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I'm sure this has been asked before and I'm sure it's been debated and so forth but has anyone actually gathered any proof whether or not a stand is essential or if it adds to the longevity of a brush? Many vendors say yay others say nay. What do you think? Personally I don't use a stand but I do rinse my brushes afterwards until the water runs clean and I buff them gently on a soft towel. Never had a problem.
I am 67 years old and remember my father never used a brush stand. I have used a straight over 20 years and use one so the brush can dry with the help of gravity pulling the water down.
They are nice to have, but certainly not necessary.
Not sure if this is correct, but I'd be more inclined to use a stand if I had a brush with a wooden handle with is more prone to water damage...but even then, I do have a brush with an olive wood handle and I never used a stand and it's been going strong for over a year with no sign of damage anywhere. I guess I don't like to see my brushes hanging upside down like a beef carcass in a butcher shop. Oh well :rofl2:
I would think having the water/moisture/old soap fall away from where the knot is sealed to the base could only be a good thing, for longevity and cleanliness I'd think.
Also, if you're using some of the high end brushes, the motive for excellent care is significantly more than a brush that can be replaced easily at low cost...also, of course, it's a YMMV.
I like them so the brushes dry faster. It also seems like the brush would get damaged eventually from water sitting in it all day, but that is just my thoughts.
The concern is not for the damage to the handle, its for the knot, where the hair enters the epoxy,,, where the hair is "jammed" & water will stand longer,,,, water in a crowed , tight area with less ventilation means bacteria,, this is not good for hair.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rachmaninov
You won't notice the damage until its too late.
When I used 5 dollar brushes it didn't matter much after a couple years just toss it , but not for something I,m spending a lot of money on and plan to keep , you only had it a year, not sure you would be saying the same thing 10 years from now, and it does keep damage from the knot base as it dries faster and doesn't start making its way to the handle, I don't know about you but a high quality brush will treat you better if you treat it right. Tc
For me, a user mainly of boar bristle brushes, the stand is almost a necessity. So many of the brushes I have found...and left...in the wild had a cracked ferrule around the knot. That is probably why so many older brushes were "Set in Rubber' and "Rubber Set," there was some give there.
Badger brushes of age...which I have seen out there and purchased do not seem to get cracked ferrules. I read somewhere they were closer to a porcupine quill than a hair and pretty non-absorbent..
A real good reason to store quality brushes bristle down was mentioned above. To prevent the hairs from breaking off after a period of time when the lather dries and fills all available space in and near the ferrule. I did find a lot of brushes with stray hairs around the ferrule and many broken off hairs there, making the knot smaller in diameter.
I am old enough to have spent a bit of time staying in older homes where waking up to finding water frozen in the upstairs rooms was not unusual. That as late as 1959. But freezing a brush with water/lather in it would most likely crack most any brush handle.
~Richard
I use a stand now, but never used to. Not sure about any damage caused when I didn't have it, simply because my brushes aren't years & years old, but common sense would tell me that gravity would pull any water away from the knot when it's upside down. I put all of my brushes in the stand to dry except for my Simpson Chubby. The bottom of the handle is too fat to fit in it.
I have always used a stand, always hung the brush bristles down for 24 hours or so. I've been doing this since around 1973 without exception, so I don't know whether it is 'necessary,' but I wouldn't feel comfortable trying a different system. YMMV.
Life insurance and car and home insurance isn't necessary but we buy it anyway, I just don't want to wake up with a bunch of exotic woods and ivory ruined because I didn't hang it. Tc
When I'm done with my brush, I rinse it, then whip the devil out of it behind the shower door. A couple of hours later, it is dry. I've done this for a decade, and have encountered no ill effects.
I dry a shaving brush, just as I was taught to clean a paint brush, except that I use a Microfiber towel in place of a rag.
Rinse well, ring out the water and blot on the microfiber towel, on the counter, drape the microfiber over an open hand, as if you were shaking hands, then vigorously shake the brush over the hand, so the tips brush the edge of the hand and the towel, centrifugal force drives the water to the tips and the towel wicks it up.
Turn the brush a quarter turn and do another 10 flicks. Blot on the towel in the palm of the hand and reposition the towel so a dry part is over the index finger and do another 20 shakes. At the end of 40 shakes the brush is almost completely dry to the touch.
Hang brush tips down on a clear Lexan, chrome or nickel stand and as said in an hour or two is dry.
Just is out for me. I used to use them all the time, but stopped. Never use them now.
Not sure if that is a good idea or not. But my #1... a Thater... seems to dry really quickly using a stand or not.
I rotate my brushes so they have plenty of time to thoroughly dry between uses. I have most of my brushes on stands but I have a few I just keep on end and I've seen no deterioration in those brushes. All of my working brushes are resin handled so I don't have a wood issue. Maybe if I only had one brush and it had a nice wood handle on it I'd have a different opinion.
I agree that the danger area is deep in the knot and I think any single brush used day in and day out will never completely dry and that can't be a good thing. That's probably a good reason to have two brushes.
Never used a brush stand before but I do so now on the same basis as giving a dead man a drink of water, it can't hurt any. ;) I am not sure if hanging a brush inverted really helps because of the capillary action of liquids.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capillary_action
Bob
Interesting point but the link is wrong. Try here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capillary_action
Yup, goofed up again.Quote:
Originally Posted by 32t
Bob
Stands are cheap. Even if they don't really help, they won't do any harm. They can keep your brush from getting knocked over and tumbling out of the cabinet onto a hard floor, which certainly carries a risk.
Hey if that is the worst goof you are doing great!Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
I hang mine on the side of the medicine cabinet. Keeps it out of the way if nothing else.
brush stands don't have to cost anything. http://straightrazorpalace.com/brush...o-worries.html
Mike B52 taught me this little trick. Put a magnet in the handle.
Attachment 223521Attachment 223522Attachment 223523Attachment 223524
You can quick dry them by placing them on a register vent too. Having a drop ceiling is a plus[emoji6]
Attachment 223525
I use a stand for my brushes. Then when not in use and dried, I'll let them stand knot end up.
You sound like my ex science teacher lol. But it makes sense. Besides, if something lasts for more than 5 years it already paid for itself. I'm sure with a little TLC a good quality brush (Thater, Simpson, etc.) can last 10 years if not more.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
This has been asked and discussed so many times on all the forums.
No, you definitely do not need a brush stand.
Someone actually did a scientific study to measure residual moisture after drying for a day on a stand and without a stand. I don't have the time to search for it now, but I'm quite certain it was on B&B. Suffice to say the end results were there was no difference whatsoever between using a stand or without...and this gentleman was very scientific in his methods!
The main consideration as to how quickly your brush will dry is how dry the environment is or more so how well ventilated, as to air movement. Clearly, storing a recently used brush in a drawer or in a closed up cupboard is not advisable, stand or no stand. If you store it out in the open without a stand, in a well ventilated bathroom that is not in use 24/7 you will be fine.... No need to overthink it.
The only addendum I would tack on is that having at least a second brush is a good idea to allow the first brush plenty of time to dry out, if you like to shave daily and are worried about the more dense type of brushes not drying out fully. Not that many of us limit ourselves to two brushes... :rolleyes:
Well,,,, I'm hanging my brushes after every use due to the scientific studies done on Global Warming & it's effects on badger hair. :beer2:
To each their own! :beer1:Quote:
Originally Posted by Hirlau
I will always hang a boar or badger brush for 2-3 days after use, then rotate it out so another can take its place ( I have 3 stands..18 brushes). Synthetics..I really don't fret over too much because they dry so quickly.
After 24 hours it wouldn't surprise me that you would see little to no difference in drying, even at the base of the knot, which is the area really in question.Quote:
Originally Posted by Attila
As many here rotate brushes, having the moisture, via gravity, pulled away from the base of the knot over several days between use I can see making considerable difference as opposed to moisture, via gravity again, accumulating at the base of the knot, which harbours bacteria and will degrade the seal.
To me, it just makes sense to hang a brush, the stands cost little, and why knot?? :-)
or the commode, yechQuote:
Originally Posted by Moonshae
That aint funny...almost happened to me. Thank god I always flush, and the seat was down.[emoji51] [emoji33] [emoji9]Quote:
Originally Posted by rolodave
I lost my grip on the brush while shaking the water out of it after I cleaned it out from my shave, went bouncing across the counter....right at the camode, hit the seat and landed on the floor.
Now I shake them out in the shower stall[emoji5]
Brush stands...who needs 'em :beer2: cheers matesQuote:
Originally Posted by outback
I use one just because it keeps every thing in one space brush/ razor/mug / barber hone. I pulled the design off the archives here and can't remember who posted it but its a really cool easy to make standAttachment 225053Attachment 225054these are the pix from archive I extended mine for a mug /scuttle stand pix of mine when I'm finished with the modifications right now using an acrylic stand temporarily
That's one of the classic "FAQs" I've seen on shaving forums over the years.
.Brush stand or not (yes for me)
.Modern Williams Mug Soap-good or bad (bad for me)
.Boar or badger brush (both for me)
.Hot or cold water shave (cold for me)
Many people have strong feelings about these issues, while others don't.
Wow, what organization! Even have a home for the Swaty.Quote:
Originally Posted by Highwayman
