Simpson Colonel shedding

[SamF]

Hi, I received a Simpsons Colonel today and just did a practice lather with it to help break it in/get rid of the funk. There was a lot of shedding though. About 20 hairs overall I'd say, about 15 while loading on the puck of soap (MWF) and about another 5 while lathering. Also, when I squeezed the brush to see get the lather out from the inside of the it, there was this brownish coloured runny liquid that came out along with the lather.

Are these both normal or should I be concerned? I know new brushes tend to shed, but this seemed like quite a lot. I'm just concerned because this is the first brush I've spent good money on.

 

[andrestole]

The colour is normal, just some badgerfunk. But the shedding sounds a bit too much. Do you push the brush hard down on your soap? my colonel did not shed more than 5 hairs the first time lathering.

 

[Mick]

Make sure you soak it enough before loading. 3-5 min should be enough but the hairs need to take up moisture before you use them.

Use it for a week and if it still has issues contact the vendor for a replacement.

 

[SamF]

Thanks guys.

Just to let you know what I did: soaked my brush in warm water for 7 minutes, along with some water on the puck. I then loaded with a small amount of pressure for about a minute.

I'll keep test lathering with it and keep an eye on it.

 

[Mick]

Thanks guys.

Just to let you know what I did: soaked my brush in warm water for 7 minutes

Make sure you use warm not hot water. The water is too hot if you can't stick your hands in it comfortably.

 

[Invicta]

Sounds like you got a bad one. Contact the vendor now and return it. It is shedding far too many hairs.

 

[Mick]

Sounds like you got a bad one. Contact the vendor now and return it. It is shedding far too many hairs.

It might not be a bad idea to contact them since you just received the brush. Let them know and see what they say. They may ask you to just return it right away or they may tell you to use it for a little longer.

 

[SamF]

Make sure you use warm not hot water. The water is too hot if you can't stick your hands in it comfortably.

Yep I do, I microwave water that's been filtered then leave it until I can put my hand in and keep it there, then I put my brush in.

I'll send an e-mail off to the vendor (executive shaving, does anyone with any experience with them know if they're good about this sort of stuff?) and see what they say.

 

[SamF]

I've just done another lather with it, this time with some Jermyn St cream and it was fine, not a hair lost. I'll still send an email off, but this is encouraging. Another thing that's encouraging is the fact that the brush absolutely destroyed the cream, took me about a quarter of the time to get to a shaveable lather with this than it does with my EJ BB.

Also, what's the best way to get rid of the funky smell? Can I leave the lather I've just made standing in it?

 

[Mick]

what's with the funky smelling brushes? I've never had any (even the Spanish Horse brushes) have any smell that I found objectionable and I have a nose and a half (Smelled a BBQ place that was over a mile away when traveling one time. Asked where I was getting gas where it was and everyone thought I was nuts as there wasn't one nearby).

Any smell should be covered by the soap you use in short order. Just keep lathering it up and it should go away.

 

[SamF]

No idea, this is my first brush that smells. My EJ BB was fine, and despite the complaint about how bad boar hair smells, so was my SOC. This one smells like I've picked up a dead badger that's been out in the rain and rubbed it all over my face.

 

[Mick]

No idea, this is my first brush that smells. My EJ BB was fine, and despite the complaint about how bad boar hair smells, so was my SOC. This one smells like I've picked up a dead badger that's been out in the rain and rubbed it all over my face.

ewwww... too much information

 

[johnniegold]

As long as you purchased the brush from a reputable vendor you need not worry. As for shedding brushes, I've used brushes that have shed profusely at the start and then calm down. I used a Duke 2 that shed for close to one-year before I exchanged it for another brush with no questions asked from Lee's Razors.

My Rover was a huge shedder. Just to see for myself, I decided that no matter what, I was going to see this brush through to the end no matter how much it shed. (Knowing that I purchased it from John at WCS I knew I had no worries). This brush has lost, in my estimation, at least 200 hairs. There were days when 20 or 30 hairs would come out. Had it been my first brush I would have panicked, naturally.

But I kept on going. Some days 5 hairs, some days 10, some days none. The brush was so densely packed with hair that there is no noticeable difference in the feel and use of this brush. After several months, the brush finally calmed down. Nowadays, very rarely does it even shed one hair after using it (it is in a heavy rotation of 7 or so brushes) and is one of my favorite brushes. (The Colonel btw, is also one of my faves.)

Ultimately, you may have a "bad" brush but the point is to give it some time to settle down. Probably not a bad idea to put the vendor on notice (as they may offer to exchange it immediately).

 

[KyMash]

I have never had any trouble with my Colonel and I've had it for nearly a year. It lost a few hairs when I first got it, but has been fine since then and if it continues, I'd say you got a lemon.

 

[njpaddy]

I've had 8 Simpsons. I wouldn't be concerned with 20 hairs on the first use. Most of mine stopped shedding in 3-5 uses. I don't even bother to keep track of loss unless it goes beyond a week.

 

[Foyle]

I have a Wee Scot that was shedding profusely when I first got it. I contacted WCS from whom I bought it, and they told me to shampoo it, comb it out, and use it for a week. I did, and it lost a couple hundred hairs during comb out, but that did the trick. Some brushes just have a lot of loose hair in the knot that need to work out. I wouldn't worry yet. Johnnie's advise is good. Let the vendor know about the issue, but keep using it. It will probably settle down soon.

 

[ackvil]

You can read about the problem I had with a Simpson Duke 3 here.

From my contact with Simpson, they told me shedding can occur with new brushes and 15 to 20 hairs is OK- as long as it stops after a few uses. Simpson told me to wash the brush with mild dishwashing soap and then rinse the brush completely and let it dry. Then take a comb and gently run it through the bristles. Do this a few times to get out any loose hairs (this step should be done when the brush is made.) Run the brush through the bristles a few days in a row. If the problem persists contact the vendor or Simpson directly. Apparently some new brushes have loose hairs that were not glued in and when used they will fall out.

The Duke 3 I had never stopped shedding and Simpson replaced it.

 

[mistercitizen]

what's with the funky smelling brushes? I've never had any (even the Spanish Horse brushes) have any smell that I found objectionable and I have a nose and a half (Smelled a BBQ place that was over a mile away when traveling one time. Asked where I was getting gas where it was and everyone thought I was nuts as there wasn't one nearby).

Any smell should be covered by the soap you use in short order. Just keep lathering it up and it should go away.

+1 Shaving brushes, whether badger, boar or horse, will eventually take on the scent of the cream or soap you use with them. After a few shaves, my brushes always smell like the last cream or soap I used with them..... which is the way I would prefer they smell to be honest. I rinse them thoroughly after each use, but there is always a little bit of scent from the cream or soap that lingers. The animalic funk goes away, rest assured.

Ben

 

[SamF]

A bit of uppage on this. No more shedding now, and it's a great brush. I've been getting a bit of trouble getting my SOC to give up 3 passes of lather, but this does it without any effort.

I only have three brushes admittedly, but after some use, this is now my favourite. Really soft but the short loft and density means it has a lot of backbone. I really like the short loft. I'm not going to write off long lofted brushes yet, but there's something about the short loft that I can't quite put my finger on but that makes this brush great.

 

[dundak]

Glad it worked out for you. The Colonel is an awesome brush.