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Travel brush. What's that?

I've always been dismayed by posts concerning A "travel brush". What has size got to do with a travel brush? My only criteria for a travel brush is: does it dry overnight. That means a badger or synthetic. Otherwise, one should use the same size brush they always use. Do you really not have room for any size brush in your carry on luggage?

Gus
 

Mike H

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Some people like a variety. Or maybe an excuse to by another brush. I travel with a Duke 2.
 
I use a Wee Scot fir travel. If you want a brush that will dry completely overnight, get a Muhle synthetic.
 
Another variable when considering a travel brush is intrinsic value. Unfortunately when traveling our favorite brushes are at more risk than when sitting on our bathroom counters. I prefer to travel with brushes that I could rebuy if lost. I agree size has never been a determining factor.

I've always been dismayed by posts concerning A "travel brush". What has size got to do with a travel brush? My only criteria for a travel brush is: does it dry overnight. That means a badger or synthetic. Otherwise, one should use the same size brush they always use. Do you really not have room for any size brush in your carry on luggage?
 
Another variable when considering a travel brush is intrinsic value. Unfortunately when traveling our favorite brushes are at more risk than when sitting on our bathroom counters. I prefer to travel with brushes that I could rebuy if lost. I agree size has never been a determining factor.
I like that. One could even carry two cheap boars or a Kent synthetic for $24.
 
In the "travel brush" considerations, size is only important as part of the "how fast does it dry" part of the question. Smaller knots usually dry faster than big ones, given the same material in each.

Synthetics are the way to go, but I have traveled with badger and mixed boar/badger brushes. Small knotted ones, of course (the mixed knot Omega Mighty Midget and Simpson's Special.)
 
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Another variable when considering a travel brush is intrinsic value. Unfortunately when traveling our favorite brushes are at more risk than when sitting on our bathroom counters. I prefer to travel with brushes that I could rebuy if lost. I agree size has never been a determining factor.

The exact reason why I travel with an AOS small brush. If lost/stolen, I'd be peeved, but wouldn't lose any sleep over it. If my Neeps, Deruitems, Shaver Joes, Thater, Safaris, etc. went missing, I would rage...
 
I'm thinking that replacement would be the key criterion on this. I only travel a couple of times a year and won't do so again until July. The need for a travel brush has been nagging at me occasionally. Thanks for all of the perspectives here.
 
The small AOS 'travel' badger is great.
Nice size, lathers soaps and creams fine, dries easily.


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I don't really care about size in my dopp kit (And the difference between a small brush and a big brush isn't that much). But I bought a travel specific brush because I wanted something that stored easily with some protection and would dry fast (and wouldn't suffer much from being packed wet on occasion). I ended up with a Muhle 530 and think it is great. It wasn't particularly expensive, and is handy.
 
I have a Pro 49 and until recently a 1460. I found it much easier to pack the 1460 into my travel kit.

I could pack the brush separately, or get a bigger dopp kit, but taking the smaller brush is just easier.
 
Some folks like a small travel brush. This was my original travel brush: a brush that T&H made for trave. It was small but effective. It came with a nice travel tube.

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Eventually, I purchased a travel bag that held a lot more than my previous one and I ended up with a Muhle synthetic 23mm shaving brush.

$Muhle synthetic.jpg

This brush has the right size and dries fast. It is now permanently part of my travel bag.
 
As previously mentioned, my two primary factors when considering travel items:

Time to dry - Synthetic bristle and/or a small knot contribute the most to the quality
Cost to replace (monetary and emotional) - The risk of loss may be low (or not), but I am not bringing an heirloom or a $300 brush with me on travel. Subsequently, I travel with a cheap VDH boar brush and a Gillette Tech that looks like crap. The Tech shaves great but the plating is shot and there are a multitude of dents, scratches, and scarring throughout the razor.
 
I have two priorities in a travel brush - 1) dries quickly 2) size.

1) is obvious and 2) well I'm absolutely ruthless about weight when I travel if I'm only taking carryon. If you can pare everything down you save significant space. And the fact is that you can get a great lather from my wee scot so its not a compromise in any respect.
 
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I picked up a Wee Scot from a fellow B&B member for the purpose of travel. It dries fast and fits in a pill bottle. Very happy with it.
 
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