Thread: Graduated from boar to badger

Decided to go to the mall yesterday and happen to notice a sale sign on a cutlery store. While inspecting a vulfix super badger (22mm knot) I ask if they were on sale also. I was surprised they said yes. The price on the brush was 32.95 (which was already a decent price) but with 20 percent off I couldn't freak en believe it . I quietly paid for the brush and went home and went nuts .

Is there anything that I need to do before using it. Condition, soak, wash, sterilizing? I've searched but found no strong answer about hanging upside down or standing up to dry. Some say you should hang and others say its no big deal.

What is exactly super badger? I mainly hear of pure, best, and silvertip.
I've noticed on some websites that super is more in price than pure and best, but at that store (keep in mind that they don't know squat about straights, stumped them many times about questions that I have had about their straights, strops, and brushes) their pure and best was more expensive.
Anyway I'll stop rambling on
Thanks
Chris

Chris,

I didn't do anything special to my Vulfix when I started using it. You might consider shampooing it before you use it--sometimes they can smell the first few times you use them.

You're in for a treat. I fondly remember my first shave with a badger brush after a month of using a Burma Shave boar brush. It's luxury.

I don't think that you need to hang a brush to dry. Capillary action will wick the water up out of the knot and into the bristles as it evaporates.

Enjoy!
Josh

Wow, you lucked out on this one! I'd just use it if I were you. The wet dog smell will go away and they should be factory-sterilized.

You lucky dog. I was hoping for a Badger brush for Christmas, I got the nicest natural bristle brush you can imagine but I still dream of badger.

Dear Wildtim,

Are you implying that badgers are unnatural? I would have to take polite offense.

Yours Truly,

A Very "Natural" Badger

Originally Posted by joshearl

I don't think that you need to hang a brush to dry. Capillary action will wick the water up out of the knot and into the bristles as it evaporates.

Actually, some suspect quite the oposite. That one doesn't need to hang the brush to dry because capillary action will force the water toward the knot anyhow. I still hang my brush.

X

Originally Posted by TomlinAS

Dear Wildtim,

Are you implying that badgers are unnatural? I would have to take polite offense.

Yours Truly,

A Very "Natural" Badger

Not implying anything but Boar bristle is often referred to as natural bristle, rather than by the animal name, its marketing. After all who really wants to know that they are rubbing the hair off a pigs butt on their face every morning before coffee.

In an even more underhanded marketing attempt, they also started calling it "Pure Bristle."

Originally Posted by xman

Actually, some suspect quite the oposite. That one doesn't need to hang the brush to dry because capillary action will force the water toward the knot anyhow. I still hang my brush.

X

Whoops, I wasn't clear with what I was saying. I meant that if you stand the brush on the end capillary action will wick the water out of the knot.

I didn't realize some people thought hanging the brush was just as "bad," I just thought it was unnecessary. Those brush stands do look cool, though. Kinda wish I had one.

Josh

Thanks for the info. Forgot to ask is it alright to leave it in the bathroom with the high moisture content in the air? Used it last night and what a difference. I never knew what I was missing until now, definitely a keeper.