How quickly are badger brushes supposed to dry?

[mretzloff]

One thing that I have always read here is how quickly badger brushes are supposed to dry. Some have even say their badger brush is dry before they leave the house in the morning.

If I shave anytime between 6 AM and noon, my Shavemac dries sometime the next night, while I am sleeping (so, roughly 14 to 18-ish hours). After shaving, I wash my brush with warm water, squeeze excess water out, and "dry lather" on a towel for a few seconds.

Are some guys exaggerating about how quickly their brushes dry or is mine just weird? I am not worried, just curious because 12+ hours of a drying difference must mean something.

 

[biomesh]

It really depends on a lot of factors, and I would think that brush density and humidity are the primary factors.

 

[DavyRay]

My only badger brush is the Shea Moisture brush. I rinse it in hot water, squeeze out the excess, then sling the remaining water off with a few quick swings. It sits upright on the counter after that.

I have never felt it wet after leaving it alone for a time. I guess it dries out pretty fast.

 

[Hex]

I usually shave around 2PM and the brush is dry the next morning around 6AM.

 

[talibeard]

It really depends on a lot of factors, and I would think that brush density and humidity are the primary factors.

Agreed, not to mention how well ventilated your bathroom really is. And what season. When it is raining my boars need well over 24 hours while my badgers are usually dry at some time the next morning (I shave at night). When it is hot and dry even my boars are dry in about 16-20 hours while I could use my badgers twice a day, having them completely dry in between shaves.

 

[weenerdog3443]

When Im done i iusually give mine about a dozen quick whips to get the water out. usually by that it feels just barely damp. check it a couple hours after and its usually about the same but id say about 8 hours its usually dry.

 

[instpasr]

Some of mine seem to still be ever so slightly damp @ 24 hours

 

[Loric]

Denser brushes have stronger capillary action and hold moisture longer. Plus the bigger the brush is the longer it takes for moisture to work its way out. My TGN black badger will dry in a couple hours while my chubby 3 takes over well 24 hours before the moisture is out of the core.

 

[Zarniwoop]

A couple of hours for my Omega Badger. After use, I rinse, squeeze and flick a couple of times and then hang down. I do this about twice. It is always dry the next time I use it.

 

[Blue_2]

All my badgers seem to take a few hours before they're thoroughly dry. I only have one boar, but it seems to take a full day.

 

[machine99703]

When my Rooney 1/1 Super was new it would still be dampish after 12 + hours, after it broke in it would be dry by the time I got home from work so less than 9 hours. My less dense brushes dry much quicker.

 

[_JP_]

I shave in the morning and expect my brush to dry overnight. Once in a while that doesn't happen, usually because I forgot to shake the brush after the final rinse.

I have no problem with using the same brush for days on end, even if they don't seem totally dry. I've never had a problem with any funkiness occurring in a hard working brush.

 

[mretzloff]

I have no problem with using the same brush for days on end, even if they don't seem totally dry. I've never had a problem with any funkiness occurring in a hard working brush.

I doubt it happens often, if at all (unless you keep that brush dripping wet 24/7). I have used nothing but my Shavemac for the past two years and have never had a problem.

 

[Ski-Patroller]

Mine are dry the next morning. I know it takes a few hours at least, because they are not dry after 8 hrs.

I just rinse them out and then squeeze the water out. I hang them up now, but they sat on the handle until a week ago when I got some holders from TGN. Don't see that it makes a lot of difference.

 

[spindlecone]

Why a concern anyhow? they dry when they dry.

 

[Alacrity59]

Why a concern anyhow? they dry when they dry.

I'm with you on this one. I really don't check to see my brush is dry before I start soaking it for my next shave.

 

[BladeRunner001]

Matthew,
Great question...as already suggested, a lot of factors come into play...

Brush Density: one of the important factors is density of the brush. If you have a D01, this sucker will be dense (24mm knot size has ~29g of D01 bristles versus ~23g in regular non-D01). So, the more densely packed, the slower will evaporation take place.

Biological variability in badger hair: Not all badger hairs are created equal. You have Asian, European, American etc kinds with all sorts of genetic variability. One of these variability would be in the type of hair (depending on climate). This genetic variability would lead to amino acid variations in the hair which directly affects how much moisture the hair can retain. There's also thickness of the hairs. 2-bands are normally from thicker hairs from the badger's back.

Storage area: if you keep your brush in the bathroom where you shower and/or shave, you will have a lot more humidity to deal with, leading to slower evaporation. I don't keep my brushes (or any of my razors) in the bathroom and allow them to dry in a well ventilated room (in our case, it is the master bedroom)

How you dry your brush: This is important too. I tend to; (1) rinse with warm/hot water thoroughly, (2) shake out the excess water, (3) dry it using a towel (dedicated to brush) like I do with my hair, (4) shake off more excess water, and (5) towel dry again. The towel will suck out a good amount of water from the bristles.

Time between re-use: If you use everyday, then brush may not be thoroughly dry (of course, this depends on brush). I tend to rotate my brushes every day (for the most part) unless I am too lazy. If I use a brush for longer than 3 successive days in a row, I will let it dry out for a few days...The knot being dry is the important factor here. You don't want water trapped there as it will increase chances of mold development.

Clean your brush: Once every few months, I also give my brushes a spin in vinegar/Borax combo...this not only cleans the buildup from your bristles, but it also leads to a disinfecting of the brush including the knot which is hard to get to when drying and cleaning

 

[spindlecone]

Amino Acid variationsnow I have more conundrums in my Life

 

[BladeRunner001]

Amino Acid variationsnow I have more conundrums in my Life

Nothing we can do about this though...evolution has decided and sealed the badgers' faith in this regard. This is not something I would worry about since it's not in our control...just thought I bring it up because it does play a role in case someone is wondering why their 23mm Silvertip (Brand A) doesn't dry as fast as their similar 23mm Silvertip (Brand B)...I doubt we can even measure this accurately

 

[spindlecone]

We have a mass spectrometer at work,I shall find out for sure about this amino acid stuff, am not happy about that at all.Things in my life have to be perfect at all times, am certain amino acid levels effect lather Quality, whice in turn effects lubricity, whice effects shave quality.
Will report my findings in the Journal science when my paper is complete, look for it.