Why is this happening to my brushes?

[Ron R]

Is there a way to fix this or prevent it from happening? I don't think I abuse my brushes that much, but I've noticed that synthetic brushes develop that spiral between the knot within a few years and while they are still usable and functional, they look horrible and ugly. This has prevented me from buying a custom made brushes ever since I've got into wet shaving.


View attachment 1724076

I have a dedicated brush I use for washing my face with CeraVe soap bar as a pre shave, my brush has over 1,300 uses by now.
I think it is from using hot water and swirling the lathered bush and some fellows who enjoy the scrubbing are pressing to hard in some instances, I'm not going to change my ways either.
The brush feels just as good as the day I bought it, Its a Yaqi 24mm Cashmere knot I bought for $10 on sale. I have natural hair shave brushes but they do not show any swirls yet but do not get used daily either.
(This Yaqi 24mm Cashmere synthetic knot shave brush has over 1,300 daily loaded soap uses for face cleaning and is still going strong.)

Have some great shaves!

 

[ewk]

I really wanted to buy one of those fancy custom made brushes from brands like Wolf Whiskers and Paladin, but knowing that I'm going to ruin them and make them look like someone's nightmare, I guess it's better to keep buying cheap synthetics for $15-$20 every few years and when I can no longer look at them, to throw them away and that's it.

You may still be able to enjoy a beautiful hand-crafted brush. You can purchase the handle that speaks to your soul and either request the maker to set the knot with silicone, or purchase the empty handle and knot separately. You can set the knot yourself using silicone instead of epoxy. If you need to remove the knot for replacement you will not risk damaging the handle as the epoxy forms a permanent bond. Silicone will keep the knot secure and waterproof, but allow you to change later if need be.

 

[swellcat]

Perhaps amend your lathering technique so that you swirl the brush in either direction equally? I swirl clockwise on the left side of my face and counterclockwise on the right side.

This is what I came to ask about. Challenge is, I seem to have WAY more proficiency—comfort, ease, efficiency, speed—swirling clockwise. Forcing counter-clockwise feels much like switching to the non-dominant hand for an intricate task . . . and, coincidentally, that non-dominant hand seems to swirl more readily counter-clockwise. Something to explore here that might help with brain and brush conservation.

 

[brucered]

Are you letting them dry in a funky position?

What brand of brushes/knots?

I've been using 1 synthetic for a couple years straight now, no issues. Hard pucks, creams, face lathering, swirling, hot water, always same direction.

10y+ of wet shaving with various brushes, never had this happen and never needed to comb a brush or worry about what direction I swirl.

Something doesn't add up.

 

[DrStrange]

Are you letting them dry in a funky position?

What brand of brushes/knots?

I've been using 1 synthetic for a couple years straight now, no issues. Hard pucks, creams, face lathering, swirling, hot water, always same direction.

10y+ of wet shaving with various brushes, never had this happen and never needed to comb a brush or worry about what direction I swirl.

Something doesn't add up.

I completely agree with you,
and strongly disagree with most of what everyone else has written.

I swirl my brush without any concern about using too much pressure
when I lather and load.

I clean my brush by mashing it all the way into my palm under cold running water
and swirling until suds cease to form, and then I hold it briefly upright under the faucet
to load it up with cold water. Then I snap my wrist hard a few times.
At this point, flinging the water out has straightened the bristles.
The brush is completely dry a couple of hours later.
And my synthetic brush looks almost the same as when it was new.

What I put my brush through when I lather
is like rodeo
compared to what most other people do.

Droopy Shiny Peaks Cream Lathering Method

I wanted to share a methodology I have developed for obtaining outstanding shaves with cheap-to-mid priced creams. For context, I recently switched to using creams as my mainstay, after more than a decade of using only the best artisan soaps. I wanted to simplify and stop spending so much...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[wetshaver233]

I have a dedicated brush I use for washing my face with CeraVe soap bar as a pre shave, my brush has over 1,300 uses by now.
I think it is from using hot water and swirling the lathered bush and some fellows who enjoy the scrubbing are pressing to hard in some instances, I'm not going to change my ways either.
The brush feels just as good as the day I bought it, Its a Yaqi 24mm Cashmere knot I bought for $10 on sale. I have natural hair shave brushes but they do not show any swirls yet but do not get used daily either.
(This Yaqi 24mm Cashmere synthetic knot shave brush has over 1,300 daily loaded soap uses for face cleaning and is still going strong.)
View attachment 1726315
Have some great shaves!

I feel the same. I was interested to know what exactly is causing all of that, but I doubt that I'm going to change my way of lathering. My philosophy has always been that no matter what I do, it must come naturaly to me without thinking too much when I'm doing it. If I have to focus too much when I do something, then I'd rather not doing it at all. I know from expirience that forcing things to happen rarely works and when it does, it comes at a cost.

 

[wetshaver233]

Are you letting them dry in a funky position?

What brand of brushes/knots?

I've been using 1 synthetic for a couple years straight now, no issues. Hard pucks, creams, face lathering, swirling, hot water, always same direction.

10y+ of wet shaving with various brushes, never had this happen and never needed to comb a brush or worry about what direction I swirl.

Something doesn't add up.

I don't use hot water when shaving and after I'm done shaving, I just squeeze them gently and shake them up a bit from the excess water and then I dry them on a tower using the painting method. I do agree that it's not a coincidence, since it has already happend to two of my brushes, even though it's not as severe on my second one.

 

[Dobric]

Try to go clockwise 1 dan, and counterclockwise another, it should balance out

 

[Darth Scandalous]

I usually just splay the brush and use back and forth scrubbing motions, not swirls. But if I'm building lather in a bowl I do use circular motions. Haven't had any brush cyclones.

Let the tips do the work. Some synths do require a little more pressure to splay and rebound, so I can see how that could lead to problems over time if you're always swirling the same way.

 

[ERS4]

Now all my brushes are synthetic, including STF/yaqi/Razorock/Simpsons... and other brands of various grades.

I use one brush continuously for one to two months before I rotate it to the next one, and I've never had a brush develop donut holes.

------
So~
Yes, you are using it more than the brush can handle.
Donut holes can occur in any type of hair, but they occur more quickly on finer hair.

Rougher bowls can also cause donut holes.
For example, suribachi, which many people think is effective, did cause one of my brushes to become tangled, but luckily it was repaired in time.
So if you prefer a similar bowl, avoid textures that are too sharp.

------
When I create lather in the bowl or on my face, I go back and forth in a Z-shape and try to use the tip of the brush to avoid pressing down too hard.
This is enough to create foam quickly.

Some well-known brush brands have clearly stated in their instructions "avoid rotation" and "use painting strokes".

 

[DrStrange]

I completely agree with you,
and strongly disagree with most of what everyone else has written.

I swirl my brush without any concern about using too much pressure
when I lather and load.

I clean my brush by mashing it all the way into my palm under cold running water
and swirling until suds cease to form, and then I hold it briefly upright under the faucet
to load it up with cold water. Then I snap my wrist hard a few times.
At this point, flinging the water out has straightened the bristles.
The brush is completely dry a couple of hours later.
And my synthetic brush looks almost the same as when it was new.

What I put my brush through when I lather
is like rodeo
compared to what most other people do.

Droopy Shiny Peaks Cream Lathering Method

I wanted to share a methodology I have developed for obtaining outstanding shaves with cheap-to-mid priced creams. For context, I recently switched to using creams as my mainstay, after more than a decade of using only the best artisan soaps. I wanted to simplify and stop spending so much...

www.badgerandblade.com

Is This Normal for Synthetics? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/is-this-normal-for-synthetics.587052/post-10704743

Is This Normal for Synthetics?

It happened to me with my first synthetic from Maggard razors and I asked Brad about it, was told that could happen if using to hot water, that was my case. This is what he told me: Do you use EXTREMELY hot water? sometimes water that is too hot can make the hairs of a synthetic brush bend a...

www.badgerandblade.com