Thread: proper brush care?

Originally Posted by thejimmyjazz

ive got a cheapo 4 dollar brush, but i dont know how to keep it clean or if its worth it with this, or why brushes are so expensive, and if theres a big difference for that kinda cash. any help?

I found 2 Baylor of Old Bond Street badgers in an antique store shelf, like $6.00 each. Cleaned them & they work great.

Same as above. I have a $10 tweezerman that works well and it's held up about a year so far. I also have a $4 Turkish horse hair that is great (after 15-20 uses to break in). Then I have $150 custom silvertip badger that are great too.

All of which see regular use in my rotation and all get the same care, rinse well with hot tap water after use and a couple good shakes to remove excess water. Then then either lay sideways on the brush rest built into the mug or hang upside down to air dry.

I had one brush, a Hoffritz For Cutlery badger, that I used daily for 30 years. Not a big one, maybe a 48mm loft with a 21mm knot. I never did anything but use it and hang it upside down in a stand to dry. Started with Old Spice pucks and Williams. Ran out of soap and grabbed up a bar of Ivory or Dove and lathered with that. Didn't buy shaving soap again for decades. Until I came around to the shaving forums in 2006.

Since then I've stuck with good shaving soaps and a few creams. Tried a lot of brushes and retired the old Hoffritz brush. I have never lathered with a bar of soap again (yuck!!) since I started using good pucks and I never clean a brush unless I'm selling it. I mean it is soap and water that it is exposed to when ever it is used. I never use a brush outside of a rotation. So it is always completely dry when I put it back into service. That is probably a good thing.

Rodney Neep has some brush care tips that seem helpful. They work for me anyway. Try this:
Hand Made Shaving Brushes by Rodney Neep