Badger hair tips breaking, normal?

[Alex Jr]

Gentlemen,

New badger user here (Simpson best).

I’ve noticed something on my recent acquired chubby and I’d like your input.

After using it for today’s shave I was lightly painting my hand, just “playing” with the brush, no hard smashing, nothing aggressive.

I don’t smash it hard during lathering, I try to keep it gentle with some pressure of course. I swirl, but not like I hate it.

I had my iPad on my lap and I noticed a few broken tips or hairs had fallen from the brush.

Am I unnecessarily worried here given this is not something we obviously look for?

I guess most of the time we wouldn’t even be able to see it happening.

Appreciate any info you badger experts could provide.

Here’s a photo of it. Clipper lighter for perspective.

Alex

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Not normal if it continues to happen. Are you soaking the brush in too hot water? That can damage the tips and cause them to break. If not, and you say it’s a new brush, I would contact the vendor if this continues.

 

[Alex Jr]

Not normal. Are you soaking the brush in too hot water? That can damage the tips and cause them to break. If not, and you say it’s a new brush, I would contact the vendor if this continues.

No. Cold water only.

Just to add more, this was after quite some time of painting my hand and playing with the brush.

It was not after only 5 swipes of course.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

No. Cold water only.

Just to add more, this was after quite some time of painting my hand and playing with the brush.

It was not after only 5 swipes of course.

It’s fine if it’s just this once with a new brush and it doesn’t keep happening. But if you continue to see tips breaking off then I’d say it’s a problem.

 

[Omega48]

I have never seen that happening on my badgers, new or old. Not even after VIGOROUSLY rubbing a towel for several minute.

Not saying it is not normal, it has never happened with mine including Simpson's.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I’ve had it a couple of times with new brushes but it didn’t continue and the brushes were fine. Most likely there’s no problem.

I’ve seen this being a problem when the hair supplier over-bleached the tips and weakened the hairs. Declaration Grooming once had to recall or refund their B12 knots for this reason.

By the way, not to cause a misunderstanding, warm water is absolutely fine to use - just not hot.

 

[Alex Jr]

I have never seen that happening on my badgers, new or old. Not even after VIGOROUSLY rubbing a towel for several minute.

Not saying it is not normal, it has never happened with mine including Simpson's.

I agree. But would you be able to see it on a towel? I happened to have my iPad with a dark case just below.

I just did a quick test with my boars, the same way.

They also broke and released a few pieces. Hmm…

 

[Alex Jr]

I’ve had it a couple of times with new brushes but it didn’t continue and the brushes were fine. Most likely there’s no problem.

I’ve seen this being a problem when the hair supplier over-bleached the tips and weakened the hairs. Declaration Grooming once had to recall or refund their B12 knots for this reason.

By the way, not to cause a misunderstanding, warm water is absolutely fine to use - just not hot.

Interesting about those bleached ones. I was considering buying one.

Do they eventually release all the hairs that are more fragile and stop braking?

I would guess so, based on logic. The fragile tip breaks and leaves the tough part behind.

 

[nav]

I've never had this happen nor heard of this issue before.

Shedding yes, but tips breaking off is bizarre!

 

[Omega48]

I agree. But would you be able to see it on a towel? I

Good point. Probably yes, on the dark countertop of my bathroom where sometimes I do it, but maybe not. However the towel thing was just an example because I do it routinely with some brushes that I try to soften (with modest results ). But the same doing it on the hand, or inside a Timeless blue bowl (with no soap, just wet), etc. I am quite sure it has never happened.

 

[Balin]

I have had a couple of new Simpsons brushes do this. I was attributing it to when they are trimming the ends for the glue end of the knot that the cut hairs must have fallen into the face side of the knot. I would find the cut pieces in my soap. It cleared up after 2 or 3 lathers.

 

[Alex Jr]

Good point. Probably yes, on the dark countertop of my bathroom where sometimes I do it, but maybe not. However the towel thing was just an example because I do it routinely with some brushes that I try to soften (with modest results ). But the same doing it on the hand, or inside a Timeless blue bowl (with no soap, just wet), etc. I am quite sure it has never happened.

Interesting thing is that I just did it with my boars and they released a few pieces too.

My bleached omega a little more than my Proraso Pro.

Maybe because the brush was dry?

I would guess the hairs become more brittle and fragile.

I don’t know if I’m supposed to freak out or not, given the chubby has 1 million hairs.

Even if some break I would guess that would not affect the brush.

 

[Alex Jr]

I have had a couple of new Simpsons brushes do this. I was attributing it to when they are trimming the ends for the glue end of the knot that the cut hairs must have fallen into the face side of the knot. I would find the cut pieces in my soap. It cleared up after 2 or 3 lathers.

The weird thing is that the brush has been used for the last 2 or 3 weeks.

Like I said on previous post, my boars kind of did the same thing when I tested them out.

Either we don’t see it happening during normal use since it goes down the drain or all my brushes are somehow damaged.

I don’t want to believe that

 

[Omega48]

I'll check this evening when I get home.

 

[Alex Jr]

I'll check this evening when I get home.

Thank you sir. Just to be clear again, this happened after some minutes, not just after a few swipes and light swirls.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Interesting about those bleached ones. I was considering buying one.

Do they eventually release all the hairs that are more fragile and stop braking?

I would guess so, based on logic. The fragile tip breaks and leaves the tough part behind.

In my experience most knots don’t get breaking tips but occasionally I get one that will lose a few tips when it’s new and I stroke the knot on my hand, as the OP described. I haven’t yet had one that continued losing tips after a couple of uses. I think there are just some fragile hairs that are close to breaking at the start.

I’m sure bleaching can weaken the hairs and potentially cause a bigger problem, but I haven’t noticed this phenomenon with boars (which are thick hair). It’s more with true silvertip 3-band badgers where the hair is naturally very fine.

I think it shouldn’t be a problem if it just happens initially and doesn’t continue. But if it did continue I would worry that the knot is going to start feeling scritchy with the natural hair tips being broken off. It’s not loss of hair - there’s plenty of hairs in a brush - it’s that some of those hairs will have the tips missing, and I might start to feel them scratching.

 

[Alex Jr]

It’s more with true silvertip 3-band badgers where the hair is naturally very fine.

I wonder if those who use the bleached ones have noticed something similar happening. I agree, finer tips are more prone to breaking, the same goes to our own hair.

What really surprised me was seeing my boars breaking a few as well. More so with the bleached omega.

I’ll think twice before pulling the trigger on gel or bleached badgers.

 

[Balin]

The weird thing is that the brush has been used for the last 2 or 3 weeks.

Like I said on previous post, my boars kind of did the same thing when I tested them out.

Either we don’t see it happening during normal use since it goes down the drain or all my brushes are somehow damaged.

I don’t want to believe that

I hope it clears up quickly for you and its not a damaged brush!

 

[Kendoll]

I have never seen this, although chubby's always lose some hairs when new. I also soak my brush in the hottest water that my sink will provide. Hope it resolves favorably for you.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Never seen this. Most brushes will lose one or a couple hairs when used the first time, but never ever saw I broken hairs like this in any brush. I probably have handled well over 1k knots over the years, and I always brush them over my hand, but never seen any pieces come out. The odd lose hair, yes. Definitely this is not normal behavior of a brush.