We Prep Our Beards, So....

What kind of shaving brush do you use? Tell us all about it!
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drmoss_ca
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We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by drmoss_ca »

...why not prep our brushes? Or maybe you do already. It occurred to me the other day as I did my routine that tries to prep and soften my beard for a shave, that if my stubble can be softened, then a scratchy brush might also be softened. So I tossed the brush in the sink of hot water and let it sit there as I soaped up, rubbed away and rinsed thoroughly. I have carried on doing it for the last few days as I go through my box of rarely-used brushes. Some, like today's Shavemac D01, definitely seem to benefit. Now if I end up destroying the glue that holds the knot in I might regret this, but it seems fair that brush hair can be softened like facial hair.
Does anyone else do this, or am I just late to the party and everyone does?
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fallingwickets
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by fallingwickets »

something similar....While rinsing / prepping my face I leave the brush under the running water shaking it out once and then putting it back under the running water for a second time before lathering. I started doing this because I think it helps to warm up the soap/lather

clive
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by EL Alamein »

The closest I come to this is when I make my lather. I fill my lather cup with the hottest water my tap can provide and swish the brush in it. I use that to make lather. Lately I've been doing this first before washing my face. This is so the lather is ready to apply right when I'm done rinsing my face.

I haven't noticed this makes a difference in the feel of my bristles.

Chris
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by EL Alamein »

I will say this - since I am primarily a soap user the biggest change I see in the feel of my brush bristles is when I do an occasional cream shave. The brush is noticeably softer the next shave from having used a cream to make my lather the day before.

Chris
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by Gene »

Mantic's videos talk of soaking a brush in warm water while you shower/get ready/??

I thought that was the way of things when I got back into wet shaving.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by CMur12 »

When I first joined this forum, soaking brushes seemed to be common practice. Then someone declared that badger hair didn't soak up water the way boar bristle did and that there was no reason to soak a badger brush. From then on, it seems, everyone proudly refrained from soaking their badgers.

I have been using boar - a Semogue 1305 - almost exclusively for a while, as it seems to be best suited to lathering on top of the cake of soap, which is my current practice. When I lathered in a separate bowl, I preferred badger. I soak my 1305 in a mug of hot tap water while I do my beard prep, and that is sufficient for the boar bristle to soak up water and become soft and pliable.

Next time I use a badger brush, I'll try soaking it.

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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by TRBeck »

I soak every brush while showering in the morning. I have a Barbershop shave soap mug that I fill with hot water to the base of the bristles on whatever brush is in use for the day. Boar, IMO, performs dramatically better after a soak because the bristles absorb water. Badger bristles seem to trap water but not absorb it, but it does seem to help a touch with softness to soak them. A few years back, someone on one of the forums - or maybe YouTube? - did a test and determined that after 2 minutes, even a large boar has absorbed all the water it can or will take on.

I only soak synthetics because it seems to help with heat retention if they've been in warm water for a few minutes prior to loading and lathering.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by brothers »

To soak would be an exaggeration of what happens with my badgers and synthetics. I just want them wet with hot water when they hit my face. Whether they got wet building a lather or they got a shot from the tap when they meet my face where the soap's already been applied in stick form, that's all I expect. A badger only takes a brief moment to assimilate water as it quickly grows less prickly and makes lather. Synths are instantaneously making lather if they hit water and soap.

The boars are old school. Soaking boar brushes is widely considered to be a necessity for happy lathering. The face feel I get with a broken-in and soaked boar brush is soft. OK with soap to a certain degree but great with creams.
Gary

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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by drmoss_ca »

Put the idea to a good test today—using a pure badger brush that is usually rather prickly. The Beaufort B6 is a Simpson that no one ever hears of, being as it only comes in Pure. But it is a nice handle, reminiscent of an Emperor, and the pure hair does have a little body to it despite it not being a dense brush.
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So I soaked it in the sink whilst I washed and splashed. It made lather easily and copiously on my soap in a large bowl. On my face I followed my usual habit of circular scrubbing at first to thicken and increase the volume of the lather, and the prickliness was still there, but perhaps less than usual. Then painting strokes to distribute the goodness and on to the shave.
I've promised myself a turn at the PL10 tomorrow, but before I forget the feel of today's lathering I'll do it again with no presoak and compare. I think it makes a difference, but it isn't very much.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by Aty »

In preparation for shaving, I let a brush stand in warm water, submerged about 80% height of loft, keeping the knot above surface. For that I use a small ceramic cup which keeps brush in upright position. Then I go around moistening soap, razor, brushing teeth, condition face with pre-shave, showering, etc. I am not sure how long all this takes, but I am sure it is several minutes.

The truth to be said, I am also not sure if this is all just big waste of time regarding my care of the brush, but going through motions became daily ritual I don't think about it anymore. Many years ago someone on the internet with more experience than I had recommended step by step what to do with a badger brush, so learned and that's where I am.

Not a big deal one way or another. What interest me however more is what kind of physical motion hand should perform during soaping in the dish. What I mean is should that be circular, or sweeping from a side to side..? Apparently someone claimed, of course on the internet again, that circular motion clockwise and anti-clockwise is decreasing brush life cycle more, than necessary. Side sweep was his recommendation. Fact is, I am more comfy with circular motion.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by drmoss_ca »

Simpson used to say that circular scrubbing motions were likely to damage their brushes and that sideways painting strokes were to be used. I can't see how one is to work up any lather with circular motions though. And having swirled the brush on the soap, I do find that circular motions on top of my beard is especially effective at aerating the lather and increasing its volume and stiffness. It seems to me that the interaction between the tips of the beard hair and the tips of the brush hair is what does the trick, as it plainly doesn't work as well if I have very little growth. I think that as long as the brush isn't mashed right down and the hairs of the knot splayed out all over the place, any wear on the brush will be slight and acceptable. Once I have the lather to my liking I then follow with painting strokes to distribute it all over. I don't have to rely on the brush to soften the beard as I have already done that with soap and hot water for a couple of minutes before I even pick up the brush.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by Aty »

drmoss_ca wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 11:17 am Simpson used to say that circular scrubbing motions were likely to damage their brushes and that sideways painting strokes were to be used. I can't see how one is to work up any lather with circular motions though. And having swirled the brush on the soap, I do find that circular motions on top of my beard is especially effective at aerating the lather and increasing its volume and stiffness. It seems to me that the interaction between the tips of the beard hair and the tips of the brush hair is what does the trick, as it plainly doesn't work as well if I have very little growth. I think that as long as the brush isn't mashed right down and the hairs of the knot splayed out all over the place, any wear on the brush will be slight and acceptable. Once I have the lather to my liking I then follow with painting strokes to distribute it all over. I don't have to rely on the brush to soften the beard as I have already done that with soap and hot water for a couple of minutes before I even pick up the brush.
So I've learned again something new today, which is perhaps reason why I am here. I will try to change my technique. :D
Thanks for that.

On other note, I am dropping my Proraso pre-shave cream application, and try to use Ach. Brito Glyce Classic (glycerin) soap instead. I am hoping for good results.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by drmoss_ca »

I never found any benefit at all from things like Trumper's Skin Food or Castle Forbes PreShave (though they work fine as after shave balms). I scrub my beard with hot water and soap (or a detergent bar or gel, but careful to change the sink water as detergent and soap don't like each other), then rinse completely with repeated scoops of hot water for a couple of minutes until my beard feels soft like newly washed hair.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by brothers »

Aty, regarding the phrase . . . . decreasing brush life cycle . . . .

We've seen this phrase a few times, all of us have, and to me the definition of brush life cycle is pretty simple. Once upon a time we get a brush (any brush or many brushes) and start using it which is the beginning of the brush's life cycle. Then when we stop using it for any reason, it explodes and blows all of its bristles away or we simply abandon it permanently, never to use it again. As long as we're using it, that's the life cycle. Some of those who claim otherwise appear to be disrespecting the durability of most common shaving brushes. I did have one brush blow its top - it was my $3.00 dirt cheap grocery store bristle brush! Very brief life cycle, I must say! :lol:
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by Aty »

drmoss_ca wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:32 pm I never found any benefit at all from things like Trumper's Skin Food or Castle Forbes PreShave (though they work fine as after shave balms). I scrub my beard with hot water and soap (or a detergent bar or gel, but careful to change the sink water as detergent and soap don't like each other), then rinse completely with repeated scoops of hot water for a couple of minutes until my beard feels soft like newly washed hair.
Proraso is obviously famous company serving men all over the world with some of their excellent products, but benefits derived from using pre-shave cream escapes me. Maybe it's just dumb me who doesn't recognises a good thing when he see one. On the other hand, for me this is just recent fad. For years, like you, it was just shower with a normal soap bar, washing face again, put Chubby to work and then shave. I cannot tell difference from using or not using specialised products. Glycerin soap I bought recently is a new component in that game.

(Detergent, really..?) :)
Last edited by Aty on Sun Aug 29, 2021 11:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by Aty »

brothers wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 2:51 pm Aty, regarding the phrase . . . . decreasing brush life cycle . . . .

We've seen this phrase a few times, all of us have, and to me the definition of brush life cycle is pretty simple. Once upon a time we get a brush (any brush or many brushes) and start using it which is the beginning of the brush's life cycle. Then when we stop using it for any reason, it explodes and blows all of its bristles away or we simply abandon it permanently, never to use it again. As long as we're using it, that's the life cycle. Some of those who claim otherwise appear to be disrespecting the durability of most common shaving brushes. I did have one brush blow its top - it was my $3.00 dirt cheap grocery store bristle brush! Very brief life cycle, I must say! :lol:
Err, regarding that phrase...I've worked in auto business, and words like that are used often, so it stuck with me without much thinking. In the case of my old friend Chubby, its loft seems now shorter (just visual observation), and far off in dry form from what it used to be. Decade of my neglect and abuse is on display. My worst habit - pressing probably more than needed when loading the brush, and the same when soaping face. Second one, I am sure I used much too hot water during shaving morning ritual.
It still can be used if no other brush is available, but I have those, bought four this year, and they do produce better results. I will keep it for sake of memories on good times we had together.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by fallingwickets »

:D :D
Decade of my neglect and abuse is on display. My worst habit - pressing probably more than needed when loading the brush, and the same when soaping face.
reminds me of my first brush, a floris. Lasted almost 20 years and its end brought me here to smf. I still have it somewhere in the pseudo DrP drawer.
The centre was missing from all the years of pressing! :lol: :lol:

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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by drmoss_ca »

Aty wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 10:50 pm (Detergent, really..?) :)
I'm sure you know that most mass market bars of soap contain detergent rather than soap, as do all liquid shower gels, body washes and the like. They are very good at the first phase of beard prep, stripping the sebum off the hair so that water can soak into it. However, I prefer not to use them as detergents and soaps are chemically dissimilar and can destroy the other's lather bubbles. Try this experiment—have a nice hot bath and pour some bubble bath (washing up liquid will do) under the running tap and fill it with bubbles. Enjoy, but when ready take a bar of soap (real soap, not a detergent bar) and start to wash yourself. Watch the bubble bath lather disappear very quickly.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by drmoss_ca »

fallingwickets wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 3:38 am :D :D
Decade of my neglect and abuse is on display. My worst habit - pressing probably more than needed when loading the brush, and the same when soaping face.
reminds me of my first brush, a floris. Lasted almost 20 years and its end brought me here to smf. I still have it somewhere in the pseudo DrP drawer.
The centre was missing from all the years of pressing! :lol: :lol:

clive
If your first brush was a Floris you showed better taste than me, Clive. My first was a Colonel Conk pure badger. Scratch city.
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Re: We Prep Our Beards, So....

Post by Aty »

fallingwickets wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 3:38 am :D :D
Decade of my neglect and abuse is on display. My worst habit - pressing probably more than needed when loading the brush, and the same when soaping face.
reminds me of my first brush, a floris. Lasted almost 20 years and its end brought me here to smf. I still have it somewhere in the pseudo DrP drawer.
The centre was missing from all the years of pressing! :lol: :lol:

clive
I do not recall what was my first brush, since this was very long time ago, but I am sure it was a nameless cheap instrument bought of the shelve at some corner drugstore, most likely with boar or horse bristles. As a man of young age, my mind was focused on many other thing, and definitely it has not occurred to me, choosing a brush should be a subject to pay sliver of attention. All what I recall what was - I think - colour (yellowish), and it was unpleasantly rough. Later, much later, purchase of Chubby was purely accidental. I was going to buy a new brush, Chubby was in my line of vision, it did look like something I could use, and rest is history. My interest in this subject was launched only recently when I've realised error of my ways with shaving routine.
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