Shaving brush not working out of box, help needed ...

[freewheelingvagabond]

I just purchased a badger shaving brush (Edwin Jagger) online from Amazon. I have the following issues with it -

1. It doesn't form any lather, and seems to eat up shaving cream. I use Geo F. Trumper's lime.

2. While brushing, it turns the white foam of the shaving cream into a greyish brown colour.

3. It has a disagreeable smell, and sheds more than what I think it should.


Is this normal or usual? I'm contemplating returning it. Also, what would be your suggestions for a boar or badger brush for $100 or less?


Many thanks!

 

[Sanb]

I’m assuming this isn’t your first brush?

 

[jar_]

Try a Spa Day. Make a solution of warm water and Borax. Soak the knot in the solution for about thirty minutes. Then get a cotton hand towel. Gently squeeze out the solution milking the knot from handle to tip. Next do a series of four cycles consisting of twenty east west strokes against the towel followed by twenty north south strokes.

Repeat the whole process three times and let the brush dry overnight.

 

[freewheelingvagabond]

I’m assuming this isn’t your first brush?

First time not using nylon or synthetic brush. Thanks.

 

[freewheelingvagabond]

Try a Spa Day. Make a solution of warm water and Borax. Soak the knot in the solution for about thirty minutes. Then get a cotton hand towel. Gently squeeze out the solution milking the knot from handle to tip. Next do a series of four cycles consisting of twenty east west strokes against the towel followed by twenty north south strokes.

Repeat the whole process three times and let the brush dry overnight.

Thanks, but is this something one has to do with all brushes?

 

[John Rose]

Also, what would be your suggestions for a boar or badger brush for $100 or less?

Boar: Wilkinson Sword makes one with a black plastic handle for less than $10, in most of the pharmacies around here.

The top of the handle is round, but the bottom is oval.


It works just fine for me, and I don't recall that it needed a de-stinkifying break-in period.
There seems to be some doubt (on the B&B forum) about whether or not it's actually a boar or a synthetic. It feels like a boar to me.

My favourite boar (that I own) is the Omega 1086 Travel brush (18 mm knot). I got mine for Cdn$12.50.
I have an Omega 49 Pro, but rarely use it because it's way too long and floppy.

My most expensive brush is a Simpson Special 1 in Best Badger, with a 20 mm knot, for Cdn$54.00, and I like it.
Suffice it to say that $100 has to be a most generous budget for a single brush.

Here's another thought. Are you sure the Edwin Jagger brush is a badger, and not a boar brush with a bad dye job? That would explain issues #2 and #3.

 

[Scumpy]

Thanks, but is this something one has to do with all brushes?

No, it definitely is not.

 

[Sanb]

First time not using nylon or synthetic brush. Thanks.

The smell is normal and will go away. Soaking the brush and regular use will eliminate it in time. Took me about a week or so before it left completely but it absolutely will. Same with shedding- some is normal and EJ is a respectable brand so it’s likely not more than the norm for a new brush.

The color- eh, no idea. Try a different soap and cream and stick with it for another week or so and see how it goes.

I doubt you'll be able to return it regardless but if you call EJ they may find a way to make you happy.

Let us know how it goes

 

[John Rose]

Thanks, but is this something one has to do with all brushes?

Nah. Just some boars.
Check out How to Clean a Shaving Brush for a new boar (if it needs to be de-stinkified) or for a second-hand brush of any kind.

 

[Cino]

Don't worry. I found a check list from a technical support line. Let's ruin through it to see how we can help.

Is it plugged in?
Is it on?
Have you tried turning it off and then on?
Try it again but wait longer.
Try reinstalling it.
Do you have the latest update? (To which the normal answer is "no, but if I could get it working I could download the update"]
Let me put you on hold . . .










Hello?




Hello?


Click.

 

[Cino]

I usually shampoo my brushes and then test lather them before using them. Try giving it the old lather, rinse, repeat with your favorite shampoo until the rinse water is clean. Then try a lather with shave soap and see what you get.

 

[jar_]

Thanks, but is this something one has to do with all brushes?

I do that with all new and new to me brushes.

 

[Esox]

Creams can be difficult to lather. I use my Yaqi Silvertip exclusively with creams. Yaqi 24mm Silvertip - A Review

Because its such a dense knot, it can take quite a lot of water to build a lather along with time spent too build it. It works really well and it really is nice to use, but you have to equate that to time spent making the lather. With creams especially it seems even more important to get the cream/water ratio just right.

I also use a Maggard synthetic with soaps and an Omega 10005 boar. Both are under $20CAD and both are fantastic brushes.

It will take roughly twice as long to build a lather with my Silvertip than either the Omega boar or the synthetic. When it comes to ease and speed of loading, the synthetic easily wins that race. It loads Tabac at least 4 times faster than my Yaqi Silvertip.

My Omega 10005 below. Soaked, tips dipped into some Captains Choice cream, and the amount of lather I had less than 30 seconds later using a Captain's Choice bowl.



Doing the same with my Silvertip would take maybe 90 seconds and more water than I thought I'd need.

That Omega brush I bought last April. After about 6 months of steady use, it broke in. Notice how the tips turn pure white when its soaked.

 

[DCRIII]

I just purchased a badger shaving brush (Edwin Jagger) online from Amazon. I have the following issues with it -

1. It doesn't form any lather, and seems to eat up shaving cream. I use Geo F. Trumper's lime.

2. While brushing, it turns the white foam of the shaving cream into a greyish brown colour.

3. It has a disagreeable smell, and sheds more than what I think it should.


Is this normal or usual? I'm contemplating returning it. Also, what would be your suggestions for a boar or badger brush for $100 or less?


Many thanks!

First time not using nylon or synthetic brush. Thanks.

This happens with badger brushes, so it's always best to do a test lather or two to clean them out. Toss the lather from the test and rinse out your new brush. I usually let the new brush dry and use it the following day. The will go away as well.

 

[ZigZiglar]

Something's not right. Badger doesn't smell the way boar does. It's a light odor that goes away rather quickly with a few washes in dish soap. All brushes lose a few fibers but a brush that sheds is likely defective. At no point, should I you see dye or color coming out of the fibers. That is by far, the strangest part. I wonder if you were sold a fake? I would return it and purchase a quality brush from one of these three trusted sources (WELL under $100):

Maggard
Italian Barber
Stirling

For what it's worth, I and several guys on the forum own several high quality badgers and paid as little as $12 shipped to our door. It's almost become a club. Good luck man.

 

[cw62803]

You bought a good brush. Trumpers is a good cream. Here's my suggestion: give your brush a good shampoo with some dish detergent then let it dry out. Some like to allow the brush to dry with the detergent in it, and then rinse it out. The next time you shave, get your brush good and wet - you can soak it in warm water for 5 minutes if you like, but holding it under a running tap is sufficient. Let the excess water drip off the brush. Spread a small dollop of that Trumpers on your face and then swirl away with that Parker. I think you'll get a great lather. Natural hair brushes improve with use. The more you use them, the more the hairs split - making the brush feel softer - and you get rid of that initial animal hair funk.

 

[BigJ]

Some good suggestions above! You bought a quality brush.

It can take awhile to figure things out. So give things a bit of time. Use the brush! Try more product (in general a good badger takes more). Try varying the amount of water. My guess is that your results will improve substantially! Just my 0.02!

 

[dmshaver]

Sorry you’re having those problems. I just got my new Yaqi 24 MM 2 band badger brush yesterday and broke it in last night following these directions:

How to Break in a Shaving Brush

If you’re looking for an inexpensive good brush, you might want to look at Yaqi. My first shave today with it was outstanding!

 

[GearNoir]

Something's not right. Badger doesn't smell the way boar does. It's a light odor that goes away rather quickly with a few washes in dish soap.

I had thought this too, and read it quite often, but found out this was not always the case. The worst funk I’ve had so far on a brush was my last AOS Genuine Badger. It took many hours of soaks and usage before it lost its funk. My Omega Pro 10049 was a breeze by comparison.

 

[YKMV]

@freewheelingvagabond If you want another good badger brush, get a hold of Larry at Whipped Dog.
My latest badger from him had no aroma out of the package and lathers like there's no tomorrow.
His brushes are semi-customized as well.
As the other guys have said, strong odor from a badger is unusual.