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Travel Brush Question(s)

So it's unclear to me... what differentiates a travel brush from a regular one? Just smaller in size so it can be packed easier? Because I've seen some (like the EJ) that you can store the knot/loft inside the handle, which makes sense to me, but others that are sold as travel brushes don't seem to have this feature...

I'm in the Coast Guard and stand duty in a rotation similar to what a fireman does, where I'm at the station for a night or two at a time in two or three day rotations, and I don't have much space to safely/securely leave a brush to dry during the day...

Along the same lines, I've seen it suggested that synthetic brushes dry faster than boar, is this usually the case, or just true of certain synthetics? the only brush I have right now is an Escali pure badger that I am sliding into an empty TP tube in my shaving kit...
 
Travel brushes are generally smaller in size and often come with a travel tube. Having said that my daily use brush is a travel brush, because I prefer the size, it suites me. There are also certain brushes that are sized like travel brushes that are not specifically marketed as "travel" brushes. A travel brush can really be anything you want.
 
You pretty much answered your own question. Travel brushes are designed for travel and generally feature smaller knots so they dry faster. Some are just mini brushes with a tube to stick them in; they only differ from your setup in that their tube will typically match. :rolleyes: The best ones are "turnbacks" where the brush handle screws into the holder, or Da Vinci's UOMO Voyager with a retractable inner sleeve and ventilated cap. The Da Vinci is the best design imo...

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/314389-Da-Vinci-UOMO-Voyage-the-ultimate-travel-brush
 
If you're happy with what you're doing, keep doing it. Boars dry the slowest of all, horse second slowest. A synthetic will dry in minutes. Either the toilet paper roll or a pill bottle drilled with air holes works.

I have a Wee Scott that's almost big enough. It lives in my truck w/ a 4 piece travel razor and a few small things in a small Dopp kit, for emergency trips.

I have a Vulvix travel Silvertip that's really softer than I like, and lives at Mom's in case I forget to bring one with me.

I have a Whipped Dog 22mm synth and a 20mm Silvertip set at 45mm loft that's the perfect travel/face lathering brush. They live full time at work, and go on the road with me. I routinely do 18 day trips.

I have two other Whipped Dogs, a horse, and three boars at the house.
 
I don't think dry time is the factor for travel. But also think of something like the Simpson Wee Scot, the Omega 11047, or Omega "Bambino" model. All smaller sized brushes and very nice performers, but not marketed specifically as "travel" brushes. Though perfectly sized to be such. I use an old AoS pure badger "travel" brush with cream colored handle and travel tube and it is actually a tad bit larger than the Omega models I mentioned here. Dry time of my AoS is like any other badger brush.
 
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As others have said, "travel" can sometimes mean an inferior product. I have a synthetic Muhle silvertip fiber that I use for travel although it is not marked as such. It dries very quickly, feels velvety soft, and lathers very well. I store it in a Muhle travel brush tube (the plastic twisty one that sizes to your brush).

My new travel razor is a Gillette Tech, or sometimes that plus a Gem Junior 1912. I don't want to travel with anything that isn't relatively easy to replace.
 
For travel I use my Simpson Berkeley Best Badger and keep it in a pill bottle with holes punched into the top for ventilation while actually in my dop kit (as opposed to sitting out at the motel/house I am visiting). At home, it is a favorite brush in my normal rotation. Perfect size for face lathering (easiest while traveling). Not being dry enough for the next day has never been a problem.
 
I bought the Simpson Classic 1 Best, as my travel brush (paired with the small Vulix travel tube - perfect fit for the brush).

and fwiw the Classic 1 has become my favourite brush at home as well.

Travis.
 
If you use a regular brush for travel, try using a 60 dram prescription bottle. Just drill some 1/8" holes in the top to ventilate. You may be able to ask a pharmacist for one. This costs $25.00 on-line, if you buy the plexiglass product.
 
TO me, there are a few features that are important
1. It can be packed somehow that it won't get damaged in transit (either own tube, or fits in a pill bottle).
2. It dries quickly so I don't have to worry about it getting nasty
3. It is cheap enough, and easy enough to find that I won't be sad if it gets lost, destroyed, etc.

To that end, I just ordered a Muhle 530 synthetic. To date, I've just reverted to goo in a can for travel, but no more.
 
I like a small, fairly inexpensive brush that dries quickly and won't complain about rough treatment. I use a 19mm Muhle Silvertip Fibre brush with a 19mm brush. It behaves very well with a soap stick. At some point I may explore the v2 19mm but, failing to be wowed by the 23mm v2, I'm in no rush.
 
I think it's been said nicely, but to add my two cents:

Size is what you feel like packing. Doesn't matter other than that.

The next (and more important) considerations are drying time and protection. If you have to stash your brush immediately after use, and you worry about proper ventilation, I'd probably be inclined to go with a synthetic. Otherwise, I find a couple hours to be sufficient dry time for me. My current setup is an Omega Bambino 50068 with a pill bottle with as many holes in the lid I could drill into it.

After using I shake it, squeeze gently, towel dry, and then swirl it over my hand. I swirl over my palm, then the back of my hand, then I dry my hand and repeat. I'll do this until my hand barely gets wet (normally only 2-4 times). I find this removes 90% of the water, and if I need to I can just put it in the pill bottle and stash it as long as it gets a little bit of air exposure. If I leave the brush out, it'll be completely dry in 2-3 hours. (This also works for a very dense Vie-Long horse brush of mine, as well... that would take 12-24 hours to dry if left alone).
 
So it's unclear to me... what differentiates a travel brush from a regular one?
Depends on who you ask. My travel brush is a regular brush.

I'm always wondering where you guys are going that you can't carry a full size shaving kit. Hiking Kilimanjaro?
Sometimes every bit of space matters. I've always been able to pack my full travel kit even on 2 week road trips in our roadster. However, this year's roadtrip is in a car with even less cargo space so I'll probably have to trim down a bit.

I don't think dry time is the factor for travel.
It can be. Faster drying is a plus in my book as often I have to shave and pack in the same morning. On trips where I'm staying in multiple places it helps if the brush dries faster. Again, depends on who you ask (i.e. YMMV).
 
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simpson wee scott in a pill bottle that is what i travel with dries in like 30 mins haha more like an hour

im talking about the super small pill bottles too with a shaving soap stick your good to go
 
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