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Chubby but getting thinner

Dear B & B

I bought a Chubby 2 in Best about 12 months ago and it has been an amazing brush. Over that time it hardly shed a hair until the past few weeks when it has started to shed 5 or 6 hairs every time I use it. As a result the brush is noticably thinning out.

I would appreciate any advice on whether there is anything I can do to stop or slow down the shedding. It is the best brush I own by a mile so would hate to see it fade away, literally.

Thanks in advance.

Paul
 
I'm having the exact same problem, with a restored brush w/ a TGN knot. I was told that was normal when I asked the same question before. Maybe someone else thinks otherwise?
 
Chubbies are densely packed brushes so not uncommon for hair loss in the initial stages. But if yours has gone for 12 months, problem free, then any loss now is unusual IMO. I would monitor it over the next couple of weeks or so to see if it's ongoing. Are you a face or bowl latherer, soaps or creams?
 
I don't think a brush should lose that much hair just now. I wonder if the glue is drying out or some sort of other problem with the glue on the knot
 
I had a Duke 3 that was trouble free for several months and then started losing a hair or two with each shave. I continued using it and it eventually stopped and never gave up another hair. Yours may do the same so I would keep using it. As densely as a Chubby is packed you would have to see a lot of hair loss to make it noticeably different.
 
Chubbies are densely packed brushes so not uncommon for hair loss in the initial stages. But if yours has gone for 12 months, problem free, then any loss now is unusual IMO. I would monitor it over the next couple of weeks or so to see if it's ongoing. Are you a face or bowl latherer, soaps or creams?

David, I am a face latherer mainly with MWF but use other soaps/creams. Do you think one has more impact on the brush than the other?
 
Thanks for all of the replies.

I might see how it goes over the next couple of weeks but if it continues I will contact vendor to see if there is any remedy.
 
Contacting the vendor you got it from is your best first step, and that should take care of the problem. If however you have trouble with the vendor, contact the manufacturer. If the vendor fails, the manufacturer will usually resolve your problem.
 
Have you cleaned it at all in the past 12 months? Sometimes soap scum builds up and causes hairs to break off. I would suggest giving it a light cleaning in a water / vinegar mix (majority water). Not saying this will fix the problem but it could.
 
Have you cleaned it at all in the past 12 months? Sometimes soap scum builds up and causes hairs to break off. I would suggest giving it a light cleaning in a water / vinegar mix (majority water). Not saying this will fix the problem but it could.

Nathan, other than a thorough rinse off after each use I haven't cleaned the brush at all. Will give it a clean today to see if it makes any difference. Cheers, Paul
 
Nathan, other than a thorough rinse off after each use I haven't cleaned the brush at all. Will give it a clean today to see if it makes any difference. Cheers, Paul

When I used tap water (I now use distilled water because my water is so hard), I would get a lot of soap scum built up at the base of my brushes' knots. Sometimes this seemed to cause a few hairs to break off. But when I cleaned them up it seemed to improve.

I hope that that helps some or that you can get the problem fixed by the vendor / Simpson.
 
My last brush purchase actually came with instructions that mentioned this as a potential problem...cleaning should fix it if that's what's going on.

When I used tap water (I now use distilled water because my water is so hard), I would get a lot of soap scum built up at the base of my brushes' knots. Sometimes this seemed to cause a few hairs to break off. But when I cleaned them up it seemed to improve.

I hope that that helps some or that you can get the problem fixed by the vendor / Simpson.
 
David, I am a face latherer mainly with MWF but use other soaps/creams. Do you think one has more impact on the brush than the other?

I am probably going to come under fire here, but it has always been my opinion that loading soaps with a dryish brush until a firm paste is formed(as is usually suggested), creates considerable resistance for brush hairs, with the potential for damage. That is why I always load my soaps with a wet brush, and not a dryish one. I am not saying this is what has happened here but I think it is worth considering. I am sure there are many here who use a dryish brush for loading who have no issues, however, I don't take any chances.
 
I am probably going to come under fire here, but it has always been my opinion that loading soaps with a dryish brush until a firm paste is formed(as is usually suggested), creates considerable resistance for brush hairs, with the potential for damage.
Interesting theory. I normally start with a dryish brush out of habit from my early bowl lathering days and/or using mostly creams. In using Tabac most of December, I noticed that my Rover began losing a couple of hairs either on the puck or during the rinse. It hasn't concerned me, but I think next time I'll try loading with a wetter brush to see if I notice a difference.
 
I think you have gotten some solid advice so far. Let us know how it goes with the vendor/manufacturer. A 12 month onset for shedding is not normal.
 
I think you have gotten some solid advice so far. Let us know how it goes with the vendor/manufacturer. A 12 month onset for shedding is not normal.

I have indeed got some good advice here. I gave the brush a good clean yesterday and will see how things go over the next couple of days. If the brush continues to shed I will contact the vendor. Thanks again all for advice and comments.
 
I think I'll clean my brushes soon too. I haven't had any similar problems but would want to prevent it going forward.
 
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