Is my Omega 49 toast!

[narrowman]

I have had an Omega 49 Pro' in regular use for last 18 months or so. A smashing brush it is too and is nicely broken in. Love the thing.

Sadly, over about the last month it's been shedding about 2-4 hairs every shave. This has started quite suddenly. I usually soak it before shaving, though not up to the knot, and it dries out completely between shaves due to my rotation. Oh, I usually face lather too, if that makes a difference.

I don't know why this should happen as I would have thought it would last longer than this. I know this is not a high-end hand made thing of loveliness and I can soon order another for little outlay...but that means another break-in period.

 

[ajkel64]

I am not sure if it is dead or not. Just wondering if you might be able to post a photo of the brush so that we can have a look at it.

 

[narrowman]

No photo taking facility at present! But I haven't noticed any change in appearance yet.

 

[dmshaver]

I wonder if boar brushes need to be cleaned, as do badger? I'm fairly new to boars (started about 6 months ago). I imagine a good knot cleaning may get old soap buildup out of the knot & possibly stop the shedding. But I'll defer to others with more boar experience.

 

[Leverspro]

Too bad! Even if a brush only costs $10, if it's been broken in for a year it's a valuable brush! I have the same brush and re knotted it into a nice handle, so I sure hope it doesn't start shedding. Two or three hairs per shave is very little. More annoying than anything. I'd just keep using it and buy another one in the meantime and hand lather it every day in case your current one is toast.

 

[sugardaddy]

Yes, soap build up can eat away at the bristles, often near the center of the knot.

Glad to hear you are only soaking the bristles!

(Sent from mobile)

 

[Cannon Cocker]

I wonder if boar brushes need to be cleaned, as do badger? I'm fairly new to boars (started about 6 months ago). I imagine a good knot cleaning may get old soap buildup out of the knot & possibly stop the shedding. But I'll defer to others with more boar experience.

This is the exact same thing that happened to me with a Semogue 1305. It started loosing 3-5 hairs after only 6-8 months of rotation use. I cleaned it in a borax solution of 1 teaspoon in a 10 oz or so cup. I soaked it for 1 hour and every 10 min I would spin it between my hands like I was trying to start a fire. I then gave it a rinse in clean water and dried it on a towel. After it was dry the next day, I used a comb and combed it out. No more hair loss after that. I now do a much heavier rinse after a shave.

A good way to check your brushes is to slap them on your palm when dry in a beam of light. If you see a cloud of powder (soap) coming off, you need to clean them.

 

[ackvil]

Also, inspect the knot at the base and see if there is any evidence of soap scum.