Badger Brush and Cold Weather

[gitapik]

Greetings from Vermont!

Long story short: how does a dry, hanging, Simpson Classic 2 Badger brush handle extreme cold for months at a time?

Longer story:

We’ve got a nice place on a smallish lake in the Northeast Kingdom. It’s beautiful.

Up until now, I’ve been bringing my travel kit whenever we come up here. Shaving stick, travel brush, RazoRock talc, and a Harry’s cartridge razor. All good.

But since joining this community of like minded wet shavers, I’ve expanded my arsenal and decided to bring something up here as a more permanent setup:
That’s a R89 (betcha knew that). The agate is the end handle of a small spoon. I use it to scrape a small Mama Bear shaving puck after it’s softened/bloomed. Lathers up nicely in the bowl. It’s a nice setup. Makes for a great shaving experience.

I chose the Classic 2 because it’s a great brush that I don’t use as much since getting my Shavemac. And I’m into my recently acquired synths.

So, as I said: we’re in northern Vermont. This house isn’t heavily insulated and it gets very cold up here in the winter. So we pack up in October, close the place down, and head back to NYC.

I’m wondering if that brush is ok left hanging, dry, on that stand, or should I box it? Or bring it back to NYC until next spring?

I’ve got a feeling it’ll be fine…but want to preserve a nice brush and also wanted to show you my wilderness kit, anyway, lol. We’re in the sticks up here and it’s great!

 

[KW Driver]

A warm badger is definitely my choice on a cold day’s shave.

I can’t see any issue with leaving a dry brush in ambiently cold environments. It’s kinda what a badger’s hair is designed for while getting wet, snowy, muddy, no? Keep it dry and they won’t need replacing by the critter.

And nice view

 

[Ron R]

Greetings from Vermont!

View attachment 1683591

Long story short: how does a dry, hanging, Simpson Classic 2 Badger brush handle extreme cold for months at a time?

Longer story:

We’ve got a nice place on a smallish lake in the Northeast Kingdom. It’s beautiful.

Up until now, I’ve been bringing my travel kit whenever we come up here. Shaving stick, travel brush, RazoRock talc, and a Harry’s cartridge razor. All good.

But since joining this community of like minded wet shavers, I’ve expanded my arsenal and decided to bring something up here as a more permanent setup:
That’s a R89 (betcha knew that). The agate is the end handle of a small spoon. I use it to scrape a small Mama Bear shaving puck after it’s softened/bloomed. Lathers up nicely in the bowl. It’s a nice setup. Makes for a great shaving experience.

I chose the Classic 2 because it’s a great brush that I don’t use as much since getting my Shavemac. And I’m into my recently acquired synths.

So, as I said: we’re in northern Vermont. This house isn’t heavily insulated and it gets very cold up here in the winter. So we pack up in October, close the place down, and head back to NYC.

I’m wondering if that brush is ok left hanging, dry, on that stand, or should I box it? Or bring it back to NYC until next spring?

I’ve got a feeling it’ll be fine…but want to preserve a nice brush and also wanted to show you my wilderness kit, anyway, lol. We’re in the sticks up here and it’s great!

It's not the hair to worry about to much I'm thinking it would possibly be the adhesive (plug) that holds the hairs might give issues from freezing and contracting and then expanding constantly if you plan on shutting off the heat to your summer house or cabin.
Vermont can get to -20 to -30 degrees C in the middle of winter.
Contact Simpson's brush manufacture and see what they recommend about that interesting question, maybe they have already discovered this over time what cold does to their brushes, they have been making excellent brushes for a very long time and send them all over the world in hot and cold climates.!

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Another Simpson brush, the Major, is described on the Simpson web site as "designed for the intrepid Himalayan explorer, Major Victor Beeching". If you can believe this rather fanciful marketing then low temperatures should be no problem either for Simpson bristles or for the glue.

 

[gitapik]

It's not the hair to worry about to much I'm thinking it would possibly be the adhesive (plug) that holds the hairs might give issues from freezing and contracting and then expanding constantly if you plan on shutting off the heat to your summer house or cabin.
Vermont can get to -20 to -30 degrees C in the middle of winter.
Contact Simpson's brush manufacture and see what they recommend about that interesting question, maybe they have already discovered this over time what cold does to their brushes, they have been making excellent brushes for a very long time and send them all over the world in hot and cold climates.!

Yep…I’ve been up here during the winter. Definitely cold. My friend warms up with the wood stove after ice fishing on the lake but no way you’re hanging here for the duration.

Good suggestion. Thanks. I’ll write them now.

 

[gitapik]

Wish we could edit after replies. Looks like I forgot to Insert the kit picture. Oh well…

 

[gitapik]

A warm badger is definitely my choice on a cold day’s shave.

I can’t see any issue with leaving a dry brush in ambiently cold environments. It’s kinda what a badger’s hair is designed for while getting wet, snowy, muddy, no? Keep it dry and they won’t need replacing by the critter.

And nice view

Yep. Badger and a warm lather on a cold day is sweet. Fall up here is stunning and the temps definitely start to drop. Spring is colder, too. I’ll be getting a second scuttle, soon. Bring the old one up here.

Thanks. Yeah, I love it here.

 

[Ron R]

Yep. Badger and a warm lather on a cold day is sweet. Fall up here is stunning and the temps definitely start to drop. Spring is colder, too. I’ll be getting a second scuttle, soon. Bring the old one up here.

Thanks. Yeah, I love it here.

I have a sister in law who lives in Vermont, have driven through Vermont many times to visit her family and it has some of the nicest looking countryside any where in the world IMO with lots of smaller lakes and not a over industrialized state.

 

[ODJ]

Last time I checked badgers have no problem with cold weather, so why would their hair in a brush be problematic in cold weather?!

 

[gitapik]

Last time I checked badgers have no problem with cold weather, so why would their hair in a brush be problematic in cold weather?!

Agreed. And Ron R, above, mentioned a possible problem w the adhesive that’s used to hold the hairs in place. I think that’s more the concern. Serious cold weather up here.

 

[gitapik]

I clicked on the Contact link for Simpson and asked my question. Got an answer from:

Mark Watterson
Managing Director
Progress Shaving Brush (Vulfix) Limited
The Brushworks
Ballafletcher Farm Road
Cronkbourne
Isle of Man
IM4 4QJ

He told me there would be.no problem with the radical temperature changes.

All good