Kent BK8 Shedding and No Longer Holding Lather

[Razor Ramon]

Hello gents (and ladies),

My lovely girlfriend bought me a Kent BK8 for our anniversary. What a nice brush, a little floppy but was a lather machine and was a great experience. One issue with it was it shed 10 hairs per shave for the first few, then less and less but it still loses 2-3 hairs per shave (that I notice anyways). In addition, I can load this beast up for 30-60 seconds and have no lather left in the brush after the first pass. It seems to be deteriorating with every shave.

I have contacted the seller in the hopes to get an exchange; however, what would be causing the performance issues? This experience has turned me right off of this $250 (CDN) brush. I prefer my $20 boar or $30 badger from razorock.

 

[ackvil]

Does sound like something is wrong with the knot. I have the same brush and have owned it for about a year. It has never shed and holds lather like a champ. In fact, I shaved with it on Monday. My shave consisted of 4 passes on my face and 2 on my head. I still had lather left over.

 

[Razor Ramon]

This is amazing feedback. I shave my head, and my neckline below my beard. After doing two passes on my neck, I didn't even have enough lather for my head. I then had to reload the brush for each of my head passes (3). This thing drops hairs like a beast. I did really love it in the first few shaves though.

The supplier is willing to replace it or give me store credit. In the same price range I can get and Simpson's Chubby 2 in best, a Thater 4125 in silvertip (30 mm knot), or a few others. Not sure if I want to go back to this brush after the experience I've had.

 

[ackvil]

I have the Chubby and it is a wonderful brush. It is not as soft at the Kent - but it is a pleasure to use.

 

[Cumberland Sausage]

I have a Kent BK8 and have never had any shedding problems. It's not my favourite brush, but it does seem well made.

 

[rockviper]

Definitely sounds like a bad knot. My BK4 was wonderful; the only reason I don't still have it is that I PIFd it to my brother.

 

[jar_]

I have a BLK8 as well as an H8. You may prefer an H8 but I have never had any issues with either (or any of my Kents) shedding or have a problem with later. I don't think I have lost five bristles total from all of my Kents combined. Of the Kents the BK2 (same size as the 4 but Best Badger) may be my favorite.

 

[steelhead52]

I have and love the BLK8. It shed a couple of hairs when used the first couple of times then none over the next 12 months. Suddenly it began shedding again, about 5 or 6 hairs a shave and I started getting concerned. I noticed I was soaking the brush in very hot water and thought maybe it was softening the glue. I quit soaking in hot water and began soaking only in lukewarm water just below the glue bump. I don't know if it was the cause, but the shedding stopped and I only lost another hair over the last 12 months. Mine seems to hold a nice amount of lather with better pass through than my super dense chubbies. However, I'm a bowl latherer, so holding enough for 4 passes isn't an issue for me. I hope you figure out the issue. It is a very pleasant brush to use, very soft and luxurious.

 

[malocchio]

Any brush can have a bad cement job , and start to loose hairs, but the fact that it refuses to hold the lather is something different..By any chance have you lathered the brush on your face while you had styptic or alum on the skin ?....Have you "washed" the brush with anything other than warm water ??...I have Kent B4 , it's fine , but very flexible , maybe even floppy...If I had a choice of either a Kent or a Chubby 2 I would go with the Chubby..The Thater is also very nice, but do you really need a huge 30mm knot ???

 

[danlaw]

Have 4 kent brushes:
Travel
Bk2 best for my copper wire beard
Bk8 nice but just too big
Bk12 great but nutso huge

Have never had a problem in 5 plus years of daily use as have numerous friends with years of usage. Now i have properly broken in and do properly clean and hang my brushes after every usage and thoroughly clean and condition annually

Suspect maybe a counterfeit?

As to whether to stick with Kent, answer these questions:

1, do you use hard soaps or croaps/creme? If hard soap kent not best choice BUT it is the king of croap/creme. That stated i can build prodigious lather from triple milled soap easily

2, is your beard very course? If so the bk2 is best of kent line for those of us so blessed but there may be better options elsewhere

3, do you prefer to cover a wide swathe and use a lot of soap per shave? If so kent tends to generously overlather

That is my experience having a lot of exposure with kent badger brushes on lots of various (mostly euro) luxury soaps croaps and cremes.

Would I like a simpson, sure but not in exchange for my kents.

 

[Razor Ramon]

Thank you for the great input. I don't believe it is a counterfeit as it came from Fendrihan who is a reputable vendor and has agreed to replace the brush.

I used the brush on a variety of soaps include BM Reserve, Tabac, MWF and various razorock croaps. It performed excellently at first, but shed like a beast. The last few times I've reach for it, I was unable to get a second pass out of it. I used it on my head last night using a croap and it made for a decent first lather, but was completely useless thereafter. I had to go to another brush to finish up. It shed 5 hairs in the soap dish and a few on my head. This is after maybe 15 uses (maybe more) and on the low end of what it usually does. The hairs are not breaking, but actually pulling out of the knot. I have been very aggressive with my boar, badger and synthetic brushes while always babying this one. My other brushes have been great and this one has been a disappointment. All of my other brushes, even those I've given away are worth less combined than my Kent. By the sounds of people's opinions, mine is the exception to the rule. I'm still on the fence between the Thater, Kent or Simpsons. I'm heading into the great yonder for a week of moose hunting. When I return I will decide what I want to do.

Thanks again for you input

 

[rockviper]

Best of luck on the moose hunt. My last time out was the fall of '84.

 

[Razor Ramon]

Best of luck on the moose hunt. My last time out was the fall of '84.

I am going 2.5 hours west of Thunder Bay, fairly close to the Minnesota border. Its about a 22 hours drive which I am totally looking forward too haha.

Where did you last hunt?

 

[rockviper]

Newfoundland; I moved to Toronto a few weeks after that.

 

[danlaw]

Ever see the southpark episode where the boys dressed sarah jessica parker as a moose?? Haha

 

[sarimento1]

sounds like you got a dud.
all of my kents have been excellent.
you can be grateful that fendrihan is replacing your brush.

 

[watchiekong]

My BK8 was my main and only brush when I joined B&B. No problems at all with shedding. If I remember it did lose hairs in the first few weeks, but settled in. An excellent lather maker and loads of it too.
I can only think you simply got a bad one of a batch. The fact that the vendor Fendrihan is willing to replace/refund I applaud their speaks customer service. I bought my Plisson Antic brass brush from them - great service by Fendrihan.
I've not lost faith with Kent brushes. I still want to get round to getting a BK12.

 

[Jut]

I would replace it with the same brush...swmbo might not like it if you replace what she got you with something else.

 

[dimab]

It's probably merely a faulty knot. I do mainly use BK8 on soft soaps in the last couple of years - with absolutely no shedding after initial week or two. Maybe it sheds a single hair once in a while, but I definitely didn't notice it. And it makes loads of lather with any good soap.
I'd exchange it for the same one: it's the floppiest brush I own and it gives me very luxurious feeling.

 

[Bob L.]

Where are you headed to for that Moose. We had one in the back yard a couple of years ago. Left lots of deep hoof holes in the yard.