breaking in a brush with sandpaper?

[Vinlander]

Has anyone tried softening the tips of a brush by brushing the bristles on a sheet sandpaper?

I normally use a very soft Shavemac brush, but I also have a low-end badger brush which I use when I travel. The latter is rather prickly, and I don't enjoy using it much. I'm thinking about trying to soften the tips by rubbing them on a sheet of coarse sandpaper. After all, that seems similar to (but more aggressive than) rubbing the brush against my face for a long time. Would sanding the bristles do anything - good or bad - to the brush? Is there anything that would be more effective than sandpaper?

 

[DamnFineBob]

It seems logical that it would round off any tharp ends of the bristles.
I believe toothbrush bristles are "polished" in a similar way.

If you try it, compress the bristles in a closed fist to keep the shaft of each bristle from being sanded. You only want to sand the tips, I believe.

 

[Vlad]

Tried it. Didn't work, not noticeably anyway.

 

[huntmol]

Man, the things members ask us about how to break in their brushes...

Here's what I always recommend - time.
These brushes last decades, people!
No need to resort to drastic measures just because it's not perfect right off the bat.

If it's your travel brush, just make it your daily brush for a few weeks and viola, a really great, broken-in brush.

 

[ssultan]

As Hunter said...just use it regularly for a few weeks...I had a pure badger Omega brush with a lovely handle but extremely prickly tips...I used it regularly for some time and did notice a significant reduction in prickliness over time...

 

[Brownbear]

I've wondered the same thing myself. My experience has been that use does soften them, but I have so many now that it is hard to use them all enough to make a difference.

If doing it by hand doesn't do it, I may have a go with my belt sander. Now the question is do I coat the belt sander with a hard soap or a cream to make this work?

 

[Vinlander]

Thanks for the info. I will give sanding it a try and see what happens.

For those who suggested just using it for a while...I did use this brush every day for a month, and it still isn't very soft. Maybe it would soften up with constant use over a period of months or years, but during that time I wouldn't enjoy my shaves. I don't see any reason to subject myself to something unpleasant, when it should be enjoyable, which is why I'm trying to find a way to break in the bristles "artificially."

 

[jkh]

Thanks for the info. I will give sanding it a try and see what happens.

For those who suggested just using it for a while...I did use this brush every day for a month, and it still isn't very soft. Maybe it would soften up with constant use over a period of months or years, but during that time I wouldn't enjoy my shaves. I don't see any reason to subject myself to something unpleasant, when it should be enjoyable, which is why I'm trying to find a way to break in the bristles "artificially."

Sanding isn't going to help. You are going to have to buy a softer tipped travel brush. Note: I was very careful not to say more expensive. I would recommend a nice Semogue or Omega boar brush for your travels. I have a Semogue 1305 (paid $14 in the BST) and it is a dandy travel brush with soft tips.

 

[harpman]

Gosh, what's the rush? It took about 6 or 7 years for my Martin acoustic guitar to 'open up' to resonance. In the meantime I've had a LOT of hours playing it and enjoying it.

Break in the brush with time, not sandpaper, and enjoy the shaves as you do.

bill

 

[Drubbing]

Lord, give me patience and give it to me NOW!

That said, IME low grade badgers don't soften noticeably, there's no real break in, as with boar. If it's prickly now, it always will be.

 

[Rivguy]

My experience is the same as many others...use it and it will improve with time. I do soak new brushes in borax and hot, not boiling, water. I find that my hot tap water is sufficiently hot for this purpose. This lessens the time of the lingering soggy dog smell. I also find that during the break in process thoroughly loading the brush with a very fragrant soap and letting it set it for a while helps as well. I have also found that some brushes do not need much of a break in. I don't think that I would include sand paper as part of the break in process...but that's just me.

Happy shaving,

Doug

 

[Vinlander]

Hmm, I guess I may just be out of luck. The bristles didn't soften in the month or so that I used the brush, and I don't want to continue using it in the hope that it might eventually get softer. After all, the point of this hobby is enjoyment, and that brush is just not pleasant to use...which is the reason I bought a nicer brush.

 

[blantyre]

low end brushes are usually made by clipping the crown of the knot to shape rather than packing it in a shaping box and then clipping off the bottom of the bristles. As a result, they are always prickly.

 

[honed]

low end brushes are usually made by clipping the crown of the knot to shape rather than packing it in a shaping box and then clipping off the bottom of the bristles. As a result, they are always prickly.

True!

Buy a boar instead!

Sandpaper won't help.

 

[drandall]

another way to go would be synthetic. boar is fine, but it's sloooow drying...

a quality synthetic knot will be softer than boar and will dry in minutes. they can also make massive amounts of lather. but they will have to break in and will feel a bit clumpy and springy until they do.

omega, EJ, and TGN (among others) carry synthetic brushes. in siv's roundup, the TOBS synthetic, EJ and omega were the top 3 (if i remember correctly)

 

[Greybeard]

Belt sander. Breaks it in really fast.

 

[ssultan]

I remember that particular brush when it sold on the bay Peter...!!! Gives me the shakes!

 

[Groat]

Belt sander. Breaks it in really fast.

Oh my, what a tragedy.

 

[woodfluter]

Uhhh...yeah, that picture is out of the Chainsaw Shaving Brush Massacre.
Holy moley.

I can't see sandpaper doing anything good. I also don't think what follows would work with badger.

But I did modify the tips of a cheap (but surprisingly good) trimmed-end boar brush as follows:

Splaying out the end with my thumb, I scraped the last 1/4-1/2 inch of the bristles with a very sharp knife, using it somewhat like a scraper (about 60 degree angle). Kept moving the bristles around so the scraping affected all sides and all portions of the knot equally. Kept this up for quite a while. This produced a quantity of powdered hair shavings.

Checked with hand lens and found not split ends (of course) but most ends either tapered or with micro-serrations. The tip softness and face-feel was moderately (but quite definitely) improved. Not quite up to a brush with real ends, but much softer for sure.

How this will hold up over time is anybody's guess.

- Bill

 

[DanOK]

I always wondered what kind of conversation qualified for being " wrong on so many levels". Sandpaper a badger brush, scraping with a very sharp knife. Yes, I think I now know. If its that low end throw it away and start over. Please, lets keep it simple people.