Muhle 25mm STF starting to shed?

[CarloMNL]

The brush is a Rudy Vey AS3M made around 2013. Since 2015, it's been my daily driver except when traveling. I rinse it well after every use and give it a deeper clean every month or so by lathering up with Dawn.

It's starting to "shed" fibre. Not a lot. But every shave without fail over the past week, I end up plucking one or two errant strands from the lather. Some are wiry/curly but most are straight. Today, I took a look at one and I noticed that the base of the fibre has a clump resembling a follicle.

The brush still works well but it's never lost fibre before. Ever. Not until last week. Has anyone else experienced similar fibre loss? Does this usually mean that the knot's glued base is starting to deteriorate?

 

[nav]

I believe the clump on the bottom indicates glue failure.

I wouldn't have expected this from a Muhle knot within just 5 years of use, to be honest!

The silvertip fibre brushes are my most favorite and after reading about your brush failure, I'm glad I have four of them in my den!

 

[Multum in parvo]

2013-2022 = 8-9 years usage, still some pics would be nice.

 

[nav]

2013-2022 = 8-9 years usage, still some pics would be nice.

Right. I confused it from 2015 onwards.

I still wouldn't expect a synth, especially a muhle, to deteriorate in this timeframe.

 

[hydro-magic]

Mine is a few years old and I use it quite a bit but not exclusively or anything. I have noticed an occasional strand coming out lately. I have a Plissoft that's older and has been used more that hasn't had this problem so maybe the glue/epoxy/whatever Muhle uses doesn't last? Not sure. I am not easy on my brushes though. To me it's tool meant to be used and if it gets worn out, so be it. So I'm not bothered by it necessarily but for the cost I would have expected it to last longer than a cheaper synth.

 

[KeenDogg]

One cause of shedding I am aware of is too much heat. I wouldnt guess it's wetness because it's not natural hair. I don't know if synthetic fiber rots. Other thoughts I have would be squeezing the knot may compromise it. It could be a bad glue job too. Only you can come to a conclusion whether it was use or an outside factor which is attributing to its failure.

 

[CarloMNL]

That’s what the strand looks like. I was able to look at the base under a loupe and it does look like resin/glue.

I’m guessing it’s just how stuff ages in tropical weather. This is what the knot looks like after all this time.

I do have a new STF brush in the mail (23mm this time) so I should be ok. Will probably continue to use this just to see how long it stays usable. Given how long it has served me, I wouldn’t be totally bummed out if it dies on me this year or next.

 

[KeenDogg]

View attachment 1401653

That’s what the strand looks like. I was able to look at the base under a loupe and it does look like resin/glue.

I’m guessing it’s just how stuff ages in tropical weather. This is what the knot looks like after all this time.

View attachment 1401654

I do have a new STF brush in the mail (23mm this time) so I should be ok. Will probably continue to use this just to see how long it stays usable. Given how long it has served me, I wouldn’t be totally bummed out if it dies on me this year or next.

You can always outfit it with a new knot as well!

 

[CarloMNL]

You can always outfit it with a new knot as well!

The handle is in excellent shape but I’m not mechanically adept and no one does that work around here. I actually thought of sending it back to Rudy Vey for a re-knot but the shipping cost to and from the US would probably be between $50-60. Cheaper and faster to get a new brush instead.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Hard to see in the pic but that swirl pattern could be an indication of too much downward pressure/mashing. Badger hair will break at that point and a donut hole develops. Maybe with this Synth the whole fibre breaks out of the glue. Below an old wrecked Nylon brush.

 

[CarloMNL]

Hard to see in the pic but that swirl pattern could be an indication of too much downward pressure/mashing. Badger hair will break at that point and a donut hole develops. Maybe with this Synth the whole fibre breaks out of the glue. Below an old wrecked Nylon brush.

View attachment 1401750

That’s very possible. As this is one of my first brushes, it suffered my learning pains. I do remember having a heavy hand in my first years. My touch is a lot lighter now, thankfully. Will continue to keep this in mind though when I work with my new brush.

Thanks!

 

[nav]

Hard to see in the pic but that swirl pattern could be an indication of too much downward pressure/mashing. Badger hair will break at that point and a donut hole develops. Maybe with this Synth the whole fibre breaks out of the glue. Below an old wrecked Nylon brush.

View attachment 1401750

Agreed.
I've never had a swirled knot, nor have any of my brushes suffered a catastrophic failure.

 

[Brutus]

My Mühle Silvertip Fibre brushes are all several years old and neither have they shed hairs nor did they adopt this strange swirl pattern.

Silvertip fibres do react to scalding hot water though and if the water is not comfortable for the skin it is not also good for the brush.


B.

 

[CarloMNL]

My Silvertip Fibres are all several years old and neither have they shed hairs nor did they adopt this strange swirl pattern.

Silvertip fibres do react to scalding hot water though and if the water is not comfortable for the skin it is not also good for the brush.


B.

I've never used scalding hot water to shave as the water from the tap here is typically warm. On a hunch though, I dunked the knot in water that I heated to 70ºC and then gently pumped the brush a few times. I rinsed with tap water then repeated twice. The swirl pattern is significantly diminished.

This doesn't fix my main issue but it does give me an indicator if my hand is too heavy when building lather. It's been almost a decade since I first got this brush but I do remember it having a ton of spring when new. I honestly think that I applied a ton of pressure to overcome that springiness, and never really adjusted my technique until much later.

Live and learn.

 

[Brutus]

I've never used scalding hot water to shave as the water from the tap here is typically warm. On a hunch though, I dunked the knot in water that I heated to 70ºC and then gently pumped the brush a few times. I rinsed with tap water then repeated twice. The swirl pattern is significantly diminished.
Live and learn.

I used to live in a place like that.

We switched the water heater off in summer (the boiler was inside the house) because after a few days it became cooler than the water from the tank on the roof.
Common practice in that part of the world…


B.