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Rotation for Brush Health

Nothing can thrive if it's perpetually wet. So, it seems like a good idea to rotate brushes even if you have a clear favorite, just to let it dry out sometimes.

How often do brushes need this sort of "break"?
 
The idea makes sense, but I can imagine that it is only a problem if your "only" brush is very large, or your bathroom is poorly ventilated. My brushes are normally dry within 24 hours of shaving.

Don't forget that our grandfathers probably used one shaving brush daily for 20 years and then replaced it when the knot was worn down to a stub.
 
I do it, but only to be fair on my other brushes :D

Im currently still breaking in an Omega boar, and a Taylors badger, so far the Omega is winning me over, but i think the badgers still got a half dozen shaves before its truly broken in.
 
I don't think they need a break, I have used my Omega 10290 just about everyday since I got it in the fall with no issues. It is dry by the time I use it the next day. Keep it in a spot that allows it to dry in 24hrs and you should be fine. YMMV
 
I think the idea of a daily or weekly break is great for BAD, but I don't think they really need it. As DJH said, our grandfathers & fathers used them every day for decades, tossed them, and got a new one.
Johnnie
 
A lot of guys only have one brush. The rest day is likely the day they skip a shave. I use my Duke 3 everyday that I am at home and on the road I use a T&H turnback traveller. Prior to getting the Duke I had a no name badger that I bought when I was stationed in Germany in the '80s and used it everyday. I still have it.
I'm sure whatever rotation scheme upon which you decide will be fine.
 
This is an intersesting discussion. I was just thinking about this and how to label my brush conundrum.
I'll use the same brush for several days or weeks. But, over time it seems the performance degrades slightly. Or maybe it just changes. I don't have any brush stands and I just stand my brushes on the base of their handles after use. So when it seems this performance change/degradation starts happening I rotate to another brush. When I come back to that brush it's fine. I think over repeated uses tiny amounts of water gets trapped deep in the knot and doesn't have the chance to evaporate over a 24 hour period. That water then coheres with the water from the next shave and changes the ideal soap or cream to water ratio.

 
I have a 5 brush rotation, never use the same one twice, so I've never had a problem with any shave brush.

Some years ago, before I retired, I had only one brush and had to shave every day, but never had a problem with using that one every day. I'd hang it in a brush holder, bristles down.
 
I only worry about a full drying if its a new boar that is in its break in stage just because i"ve heard that helps the tips split
 
I think it's probably a good idea to let a brush dry thoroughly between uses and if your situation is such where it can't, having a second brush makes sense. Many of us have a few brushes that are fun to rotate so for me, I'm always using a dry brush. Whether it truly affects the longevity of the brush to not have it completely dried out between uses, I have no idea. But having at least two means your brushes will last twice as long as one. :smile:
 
Interesting thread!
I'm now glad that I just picked up a Wee Scot to go along with my Omega 10066. I'm still experimenting with basically every piece I own, so I'll use a cream one day, a hard soap the next, a croak the day after that (for example). I've quickly discovered that certain brushes are great with one medium, and not another. Or sometimes they are, but another brush seems just a bit better suited for the lathering style.
Luckily, my curiosity has forced me into rotating basically every shave. I also think my loyalty to things I really like will keep my Omega in there as a regular use brush, even if I end up with a brush that seems perfect for every day use.
 
Regardless, its a great excuse to have more than one!

shhhhh.... You never know who is reading over your shoulder.

Having more than one brush is a NECESSITY

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Ask me more questions and I want my lawyer present.
 
Heh. The reason I was asking about it that currently I just have my Shea Moisture starter brush and my Vie-Long. I don't like the SM nearly as much, so I haven't been using it that often, and didn't want to ruin my horsey. :)
 
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