At our house on well water, I used to clean my brushes with a diluted vinegar rinse once or twice a year. Since downsizing to an apartment with city water, I don't bother. I'm not sure a vinegar/water cleaning was ever needed, but it did no harm.
About Brush Cleaning and it's downfalls...
- Thread starter Rudy Vey
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At one time I cleaned my brushes twice a year. However, now that I have 32 brushes that I use in rotation I only clean a brush if I see soap or any other build-up by the knot.
This is exactly what I have been doing for many years. The only difference is that I'm 100% synthetic these days so the drying time is only an hour or so, likely even less.
I just got a new Mühle and with it came a little leaflet that said you shouldn't use vinegar. But if it never harmed your brushes then I guess it isn't much of a risk to begin with.
I never had a problem using diluted vinegar to clean brushes when I was on well water, but since we moved in 2020 I haven't felt a need to clean my brushes, other than a good rinse with city tap water after using.
After reading this thread, I decided to revisit how I dry my brushes.
After the shave, I rinse them out, give them a light squeeze and then 'paint' the wet brush on a towel to get more water out of them.
I would normally dry them handle side down (knot side up) on the counter and let them dry that way.
I don't have any brush stands that work with the wider handles/tall knots of the brushes I used most often.
I haven't found any affordable brush stand that can handle larger/taller brushes, so I looked around the house to see what I could make.
First I thought of suspending a brush over the outer chamber of my DirtyBird brush scuttle using two Sharpies and two rubber bands to hold the handle of the brush. That way the brush could dry knot downward.
That held the brush well, but there was not enough air around the knot, so the brush did not dry completely.
I then decided to suspend the brush over a tall plastic cup so there was more air around the knot.
That did the trick! The brush dried nicely.
The rubber bands/Sharpies allow for a variety of brush handle sizes.
I thought I would post my idea for other people who may be looking for a solution for drying larger brushes.
After the shave, I rinse them out, give them a light squeeze and then 'paint' the wet brush on a towel to get more water out of them.
I would normally dry them handle side down (knot side up) on the counter and let them dry that way.
I don't have any brush stands that work with the wider handles/tall knots of the brushes I used most often.
I haven't found any affordable brush stand that can handle larger/taller brushes, so I looked around the house to see what I could make.
First I thought of suspending a brush over the outer chamber of my DirtyBird brush scuttle using two Sharpies and two rubber bands to hold the handle of the brush. That way the brush could dry knot downward.
That held the brush well, but there was not enough air around the knot, so the brush did not dry completely.
I then decided to suspend the brush over a tall plastic cup so there was more air around the knot.
That did the trick! The brush dried nicely.
The rubber bands/Sharpies allow for a variety of brush handle sizes.
I thought I would post my idea for other people who may be looking for a solution for drying larger brushes.
I made one out of some acrylic that I found on Amazon. I needed a Forstner bit to cut the U-shaped supports. I'll see if I can dig up that post.
If you Google "Etsy Shaving Brush Stands" you'll find a ton of stuff. Quite a few of these folks 3-D print them and they can adapt to dimensions you provide them. One person named "FrugalShave" has a lot of innovative designs.
[edit]Here's the one I made - a quick prototype, followed by the "final" one.[/edit]
... Thom
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Thanks!
I have ordered quite a bit from FrugalShave in the past. I am waiting on an order right now for more GEM and DE blade dryers as well as a top cap for my Old Spice mug.
I never thought of asking the vendors to match my brush dimensions. Thanks for the tip!
I have a couple of the cheap acrylic brush stands and I just used a utility knife to widen the opening so my larger handled brushes fit. Easy peasy
I’ve never cleaned a brush. After use I rinse out the soap and hang it, bristles down, to dry. I have 2 brushes so each gets 48 hours drying time between shaves. I have a boar and a badger; one is 15 years old, the other 10. I’ve had no problems.
That is an excellent idea as well!I have a couple of the cheap acrylic brush stands and I just used a utility knife to widen the opening so my larger handled brushes fit. Easy peasy
The "Science" of breaking in a new natural bristle brush (because of odor or otherwise) ....
If always found it quite laughable ....
If always found it quite laughable ....
Have you ever worked with Black Locust?
In upstate New York, black locust is the preferred species for fence posts,
and that is tough duty.
Maggards sells a large stand that fits my Simpson T3. Might be worth a look.
Maggard Razors "XL" 37mm Stainless Steel Razor and Brush Stand for Large Brushes
We noticed that stand manufacturers seem to ignore about 30%+ of the brushes on the market that have larger handles. We're stepping up to remedy this situation!Introducing the 37mm "XL" Stainless razor and brush stand from Maggard Razors!It fits many of the popular large handled brushes such...
- Thread starter
- #55
No, I have not. Of local (US) woods, mainly Maple spalted or burl, Boxelder Burl, Black Ash burl, spalted Tamarind, some Mesquite, Desert Ironwood - I prefer to use these all resin stabilized, except the DIwood, it is too dense to stabilize it.
I have made pens from Osage orange, and guess it would work for brushes, too. It is supposedly also quite resistant as it is used also a lot for fence posts.
Scientifically, water evaporates up. Knot up would be the fastest way for a brush to dry.
This isn’t quite right. Someone posted on here previously that evaporation occurs in all directions. I’m trying to find that post that was well explained.
That's not at all true. Water evaporates in whatever direction is energetically favorable for those conditions. Don't claim "science" when that is not true.
You are correct in that water evaporates in random directions. The trigger for evaporation is differential in water content of surface and the air plus sufficient energy to excite the water molecules to move, generally in the form of heat. If there is sufficient for the molecules to move there is probably sufficient heat for the air molecules (who also move randomly like the water molecules, brownian motion) but preferentially higher, carrying the water with them. Hopefully this is more to your liking. I'll try and find a paper that discusses it (the one I'm thinking of discuss why dew evaporates up some places and effectively "wicks" to nearby bodies of water elsewhere.
Here is Gemini's response:
Contrary to popular belief, a shaving brush will actually dry faster standing upright (bristles up, handle down) than hanging upside down.
Here's why:
- Evaporation is the main way the brush dries after squeezing and shaking out excess water. Hanging it upside down can trap moisture near the base of the bristles.
- Standing it upright allows for better airflow and evaporation throughout the bristles.
