How old is your oldest brush?

[horizon]

My question is: What is your experience? How old is the oldest brush you still use?

I am opening this thread, provoked by another similar one on another platform, where the most common response from users was that they wear out the brushes with within 2-4 years.

Over time, I've amassed more than 15 brushes in my permanent rotation, most of them synthetic. Probably because of the relatively large number of brushes I've used, none of them show signs of wear or aging. Also, maybe the care I give them matters too. After each shave, I diligently rinse the brush thoroughly with water, then dry and leave to dry with the knot down for 24 hours. So maybe I'm not the most accurate person to take as an example of continued use.

A relative of mine however only has two brushes, a pork one he says is almost 30 years old that has broken bristles but is still fully functional and a Mühle STF XL bought almost immediately after release and on the market it also looks well preserved, no serious signs of wear.

 

[JustJames]

About 30 years ago, I replaced my current inexpensive shave brush. I didn't know much about brushes but selected a C&E best badger made by EJ. I was so impressed that about a year later, I purchase a second best badger. I would use one brush for a week (daily shaving) then rotate to the second. As time went by, I added a third directly form EJ. Each one was used for a week then would sit for two weeks.

After soaking the bristles, I would load the brush and face lather. After each shave, I would thoroughly, gently rinse the brush in tepid water and allow it to dry until the following day. I continued this process until a few years ago when I added my first Mühle STF to the party. The three best badgers are still in great working condition with only a few strands lost over the years. I figure that if I buy quality tools and take care of them, they will last a very long time.

 

[Lil Cooties]

My first proper brush was my Omega 48, bought it in late 2015/early 2016 so my answer is 8-9 years old. I used as my only brush until November last year when I got more Omegas. It's still in great condition, nice and soft and broken in, and is still in my rotation.

 

[JCinPA]

About 13 years. I still use one I reknotted myself and an Omega 10049 from when I started here.

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

A Rubberset from 1948.

I know it was 1948 as it was part of a brush and razor 'set' my Mom gave my Dad for their first Christmas in 1948.

The razor is a NDC SuperSpeed. But, of course, I know it is at least a 1948.

Heirlooms

• KQY61
• Jan 19, 2017

Grandpa's Old Type. The rest is all from my Dad.

This shot shows all my Heirloom razors. The Old Type was my Grandfather's. The other three were my Dad's. And the brush is shown here as well.

The two Old Spice mugs have OS soap in them. Dad was still using such when he passed away in 1995. Mom used to give him a new OS mug or puck for Christmas every year until they stopped making it. Dad still had these two left even though that was about a decade after OS ended production.

I use the Post War Tech (as that was what he was using when he passed) and the brush and the soap on his birthday. And the soap and brush and the SuperSpeed on Christmas day. The pre war Tech gets used on their anniversary. Sometimes I use this stuff on other days during the year, but at a minimum on those days.

Stan

 

[ivan_101]

A relative of mine however only has two brushes, a pork one he says is almost 30 years old that has broken bristles but is still fully functional and a Mühle STF XL bought almost immediately after release and on the market it also looks well preserved, no serious signs of wear.

You mean boar, right?

'Fully functional' here is a joke. Your relative does not remember how that brush made lather 30 years ago. Trust me after 30 years of usage it just can't be the same functionality.

Lots of factors will play a role in how long a brush will last. How often a person shaves, how many times he lathers during a shave. But most importantly the method used for lathering. Face lathering is usually more severe to the bristles. But even with face lathering there are different types. One swirls the brush in a tub of soap. Others like me use cream in tubes and just squeeze cream on their face / on the top of the knot / inside the knot.

I also believe chemical composition of creams and soaps does matter for natural bristles' longevity. Also do you clean / how often you clean the bristles.

 

[BigJ]

Great question!

I started with boar brushes (and started multiple times over the years.) After joining B&B I migrated to badgers and ended up PIFing my boars. My oldest badger (a Simpsons) is more than 10 years old and it is in great shape!

 

[horizon]

You mean boar, right?

'Fully functional' here is a joke. Your relative does not remember how that brush made lather 30 years ago. Trust me after 30 years of usage it just can't be the same functionality.

Lots of factors will play a role in how long a brush will last. How often a person shaves, how many times he lathers during a shave. But most importantly the method used for lathering. Face lathering is usually more severe to the bristles. But even with face lathering there are different types. One swirls the brush in a tub of soap. Others like me use cream in tubes and just squeeze cream on their face / on the top of the knot / inside the knot.

I also believe chemical composition of creams and soaps does matter for natural bristles' longevity. Also do you clean / how often you clean the bristles.

Yes, boar brushes are meant

 

[Mojo88]

Brushes are the one rabbit hole I never went down. I bought a Shavemac around 14 years ago and I use it every time I shave.

 

[WetShaveVet]

I don't know how old exactly this is. My Mom says my Dad bought it sometime in the 60's.

 

[Norman Gunston]

My oldest brush is a D.R. Harris H3 Best Badger that I bought at their London Premises in 2006.
It is also close to my favourite - luxuriously soft, makes great lather in no time, and is wonderful for both bowl and face lathering.

 

[Big Jim]

My oldest brush was given to me 65 years ago. It originally belonged to my grandfather who died before I was born. Before it was passed on to me it belonged to father and then my older brother. It was an ivory colored Erskine with a badger knot of about 18 mm. It was somewhat shabby when I got it. I used it a lot when I first got it but eventually replaced it with a series of cheap boar brushes that needed replacement every few years. I would still take it out and use it from time to time but eventually the hair became brittle. About 10 to 12 years ago I reknotted it with a 20 mm Whipped Dog Silvertip. I thoroughly enjoy. and enjoy the heritage. A few years ago I found an almost identical Erskine that was still in near original condition and bought it to remind me of what it used to look like. I don't know when my grandfather bought it, but my guess would be sometime in the 1930s. So I'm guessing it would be somewhere around 90 years old.

 

[92percententropy]

I rarely use it anymore, but I got this travel brush from Shavemac about 30 years ago.

 

[psfred]

My oldest brush is my grandpa's, on the order of 80 or so I suspect, but it's way to brittle to use. Found it in the back of a drawer a couple years ago.

The oldest one I use is the Penn State Industries Badger knot I turned a handle for in 2016. It shed from the start, and is now thinner than I'd like, but rarely drops any hairs now and works fine.

However, I suspect how the brush is used makes a difference. I never mash mine flat on my face, I use more paint brush like strokes. If you tend to mash the brush down and scrub, I'd expect the hairs to break more often.

Synthetic bristle brushes should last decades in normal use.

 

[DesertIguana]

My Oldest is Omega I bought couple of years ago, it is price point Boar Bristel.

It replace cheep from India. That finally die after 5 years.

 

[njpaddy]

My oldest brush is a 3-band Rooney Coral, bought in 2009 shortly after I joined. It's pictured with a Rooney 1/1 bought in 2012. Both are 22mm Silvertip knots, but they haven't been used in at least 10 years. I also had a 3rd Rooney 1/2 (T&H branded) from 2013, but a few years back I had Rudy replace that 24mm 3-band knot with a Shavemac 2-band.

 

[sarimento1]

no idea!
i think some of these are pre-WW2.

 

[Ankerwycke]

The Kent H4 is 15 years old. The Kent BK4 is 14 years old and has had more use. Both were bought new from a local chemist and replaced an old Boots brush and a Kent that I’d had for years.

 

[Beto Salatini]

The first brush I bought over 40 years ago, when I lived in London: Simpsons KH2 Best. It’s almost as old as me (…I am 66), but it still performs very well…

Cheers!

 

[dan86]

Mine is 11 years old. I have a Taylor of Old Bond St pure badger shaving brush, which came as part of a gift set with their Jermyn St cream. I haven’t really used it a great deal within the last 3-4 years though since I bought my Razorock synthetic brushes.

I’ve never spent much on a brush and must say I am tempted to invest in a premium one at some point although so far my affordable ones have served me very well.