with either.

 

[Dave Colangelo]

I have a few vintage brushes in a variety of conditions and have attempted to use the better ones on a few occasions. Keep in mind that all of these brushes are well over 40 years old by my estimations. They all suffer from the same few issues.

1. Floppy Hair: once the knot gets wet the hair can barely stand up and tends to flop to one side. This lack of stability makes the brush feel extremely soft but also makes it feel like its not really doing anything.

2: Inability to Hold Hair: All of the vintage brushes I have used have shed quite a few hairs when I went to use them.

3: Center Missing: Many of the vintage brushes I have appear to be ok from the sides but a top look reveals a lot of hair missing from the center.

As a result of these issues any vintage brush that I want to use has been reknoted. With the exception of a synthetic that I have that seems to have stood the test of time.

I would think that soap and water would clean a brush up fine. Anything dangerous on it should be dead as long as the brush has not been used in a few weeks. I would think a bit of barbicide or isopropyl would be ok as long as it was rinsed right off.

Regards
Dave

 

[brucea]

I would change the knot

 

[Marsman]

I would change the knot to one that fits your personality. It is also fun to give an old brush a new life.

 

[Snargle]

As long as the brush is well-cleaned, I wouldn't have a problem with using it. The bigger issue is the condition of the knot. Very few vintage brushes that I've encountered were fit for use. Most were well-used, to the point of being worn out.

 

[JaxJim]

I have 5 brushes that I have purchased off the bay either with other shave gear or separate. The 3 I'm waiting on I possibly over paid for use as project handles but I told my self if I like it and it's not over $15 shipped I'll get it. The first 2 are Fuller brushes seen here http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Vintage-F...IDi4Upea4x9ZFpzDox7yk%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

The third a Durabuilt that can be seen here http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-DUR...IDi4Upea4x9ZFpzDox7yk%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I look at the Durabuilt and think it looks good enough to use as is. I'll admit the thought of using someone else brush creeps me out a little. I own vintage razors that I clean before use including a dip in barbercide. With brushes figure I'll just reknot the brush before use then I know it has a fresh knot in the brush that hasn't been used.

Am I just a little paranoid? Or should I replace the knots befor use unless it is clearly NOS or fresh restore?

Is there some way to disinfect brushes that I'm not aware of?

In my experience, you really can't tell with any precision whether a vintage knot will be usable from the typical eBay photos. In many cases, though, there's no difficulty in identifying unusable brushes. The boar brushes in your first link appear to be well worn, and I think they would be excellent candidates for reknotting.

The Durabuilt badger in your second link may or may not be usable. I'd suggest making some lather with dish soap in your palm and see how that goes. It may prove to be too floppy for your taste or have other attributes you don't care for, but this will give you a much better idea of how you wish to proceed.

I agree completely with the points made by mblakele, but if you still are even mildly creeped out by the prospect of putting a pre-owned brush to your face, by all means, reknot them. Keep in mind, though, that badgers (and pigs, for that matter) aren't the most particular critters when it comes to hygiene.

Those brushes have very handsome handles, by the way. Good luck!

 

[goh2499]

Keep in mind, though, that badgers (and pigs, for that matter) aren't the most particular critters when it comes to hygiene.

Thanks a lot for that reminder...

LOL

 

[shevek]

I feel the same way. Too skeevy. And reknotting is half the fun...

 

[goh2499]

I recieved the Durobuilt today and any thought of using it went out the window. Dry it has big hole in the middle and was shedding during transit.

Still a beautiful brush and would have loved to seen it back in the day. I just need to figure out how to approach this project if I do it myself. It definitely will not be the first brush I restore out of the handles I have.

 

[Riff Raff]

I too have a few vintage brushes, one of which is a NOS butterscotch Made-Rite. I have used it but I find that the vintage knots aren't as dense as I like. It is a bit floppy, but I attribute that to the quality of badger rather than the age. I will re-knot it with a more dense knot.