Loading and Cleaning

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daniel051

Loading and Cleaning

Post by daniel051 »

A simple question for the forum's consideration: how should one load the brush with water, and how should he rinse and clean it after shaving?

Personally, a quick dip of the brush in a bowl of warm water (no need to soak), during which only the tips become wet, is usually sufficient. As for cleaning, I squeeze out any remaining lather, rinse the crown under a gentle stream of faucet water, and squeeze and shake out the brush before putting it away.

Perhaps the answer is evident, but I was curious to ask the question. Years ago, I would rinse the brush by keeping it in the bowl and running water into it until the water had turned clear. (I think Wendell once mentioned doing the same). I've since stopped, however, as the practice seemed to clog the knot over time.

Kind regards,
Daniel
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Squire
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by Squire »

Daniel I rinse the brush under running water and squeeze dry with a towel.
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Squire
Jbbmad2
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by Jbbmad2 »

+1
Bruce
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by Squire »

Has it occurred to you other guys how often we comment on something we did in the bathroom?
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ShadowsDad
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by ShadowsDad »

Well, what sort of brush?

If you dip a synthetic you're going to have a sponge that'll release all of it's water load when you go to the soap. Never dip a synthetic. If you do, dry it off and go to the next brush in the rotation. Come back to it tomorrow.

Boars need at least a minute to soften or you'll destroy the knot over time.

Badgers behave as you suggest. Horse also IMO.
Brian

Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
daniel051

Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by daniel051 »

Excellent point, Brian. I've only badger brushes. I've been experimenting with loading techniques (dipping, soaking, holding the brush under the faucet), and I've found that my Chubby 2 Super feels as heavy after a dip as it does after a soak. Indeed, I must shake it out, otherwise there's too much water for a good lather.

Regards,
Daniel
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by ShadowsDad »

You're doing it right for a badger IMO.
Brian

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Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
brothers
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by brothers »

Sounds like you've got it right Daniel. We all develop our little twists over time, but it does get complicated if we're a bit unsure and start comparing what we do with what the other guys talk about doing (notice I didn't say what the other guys actually do, just what they say they do).

In my case here's what I actually do, pretty much all the time nowadays. If its a soap and it is about 95% of the time any more. I use one of two bowls, a large wooden bowl (ashtray if my hunch is correct) or a 1.5 Dirty Bird Scuttle. I take the soap and pour distilled or tap water on top of it (amount of water has been learned over several years maybe 3 tablespoons or so, depending on what I know will work with the particular soap). Then I take my brush which is usually bone dry and I load the brush on the water and soap for between 15 and 20 seconds, depending on what I know will work best with the specific soap. After that I take the loaded brush to the bowl or scuttle and before I start making the lather, I use my fingers to transfer the proto-lather (soapsuds) off the soap and into the bowl or scuttle. Then I build the lather, adding water, or not, as needed.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by brothers »

ShadowsDad wrote:Well, what sort of brush?

If you dip a synthetic you're going to have a sponge that'll release all of it's water load when you go to the soap. Never dip a synthetic. If you do, dry it off and go to the next brush in the rotation. Come back to it tomorrow.

Boars need at least a minute to soften or you'll destroy the knot over time.

Badgers behave as you suggest. Horse also IMO.
Brian, I confess I haven't ever used a synthetic brush. Your statement above has me wondering why a synthetic shouldn't be dipped, and if it is completely wet, why would it need to be dried off and then not used? Are you saying the synthetic brush should be bone dry before attempting to make a lather with it? Or, on the other hand, are you saying it should only be held under running water as opposed to swooping it down into a standing pool of water (dipping)?
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by Squire »

I was sent a synthetic for evaluation for a couple of weeks. Used it just like any other brush.
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Squire
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by brothers »

That's exactly what I'd do, thus my confusion.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by Squire »

It didn't quite work for me and I gave it a good effort.
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Squire
ShadowsDad
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by ShadowsDad »

Synthetics are a magnet for water. Dip it into a basin and it holds far too much water right up to the knot. One exception... the new Chubby2 prototype synthetic I just finished testing was much less like that.

Yes, I use my synthetics dry or with just the tiniest of tip dips before loading. If the soap allows it I prefer to keep the brush dry, you won't hurt a synthetic by doing that, and then adding water to the tub in a controlled amount. That's if the soap in the tub allows it. When I use creams I use the tiniest dip of the ends of the brush method. One must really be aware of just the tiniest of dips though. More than that and the "water magnet" problem shows itself. At least that's how I describe it.

You have no idea how long it took me to break my habit of wetting the entire knot before loading once I began to use synthetics. The first few times I did wet the entire knot and I was holding a mess. From thereafter, as I wrote, if I didn't remember and wet the knot I'd just shake my head in disgust at my stupidity, dry it off and come back to it after it dried. It beat the heck out of holding the mess as runny lather went everywhere.

FWIW, there really is no need to pre wet a synthetic because the fibers don't soak up water the way natural fibers do , especially boar; synthetics just hold onto it.

It's much easier to experience than it is to describe. I need to return some razors, want me to include some loaner brushes?
Brian

Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by Squire »

That's true Brian, the water holding capabilities are quite different, but I didn't have any problem shaking the excess water out before building the lather. I just didn't like the way the bristles flexed.
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Squire
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by jww »

Squire wrote:I was sent a synthetic for evaluation for a couple of weeks. Used it just like any other brush.
+1
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Ouchmychin
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Re: Loading and Cleaning

Post by Ouchmychin »

I also use mostly badgers. I fill the sink with the hottest water I have and put the shaving soap container. (a leftover Tabac soap jar) into the water and toss in my brush. I do bathroom chores like picking up the bathmat etc. for a couple of minutes then take out the jar of warm soap and lightly shake the brush to remove some water. Then I make lather in the jar rubbing the soap until I get a rich, thick lather. Then I lather on my face. When I'm done, I first dunk and squeeze the brush in the spent water. Pull the plug and rinse under the tap squeezing and rotating the side of the brush for 48 squeezes Then I beat the base of the bristles on the base of my thumb 5 times. Rotate a bit & repeat a total of 8 times (40 beats) Then I hang it up bristles down in a brush holder. Clean and relatively dry. I am an admitted nerdy fanatic!!!
Ouchmychin (Pete)
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