Brush care and shedding

Fido

Fido

Joined
Wednesday August 26, 2009
Location
New Forest, England.
I asked Progress Vulfix for information about shedding which I might include in my shaving blogs.

This is an extract from advice they gave to a customer who sells their branded brushes. It contains some interesting information and advice.

"A new brush can typically expect to shed hairs for the first 3 months of its life as it sheds any loose hairs not removed in the manufacturing process. You could also mention that if the hairs the brush is shedding are short hairs then this can be a result of hairs breaking rather than shedding due to the brush being used incorrectly i.e. not letting the bristles soak in warm NOT hot water to soften them before use. Soaking the whole brush in water that is too hot can cause the epoxy resin in the handle to expand causing the handle to crack or the hairs to shed, it is always best to try to soak the bristles and not the handle. If you do have a brush that is shedding it is common practice to comb thru the bristles with a fine toothed comb, this can help to remove any loose hairs. Excessive shedding would be considered at 10 hairs per shave but it is quite normal for a brush to lose 3 or 4 hairs every shave for all of its life. If a brush suddenly starts shedding after several months then it is more likely to be caused by improper care of the brush rather than the brush just starting to shed, as soap residue can attack the hairs and make them brittle"

So key issues are the need to soak only the bristles in warm, not hot, water and to ensure that soap residue is fully removed after use.
 
 
I read somewhere that once the brush has been rinsed through in warm water to clean it, it should then be rinsed in cold water, any views?

Could Fido or someone else with a working knowledge of brushes also advise if they need to hang upside down to dry? Again I've read conflicting piecec of advice on this.

Thanks
 
hunnymonster said:
Someone somewhere needs to define "hot" water... is that water direct out of the hot tap? water that is too hot to keep your hand in? or is there a temperature when warm becomes hot?
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Soaking the brush in water at 'warm to nearly handwash hot' water is all that's required.
If you cant keep your hand in it then its too hot in my opinion.

I also advise against aggressive drying with a towel etc. A good shake ( what a badger or boar does in the wild) is all that's required followed by a light paint against a towel ( havent seen too much of that in the wild mind you :)

regards, beejay
 
simmo3801 said:
I read somewhere that once the brush has been rinsed through in warm water to clean it, it should then be rinsed in cold water, any views?

Could Fido or someone else with a working knowledge of brushes also advise if they need to hang upside down to dry? Again I've read conflicting piecec of advice on this.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Cold water rinse is good but be aware if you are in a hard water area.
a brush stood on end will dry fine as long its not sopping wet.
Im wary of the those plastic stands people use as too many brushes don't sit securely in them
and they can easily fall into a sink or loo and crack the sink maybe or on to a tile floor and shatter the handle.
Dont mean to jump the gun Fido but i was replying to the other post.
regards,
beejay
 
3-4 hairs per shave for the life of a brush sounds way to excessive to me. a bit of a CYA remark from the manufacturer perhaps.
 
I'm sure our scientists will comment on temperatures likely to cause expansion of epoxy resin. Beejay's definition looks sound to me. There is no hard evidence to suggest it makes any difference if you hang a brush upside down. You will find conflicting theories if you browse the forums.

It seems to me just common sense to soak only the bristles in warm water, to rinse thoroughly in warm then cold water after use, to shake out excess water, to avoid vigorous use of a towel and to leave out to dry before enclosing the brush in a cupboard. These cherished objects just need TLC.

Most of the brushes in my collection have shed very few hairs, so I agree with Fozz that 3-4 each use sounds excessive. It could be that this happens without us seeing it?
 
beejay said:
Soaking the brush in water at 'warm to nearly handwash hot' water is all that's required.
If you cant keep your hand in it then its too hot in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Too hot to handle is a good rule of thumb. Epoxy can stand higher temperatures (especially the non-5-minute version) but there is no need for hotter water anyway.

Henk
 
For me it is a 15 minute soak up to the bristles, especially with really dense brushes in tap hot water. If it falls over and becomes immersed up to or above the knot I don't fret . Use it then a good rinse followed by a few painting type strokes on a towel then hang it till the next morning when it gets stood bristles up on the shelf.

Only shedder I have is my EJ BBB but I used and abused it every day for a few years as I learned how to (and how not to)_ make good shaving lather. I should chuck it but it was a gift from the wife and my very first "real badger brush"; I keep meaning to put another knot in it just for nostalgia purposes. Other than that I have been very lucky, not had any shredders so far....maybe just cursed myself now and find a carpet of badger hair on the bathroom floor tomorrow, at least it will be a feature. :lol:
 
I've experience some breakage of bristles ever after having soaked them for 5 minutes or so. Yesterday I used TGN 24 knot boar. It's very dense and a shedder to boot but very excellent exfoliator nonetheless. Sheds as much if not more than my VDH which rarely gets used. I reckon they'd be just the same if equally used. Anyway, be it boar or badger I practice the same principles. Pre-soaking a little different. Boar about 5 minutes of pre-soak whereas badger as soon as I'm out the shower I get hot water from tap and dip the badger in there for couple minutes or so and go to town. As far as drying, I run hot water in a mug or bowl carefully not immersing handle or it's neck. If there's residue lather on the neck I run cold water to prevent damage to its handle. After which I wring the brushes bristles 8 times and finally gently tapping the bristles on the towel, turning it each time for a total of 4 turns. Lastly I whisk the tips of bristles on the towel as light as possible.

For those who might be interested, here are different manufacturers with guidelines

GENERAL CARE:

OMEGA

IMPORTANT
Badger is the most desirable for an effective soaping
of the face. Given its characteristic of elasticity and silkness,
a very light massage is sufficient to obtain an abundant
lather. It is not neessary to press the brush onto the area
to be soaped, as this will only cause the breaking of the
hairs and will ruin the brush in a very short time. Washing
the brush after use is essential to remove the residue of
the acids present in shaving creams which, remaining
among the hairs will corrode the fiber.

71278

Thank you for choosing one of our products. We ensure its
careful handicraft making with first class material, in order
to guarantee a longer life of the product.
To keep your brush in good conditions, we advice to wash
it with lukewarm water for several times before the use, in
order to soften the bristles and remove possible residual
smell.
After the use, it is necessary to wash the brush carefully with
lukewarm water, in order to remove all acid rests contained
in the creams, that left on the brush would corrode the fiber.
Let it dry in the open air and do not keep it in a hermetically
sealed container.
Best regards.

BOREAL
The shaving brushes of Boreal line are high
quality products. Raw materials are strictly
selected and prduction processes involve the
most up to date technologies.
All products are developed and manufactured in
our factory in order to meet functional and
aesthetic requirements of both consumers and
professional operators.

HANDMADE
DO NOT SOAK IN HOT WATER

SIMPSONS

HOW TO TREAT YOUR SHAVING BRUSH
This brush is sterilized by a certified process and is
quite ready for use, therefore do not soak in hot or cold
water, a mild soap should be used.

Do not press the hair of the brush on the face as you
lather, it should be used lightly.

Remember only the tip of the hair penetrates and
works up a really good lather. THEREFORE USE THE
BRUSH WITH A LIGHT HAND, MAKING LONG
TO AND FRO STROKES ON THE FACE.

Always well rinse the soap from the brush after use
and leave it to dry in a normal temperature.
Follow these simple hints and your brush will give long
and efficient service.

Vie-Long

High-quality natural hair
shaving brush, carefully
manufactured by hand.
Apply shaving soap in sooth
circular movements without exerting
excessive pressure on brush.
To maintain brush quality, always
wash after use to eliminate any
excess soap residue.

OLD PROGRESS VULFIX
( 2273 )

CARE OF YOUR SHAVING BRUSH
1 THE BRUSH IS STERILISED-IT SHOULD NOT BE BOILED.
2 LATHER LIGHTLY WITHOUT PRESSURE.
3 AFTER USE - RINSE THOROUGHLY AND REMOVE ALL
EXCESS MOISTURE.
4 LEAVE IN OPEN AIR TO DRY OUT - NEVER ENCLOSE A DAMP BRUSH.

404

FOR LONG SERVICE FROM YOUR SHAVING BRUSH

Do not boil the brush,
it has already been
sterilised. Lather lightly
without pressure.

rinse the brush thoroughly
after use and remove all
excess moisture. Leave
in the open to dry: never
enclose a damp brush.
 
Thanks for doing that Ivan.

It's good to understand the consequences of how we use things. That doesn't mean we have to obey all the rules. We know when driving our cars how to reduce wear and tear. But life would be dull if we followed every bit of advice offered by manufacturers. The main point is to understand which problems may be due to our own failings rather than the product itself. I don't want to place the life of a brush above using it the way I most enjoy.
 
No worries mate! I like doing rotary motion myself. After face lathering I've never looked back. Made life so much easier.
 
This was an excellent post on Shaving 101.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/16-shaving-brush-basics/80-the-facts-on-brush-shedding.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/edu ... dding.html</a><!-- m -->

Worth a read.
 
Fido said:
This was an excellent post on Shaving 101.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/education/16-shaving-brush-basics/80-the-facts-on-brush-shedding.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.shaving101.com/index.php/edu ... dding.html</a><!-- m -->

Worth a read.
Click to expand...

This line raised an eyebrow here
Note: I have spoken with men who use their brushes to wash out their sinks after shaving.
Click to expand...
:eek:
 
Picked this from a thread in another place.

It's another response from Vulfix about shedding:

Thank you for the email.

Shedding is an issue that occurs from time to time, thankfully a problem in very limited numbers, particularly bearing in mind the thousands of shaving brushes that we manufacture each year.

Hair loss from our shaving brushes happens for three reasons:

Firstly, incorrect use of the shaving brush. Over zealous use of the shaving brush can result in bristles snapping or being dislodged from their glued knot base. Some individuals tend to push the brush into their face and swirl the brush over the skin rather than produce a good lather by using a ‘painting’ motion in light strokes. It is easy for us to detect mistreatment of the brush in this way on visual inspection.

Secondly, poor brush aftercare. A shaving brush should be rinsed thoroughly in piping hot water to remove excess soap or cream, then ‘shocked’ in very cold water to remove any remaining residue. The shaving brush head should never be touched by hand during the rinsing process … another big no, no. Some individuals have a tendency to try and squeeze the soap out of the head which in turn applies massive pressure on the hair within the knot as they are pulled upwards. Brushes should be shook out to dry initially, then hung upside down in a well vented area to avoid the build up of mildew spores which attack the glue and hair at the base.

Thirdly, manufacturing defects. Our shaving brushes are all handmade products (perhaps the only manufacturer in the world still employing traditional techniques), therefore a certain amount of human error must be factored in. Incorrect bundling, tying, setting, gluing & twiddling can all contribute to a shedding brush.

As you can see, it’s quite a complex issue. The majority of brush faults are a direct result of points 1 & 2. I’m not suggesting for one minute that this is the case with your #2233.

By examining your shaving brush in closer detail we will be able to determine what the exact problem is. If we discover that the brush has a manufacturing related fault, we will naturally send out a replacement immediately.

Therefore, I would be very grateful if you could return the brush to the address given below and marked for the attention of ‘Brett Clarke – General Manager’.

Best regards,

Progress Vulfix



Some interesting issues.

Anything other than lathering by painting motions is misuse of a brush?

Hang the brush upside down. Simpsons claim it is unnecessary.Who now speaks for them?

Don't touch the brush head during rinsing.

Rinse in "piping hot" water, shock in cold.

I prefer the idea of enjoying my brushes rather than ensuring they outlast me.
 
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