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

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.

Originally Posted by Alex7

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.

Mind if I ask what brand? I’ve had brushes for 15 years that are still fine.

Originally Posted by tintin

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.

It seems to me if capillary action causes the brush to stay wet, gravity will not trump the capillary action which is very strong. So it should not matter which way you store it wet.

Actually some enterprising member can test it themselves. You just need two identical brushes and just wet both and squeeze and shake both the same and put one up wet and one dry and see which dries first. Even with one you can wet and let dry in both positions. You just have to factor in humidity and temp levels in the room.

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

Mind if I ask what brand? I’ve had brushes for 15 years that are still fine.

It was a silvertip from whippeddog.