Thread: Best way to eliminate excess water from a shaving brush

I soak mine before the shave then shake it out. Make lather adding water in drips. In the end i lightly squeeze then shake 20 times in the shower then lightly strop the hairs on a dry towel. When i set it to dry its only damp and not wet. The only time i have had an issue with hairs falling out is when it was a poorly made knot to begin with.

What kind of brush? A boar really ought to be soaked a bit before using. The "dip the tips" method works okayish with a nice badger but I wet it through and through, and just give it one good flick. My brushes are pretty much all 30mm silvertips. I want a little water in my brush befoer I hit the soap. After I establish a lather on my face I often re-wet the brush to introduce more water to the lather.

Any type of shaving brush. I'm worried if I shake the brush with water in it in time the hairs will come out.

If they do you have a defective brush (or a very low quality one). It is a completely normal common practice to shake water out of a brush.

Originally Posted by Alex7

Any type of shaving brush. I'm worried if I shake the brush with water in it in time the hairs will come out.

Thanks. My brush is still working fine.

When shaving, I soak the brush in hot tap water. I have a double boiler type shaving cup with a ceramic cup inside of a pewter cup that is about an inch deeper to hold hot water. I think it is an old Col Conk brand.

I dump the water in the ceramic cup and shake the brush twice into the ceramic cup and pick up shaving cream from a jar and lather on my face. It is just the right amount of water. The loaded brush goes into the ceramic mug to keep warm while shaving.

If on the 2nd or 3rd pass, I need more water I flick the brush through a stream of running hot water and lather, adding more soap/cream if needed.

I then soak and rinse the brush when done and lightly squeeze out clean water. Tamp on a dry Microfiber to absorb most of the water, it is mostly dry at that point, no drips.

Drape the microfiber over one hand with the palm open and hand flat, like shaking hands. Now flick about one inch of the brush tips on the towel over the top fingers. The centrifugal force will force the water down and out to the tips and the microfiber will suck up the water. 15-20 flicks will have the brush nearly dry.

Invest in a stand, plastic or metal and hang the brush with the tips down. It will dry completely in about an hour.

A good brush should last many years, do shampoo and give them a vinegar soak at least twice a year.

read somewhere about capillary action and that a brush should be dried with bristle up. I didn't buy it at first (plus i made myself a really nice brush stand) but lately i've been letting them dry bristle up before hanging them. I observed how my coffee filter dries ( yes i am that cheap and use my filters more than once) and the dark coffee line that forms on the top edge. I have also taken a paint brush and stood it's tips in some water and observed how the whole thing soaked up water. Some thing to think about anyway.
I shake and squeeze my brushes as well as wipe it on a towel.

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

If they do you have a defective brush (or a very low quality one). It is a completely normal common practice to shake water out of a brush.

Actually my brush was deteriorated. I did push it way too hard when creating lather. I also think it reached it's life span(I had it for almost 6 years). I ordered another one.

Maybe it's best if I squeeze the hairs and then shake the brush.

Years ago, after graduating high school I spent the summer working for a house painter. On the first morning, he made us buy our own quality brushes and whites and taught us how to clean our brushes. Brushes were cleaned before lunch and at the end of the day, both oil and water.

They were cleaned by dipping in solvent, mineral spirits or water wrung out by gently squeezing then flagging on an open hand, covered in a rag until clean and dry, then wrapped in brown paper and hung to dry. I still have those brushes today and they still produce fine finishes.

A clean paint brush is stored tips down, hung from a nail, which is why they have holes in the handle. Vintage shaving brushes with rotted knots were probably stored tips up.

I see this all the time with vintage Artist brushes, stored tip up in a cup. The knot is rotted, paint caked, ferrules rusted and finish peeling from the handle. They also loose bristles, the bane of an artist.

Microfiber towels are more absorbent, lightly tamping the tip on a microfiber flat on the counter will also remove most of the water. Then hang, once dry it can be stored tip up.