Brush Drying

[F308gt4]

I’ve never had an issue with my badger brush drying in 24 hours, and I used it every day. But, if your bathroom doesn’t have decent airflow, I could see how it might not be enough time.

Perhaps you should consider a synthetic brush? They dry much quicker than badger. I got a nice synthetic from APS shave a few months ago (Synbad knot), and it is pretty awesome. Feels great, has a lovely handle (blue), dries quickly, and was only about 20-something dollars. I don’t see myself going back to a badger brush.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I don't have a rotation, but I do have a few brushes that I switch between for fun depending on my mood - a silvertip badger, a boar, and 2 synthetics. They seem to dry enough between uses that I don't think about using the same one repeatedly. No problems.

 

[Halfblade]

At home I just use one cheap boar brush. Some days it's dried out from the shave before, and some days it hasn't. I don't worry about it. After all, I'm subjecting it to soap and water when I shave anyway. If/when it falls apart, I'll buy another.

Some might say I need more brushes, but I'd really rather not. I don't do "rotations", which I do find to be a rather curious bevaviour. I'm not the sort of chap who needs systems for simple activities, excuses for buying things that aren't needed, or who gets uncomfortable using just one thing for any length of time. If I did have more brushes, I'd just end up using whichever one I liked best every day.

I used to do the same thing. I had just one boar brush & I used it daily. Then I bought another boar brush (Omega 10218), & whatever I did, I could not get the funk out. I tried washing with dish soap, vinegar, citric acid, etc etc everything I could think of. Nothing worked for over a month.

Then someone on a shaving forum suggested that perhaps it was not drying out enough. I moved it from my bathroom sink to my bedroom for a few days & went back to my old Omega 10065 brush. When I used that brush again after about a week, all the funk had disappeared.

Since then I keep a rotation of at least three brushes. That Omega 10218 has become one of my best brushes. I've begun to realise that it's just not hygienic to use brushes which have not been dried.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I used to do the same thing. I had just one boar brush & I used it daily. Then I bought another boar brush (Omega 10218), & whatever I did, I could not get the funk out. I tried washing with dish soap, vinegar, citric acid, etc etc everything I could think of. Nothing worked for over a month.

Then someone on a shaving forum suggested that perhaps it was not drying out enough. I moved it from my bathroom sink to my bedroom for a few days & went back to my old Omega 10065 brush. When I used that brush again after about a week, all the funk had disappeared.

Since then I keep a rotation of at least three brushes. That Omega 10218 has become one of my best brushes. I've begun to realise that it's just not hygienic to use brushes which have not been dried.

No such problems here yet. However, if there were, I think I'd just move to using one synthetic brush instead. It might be that I skip days here and there, which gives a little extra drying time and stops problems developing, but if a brush can't handle getting wet day after day, I don't want it. From the comments in this thread, it seems I should stay clear of badger brushes.

 

[naughtilus]

I’ve never had an issue with my badger brush drying in 24 hours, and I used it every day. But, if your bathroom doesn’t have decent airflow, I could see how it might not be enough time.

Perhaps you should consider a synthetic brush? They dry much quicker than badger. I got a nice synthetic from APS shave a few months ago (Synbad knot), and it is pretty awesome. Feels great, has a lovely handle (blue), dries quickly, and was only about 20-something dollars. I don’t see myself going back to a badger brush.

Leave the brush without use for 5+ days and you'll see what a really dry knot feels like. After 2 weeks the knot wll start looking almost unused with no bloom at all. I know it looks like it's dry after 24h but the core stays damp for a long time.

Seriously, I have no idea how people shave with less than seven 14 badger brushes.

 

[Jnatcat]

I have about a dozen or so brushes in rotation and after rinsing I squeeze out the excess water and then give it a few shakes then put it on my shelf, quit using a brush stand over a year ago.

you have to remember brushes are flat on the bottom for a reason

 

[Badgerstate36]

IMO, it takes a natural hair brush 24-36 hours to fully dry. So, I wouldnt say that the OP's problem is unusual at all. I shave every other day, so for me its no big deal but if I were someone who shaved every day, Id probably just use a synthetic or live with the idea of the brush not being completely dry.
At the end of the day, I dont think it really makes a whole lot of different whether the knot is damp all the time or is dry for only about 12 hours between uses. 12 hours isnt enough for any mold or bacteria to die.

 

[Altonius]

What great advice all around! Everything from weight documentation to using dozens of brushes lmfao! I’ll be sure to grab a 3rd brush (and likely a 4th). I love my Semogue 1250 and going to try an Omega to compliment.

The jist? Rinse, squeeze, shake, and wait 72 hours between same brush uses.

 

[MurderousCrow]

I have two favourite brushes: one boar, one silvertip badger. Using the badger every day led to it starting to stink. Boar was bought and rotated for a bit until it became my clear favourite. I use it most shaves (albeit there's usually 36-48h between uses) and it seems to be holding up well. I keep it in a warm dry cupboard (contains the hot water tank), seems to keep it hygienic so I've never fretted about whether it remains damp next use. It's dumped into 60deg plus water (twice) before I build a lather, and I wash my scalp carefully with bath soap before I apply it to skin, so it never gets too much bacterial growth.

Luke

 

[musicman1951]

Shake it like you hate it. Get that water out.

This is what I do. I give it a bit of a giggle to get the dripping water out and then take it to the shower area for about 5 shakes (whips, really) as hard as I can and still hold on to the brush with my arthritic fingers.

I've been doing this for about 6 years with no problems. If you want to find out how much water you're leaving in the brush with your gentle squeeze try whipping it in the direction of your mirror when you're done with your current drying procedure.

 

[bjm]

Me again... I currently have seven boar brushes in rotation. After shaving and rinsing the brush of the day, I place it in a stand bristles down. The next day, the brush in the stand goes back in the rack (bristles up) and the brush for that day goes in the stand.

I don't do this because of the "bristles up / bristles down" debate, but because some of my brush handles are made of wood. The 24 hours in the stand allows the handle to fully dry before putting it back in the rack.

This works for me. Do whatever works for you. I consider my brushes tools to be used. I don't consider any of them to be expensive, but that's relative. Only two of them cost me more than $20 and they were still less than $25 each. I have several that are still NIB, so I should be set for life. I wish you all good luck in your journey to find your own solutions.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

...try whipping it in the direction of your mirror when you're done with your current drying procedure.

But don't let go

 

[naughtilus]

Try sliding a thin piece of paper deep in a badger knot and squeeze to see if it leaves water stains. If nothing shows up it's good to go.

 

[Texas]

Rudy Vey, respected brush vendor on this site, recommends " Care for your Shave brush" at the link. He recommends drying with hair pointed downwards and other tips.

Ultimate Pen Designs - Pen Materials and Care

 

[musicman1951]

Rudy Vey, respected brush vendor on this site, recommends " Care for your Shave brush" at the link. He recommends drying with hair pointed downwards and other tips.

Ultimate Pen Designs - Pen Materials and Care

While I have a great deal of respect for Rudy as a brush maker, the instructions that come with a Simpson brush say use ONLY paint brush strokes.

"The instruction paper says to use to & fro strokes only;a heavy circular motion damages the hair. (use like a paint brush) I have always used a circular motion with every brush. The instructions are confusing; I never seen a square shave bowl."

I don't know too many people who only use paint brush strokes or who dry the brush with the hair pointed down. My personal experience over quite a few years is that neither of these are necessary or required.

But whatever makes you happy is fine with me.

 

[njpaddy]

You are right that it doesn't matter if you hang the brush upside down or set it on its end.

I don't even know where my brush/razor stand is. A waste of money T'was. I keep my damp badger brushes ($100+) standing upright on my nightstand (or dresser) to dry. Stands are for decoration.

I've got two boars that I don't rinse, just let dry in the bowl with the bristles bent, full of used soap.

Your post gave me visions of my stepdad's brush in the late 50s, early 60s. He was an OCD, clean-freak, constantly wiping down counters and sinks, but his shave brush & SS DE were gross. When he passed, his brush and his DE were the first things my mom tossed in the trash.

 

[razorboi]

Shake it like you hate it. Get that water out.

First, you oughtn't squeeze a badger brush. You will eventually stress and break the outside hairs off.
After thoroughly rinsing, you start by shaking the water out.
I agree with with dog whiskerer that you should shake or flick the brush hard and repeatedly until it stops releasing water. Gentle shaking is ineffective.
I shake/flick the brush, turn it slightly and shake/flick again, and repeat a few times for a full rotation.
Next, (and this is what many/most fail to do), you should bat the brush-head open. By that I mean you should hold the brush in one hand, and with the other hand you extend the middle and index fingers together and "bat" or briskly sweep them lightly across the top of the bristles roughly from centre to outside, opening them up. Continue doing this whilst slowly turning the brush handle with the other hand until you have rotated the brush completely. The brush head will now be completely fanned out with nearly all of the strands separated.
It will now dry very quickly with almost no strands clumped together.
Nevertheless, hang it on a stand. Never dry a natural bristle brush upright. Moisture will settle and rot the strands at their base and they will eventually break off. If you don't have a stand, lay it on its side...then get a stand!
If you follow this protocol, your brush will never attract mould, even if it is used every day, provided the room environment is sufficiently dry.
Moreover, a brush cared for in this manner will last indefinitely.
I've a badger brush well over 20 years old that I used exclusively for most of those years, and it still holds its shape and has a full head of strands.

 

[naughtilus]

I remember reading on the Classic Shaving blog some folks admitted using their badger brushes to clean the sink.

 

[sanch]

I remember reading on the Classic Shaving blog some folks admitted using their badger brushes to clean the sink.

......umm...NO..... NOT NOW ..... NOT EVER... NOT ME..... WAIT... Maybe my useless synth... NO NEVERMIND NOT EVEN THE SYNTH DESERVES THAT...

 

[MHBru]

My first brush was an AoS badger and it lasted for years. I replaced it and left it in my travel case while still damp and when I traveled again weeks later it was shedding so bad it was unusable. Today... an omega silver tip badger that hangs on a stand (tips down) and gets used every 3 days or so w no issue. When I travel I use a synth and hang it to dry on a towel bar w a rubber band and make sure it sits on my shelf at home for at least 48 hours before retiring it to the travel case. I am going to try weighing them as suggested in an earlier post to see how long it really takes to get them completely dry.