First badger brush

I just opened up my new badger brush! I was wanting to know if there is anything that I need to do to it so it is ready to use or if it's good to go right out of the box?

You might want to wash it before you take it for shave. Some of them smell like a wet badger on the first couple of goes. Get it wet and smell it, if it smells like a wet badger it is time to give it a wash. There are a few techniques. I like to go with the swishing it in a bowl of hot water and oxygen fresh, other use baby shampoo and some vinegar and water. See what you have on hand and where you need to go. Some brushes need a little other need a little more.

I say treat like a new car and bask in the "new" smell.

Not really I used vinegar then some Oxy on mine.
Enjoy!

I'm not sure what a eet badger smells like but I can only assume that it's not a pleasant smell. I don't have any baby shampoo so if it smells like a wet badger that's what I'll try first. Thanks rezdog.

Couple hand washes with oxi-clean works for me. Its just a smell. So wash it the best you can a couple times. Then give it a go if the smell is not too bad. Enjoy your new brush!

A wet badger smells similar to a retriever that has just taken a swim in pond.

Some manufacturers do a better job of cleaning the brushes than others. I wash my new badger brushes in shampoo and hot tap water. If it is suitable for cleaning your hair, it will also clean badger hair. Using a little hair conditioner won't hurt either.

If you have a rather heavily scented shaving cream like TOBS sandalwood or Trumper almond, soap up the brush and allow it to sit for 8 hours or longer. Then rinse it in hot tap water and use the same cream for your first shave. The strong scent of the shave cream will mask the funky badger scent. After a few uses, you won't notice the smell any more.

Wash it first,,, clean it as you would your own hair.

Heres a little tip that worked well for me, after washing as other have said, I work it in my left over lather for a couple of shaves, Ty

Wet it and observe. Some badgers have little smell when new and all you need is a mild soap rinse just for GPs. Some stink to holy heaven and then you need the heavy artillery to clean it. Folks use vinegar and borax and baby shampoo and regular shampoo and a bunch of other stuff singly or in combination. Let your nose dictate what you will need.

Well guys, I now know the smell of a wet badger! Not a fan it smells worse than my basset hound. She love to stink herself up as fast as she can. Looks like I'll be washing this one before I use it. Thank you all for the washing tips.

After three washes and loading it up with lather after each wash no more wet badger smell. I used it last night, so much more comfortable. It didn't lather as well as the boar brush. I'm sure that that's just me. A few more uses I'll have it figured out.

With badger the depth of the set on the knot make alll the difference in the world for backbone. You can use an 'O' ring or two at the top of the handle to simulate a deeper set. It does not take much. A little more hack bone will make it stiffer but lather fast, and for me the stiffer brush is perfect for hard soaps and face lathering. It is one of those things you will have to figure out.

Cool thanks for the tip. I'll give it a shot.

I build several lathers in the palm of my hand, using Tabac, with my new brushes. Get's rid of the smell, and gives you an idea of how to dial in the performance of the brush.

Alright, I'm curious, what badger brush do you have?

I've never had a smelly badger .

They do take a few weeks to break in though.

And they are a bugger to house train. ;)