I was curious if all of the badger brushes you all have purchased have that smell of funk to them. Or were there exceptions and you received a brush that didn't have the smell?
Jon
Jon
Badger Brush Smell
- Thread starter CaptainRaven40
- Start date
My Plisson didn't smell bad at all before it's first use.
I did find that after 5 or so shaves it smells like the awesome Taylor's of Old Bond St cream I regularly use.
I did find that after 5 or so shaves it smells like the awesome Taylor's of Old Bond St cream I regularly use.
Most of my brushes have had some kind of badger funk, but there have been some exceptions to the rule.
Never had a brush with any bad badger smell. I handle a lot of knots during a year and never one smelled bad. Often you cannot even detect anything else then maybe a very slight mothball scent.
I have one badger that got it really bad when new; the Wilkinson pure (black) badger. The other ones didn't have much funk or none at all. The unbanded boars are usually a bit more funky but none of them had the stink the Wilkinson had when wet. It took a lot of Arko shaves to get it out.
Maybe it has to do a little with the price; the Wilkinson badger goes for about the same money as an Omega boar so it is possible they skipped a few steps in the processing of the hairs to keep the price down.
Maybe it has to do a little with the price; the Wilkinson badger goes for about the same money as an Omega boar so it is possible they skipped a few steps in the processing of the hairs to keep the price down.
I got my whipped dog silvertip brush today and it had no smell at all. It really surprised me too, because my first boar stunk like mad once it got wet.
Bought new a Simpson Colonel in best, Grosvenor LE in two-band, B&B Essential in best an a C&E BBB. None smelled. My Berkeley was bought used, and didn't smell either.
the thing that probably put me offa using a brush for years was a fancy lil' box set from a snooty mens' goods store, back when such things were brick and mortar. i don't know from which aminal those bristles were snatched, but it stunk like fermented goose poop (i'm guessing 'bout that really). never will know the maker of that brush as i tried to use it a few times, finally got tired of seeing it in the drawer and pitched it.
life is too short for a shtinky brush.
was thrilled to buy a non-stinky brush in a supermarket later. (before interwebs)
only learned to make a proper lather just this month, when i discovered the DE.
life is too short for a shtinky brush.
was thrilled to buy a non-stinky brush in a supermarket later. (before interwebs)
only learned to make a proper lather just this month, when i discovered the DE.
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My Vulfix 2235 Super Badger had no smell at all.
Ooh that smell, can't you smell that smell? Ooh that smell, the smell of death surrounds you, yeah
I only have 2 brushes and my Van Der Hagen Boar brush had no smell but my Van Der Hagen Badger brush did. I was surprised how strong it was. Smells like wet cows tails from when I was a kid on the farm. I assume it will dissipate over time. I guess that's what I get for starting cheap.
I've never had a brush with any bad smell, but anytime I get a new brush I always give it a couple of good shampoo's with tea tree shampoo followed by a good rinse and follow up with tea tree conditioner.
+1
In fact, the "wet dog" smell of the VDH badger brush is one of the factors that got me started on my re-knot project.
I, too succumbed to the Van Der Hagen badger brush for $9.99 at Target. It smelled to high heaven. Before my shave was finished, when left in the bowl, the brush seemed to dissipate the lather completely. My other brushes never did that. I returned it within the week.
I'm a fragrance head and know what smells like dirt and what smells neutra.
Of the dozen badger hair brushes I have owned, only 2 smelled bad - a Pils and a Mühle Pure, but all the 10 Silvertip/Super badgers I have owned have all been soaked for 4-6 hours in some mild citronella sulfo dishwasher soap, and maybe because of this I simply have not noticed any funk smell from them.
I also soak the brush in hot (not boiling) water for 6-8 hours before I use them the first time after they have been soakerd in the citronella soap solution.
- Thread starter
- #17
My Parker premium silvertip badger brush had no smell whatsoever. That's why I was so curious what others experiences were. Seems like it varies and depends on the quality and company.
Got my whippeddog replacement brush yesterday
Dry - it had a faint badger funk
Wet (hot water) - smells.
Got rid of it by:
a. cleaned twice with oxyclean, - still smells
b. shampoo it once, (still smells)
c. tabac lather twice (stand for 15 minutes) - smells a tad (mixed with tabac scent)
d. Shaved with TOBS rose (now brush smells 'rosy')
Dry - it had a faint badger funk
Wet (hot water) - smells.
Got rid of it by:
a. cleaned twice with oxyclean, - still smells
b. shampoo it once, (still smells)
c. tabac lather twice (stand for 15 minutes) - smells a tad (mixed with tabac scent)
d. Shaved with TOBS rose (now brush smells 'rosy')
I have never had a badger brush exhibit a "funk'. I bought a horsehair that was an ordeal to de-stink, but not even my first brush stank. That first was a Tweezerman black badger and, knowing nothing, I put it right into service. No odor. I built three brushes from TGN knots after that and noticed a little odor with each, but that was easily cleared with back-to-back shampooings with Pert. If you are having odor problems, use some pet shampoo, followed by a 20 minute soak in a teaspoon of white vinegar mixed in 8 oz. of ice-cold water, and finished with a lather-and leave-it-'til-dry session with a strong-smelling cream or soap like Tabac or TOBS Rose. This is how I "destanked" 
my horsehair brush.
my horsehair brush.
I'm not sure if this is the way to remove funk.. but it worked for me.
My EJ best badger stank of funk. So badly - I didn't want to use it - till I did the following :
Soak brush (hair only) for 2 hrs in a bowl of dishwashing liquid and water.
Remove, flick out the water.
Lather brush with fav soap / cream - really lather it up.
Let the lathered brush sit over night.
Next day, wash out, and your funk should now be gone.
My EJ best badger stank of funk. So badly - I didn't want to use it - till I did the following :
Soak brush (hair only) for 2 hrs in a bowl of dishwashing liquid and water.
Remove, flick out the water.
Lather brush with fav soap / cream - really lather it up.
Let the lathered brush sit over night.
Next day, wash out, and your funk should now be gone.
