Heat damaged brush?

[Hu3ir0 Hu3Hu3]

Have you ever cooked the bristles of a brush carelessly by soaking them in very hot water before shaving?

This happened to a wild boar of mine, it seems that the texture of the bristles has changed a little.

 

[brucered]

What?

And what waxes?

Baking and Soaking are 2 different things.

Most of us soak boar brushes in hot water before shaving. Over time the ends will split and become softer.

 

[Hu3ir0 Hu3Hu3]

What?

Baking and Soaking are 2 different things.

Sorry, Google Translate

 

[luvmysuper]

Sorry, Google Translate

I changed your thread a bit, if you need help, let me know.

 

[luvmysuper]

Have you ever cooked the bristles of a brush carelessly by soaking them in very hot water before shaving?

This happened to a wild boar of mine, it seems that the texture of the bristles has changed a little.

I've seen videos of European shavers who soaked their brushes in water so hot they couldn't immediately use them.
Though I don't think that is necessary, I would be more concerned about the glue holding the bristles than the bristles themselves.
We tend to go overboard sometimes, when someone says hot water - some people use boiling water, when someone says cold water - some people use ice cubes.
It's not necessary to go to such extremes in my opinion.

 

[brucered]

I've never damaged a brush using the hottest tap water as my tap can go.

As a general rule though, if I can't hold my hand under it, I don't use it during my shave process.

Boars change softness over time and with use. The wetting and drying, splits and softens the tips, making them as luxurious as the most expensive badger.

 

[Hu3ir0 Hu3Hu3]

in this case it was boar semogue.
the water was so hot I couldn't put my hand in it, I left the brush submerged for 5 minutes.
then it seems that it became more flexible, rubbery texture of the bristles.

 

[luvmysuper]

in this case it was boar semogue.
the water was so hot I couldn't put my hand in it, I left the brush submerged for 5 minutes.
then it seems that it became more flexible, rubbery texture of the bristles.

I'd keep using it, it may be an improvement. You'll never know unless you try.
More flexible bristles isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless you like a really scratchy brush.
In my experience, semogue always seemed to be a bit too stiff for my preference anyway.

 

[Rudy Vey]

WHY???????????????

 

[Brutus]

Have you ever cooked the bristles of a brush carelessly by soaking them in very hot water before shaving?

This happened to a wild boar of mine, it seems that the texture of the bristles has changed a little.

Harald Schuldes, CEO of H.L. Thäter, the German brush manufacturer, once said in an interview “One fact that is often overlooked, and misinterpreted in several on-line sources, is that hair consists of protein, and will therefore denaturise if exposed to temperatures above 40°C. Some users have remarked that Thäter brushes are prone to curling tips. Exposure to water that is hotter than 40°C is the most likely cause for this effect. One, I might add, that cannot be reversed, as we explain in our product brochures.”

Personally, I find the 40ºC (104ºF) threshold rather low, but I make sure that while I dip the brush in hotter water than that I do not expose the brush to higher temperatures longer than necessary.

Fibres in synthetic brushes also have the tendency to change their shape in excessively hot water.

As the temperature suggested by H.L. Thäter’s Harald Schuldes seemed rather low, I have contacted a well known European brush manufacturer, who requested to remain unnamed, what their recommendation is and will report back when I have their reply.


B.

 

[Brutus]

in this case it was boar semogue.
the water was so hot I couldn't put my hand in it, I left the brush submerged for 5 minutes.
then it seems that it became more flexible, rubbery texture of the bristles.

Poor little Semogue.
It certainly deserved better…


Don’t need to wait for a reply from a brush manufacturer here.
That temperature is guaranteed to be excessive and I cannot see any good reason why anyone would do it.


B.

 

[huck1680]

I soak my boars etc in just hot tap water. Not scalding just hot.

 

[blade08]

Hot water as in you don’t pull your hand away from under the faucet is hot enough.

 

[Brutus]

Hot water as in you don’t pull your hand away from under the faucet is hot enough.

Yes, that is pretty much what the European shaving brush manufacturer told me today as well.

They stated that they do not publish a temperature value, but instead suggest the ”as hot as is still comfortable for the customer” rule of thumb.


That rule works pretty well for me and reaffirms that the 40ºC (104ºF) value that H. Schuldes from H.L. Thäter shaving brushes mentioned was too conservative.
That, according to some definitions, is a temperature that still falls into the “lukewarm” range.



B.

 

[luvmysuper]

Yes, that is pretty much what the European shaving brush manufacturer told me today as well.

They stated that they do not publish a temperature value, but instead suggest the ”as hot as is still comfortable for the customer” rule of thumb.


That rule works pretty well for me and reaffirms that the 40ºC (104ºF) value that H. Schuldes from H.L. Thäter shaving brushes mentioned was too conservative.
That, according to some definitions, is a temperature that still falls into the “lukewarm” range.



B.

FWIW - shampoo manufacturers also recommend washing your own hair at around 100ºF, bearing in mind that this is hair on a human head, so some other factors such as scalp irritation go along with it.
I personally do not use water for shaving or soaking my brush that I cannot comfortably keep my hand in.
"Hot Water" doesn't mean scalding.

 

[Lane101]

I briefly wet or soak (boar) my brushes with the hottest water possible from my tap (140 degrees F/60 degrees C) to generate warm lather so far with no ill effects. This includes two synthetics and a boar brush. Note that I don't wet or soak the brushes near glue bump as that is likely the weak link.

Interestingly it takes a temperature of 150 degrees F to sanitize items. Boar is also used in food service and some of those brushes are spec'd for temperatures of 350 (example via first Carlisle link below) to 500 degrees F. In food service everything needs to be sanitized periodically either from heat or from a bactericide of some type. Second link (Gordon Brush) shows that max temperatures vary for different synthetic brush materials.

Realize that shaving brush manufacturers often spec their brushes for a maximum of around 113 degrees F/45 C and wonder if this is driven primarily by risks to the knot glue?


https://www.carlislefsp.com/schools/sparta-pastry-brushes/4038000

Brushes Bristle & Filament Material - Synthetic & Natural Brush Material

Offering a variety of bristle and filament material, Gordon Brush provides synthetic and natural brushes commercially. Shop our brushes by material today!

www.gordonbrush.com

 

[Mike M]

I've not seen it damage boar brushes, but as a fan of synthetics, which make up most of my collection I have seen synthetic bristles damaged by very hot water so I never use water that is too hot to put my hand in

 

[Hu3ir0 Hu3Hu3]

I have seen synthetic bristles damaged by very hot water so I never use water that is too hot to put my hand in

 

[rajagra2]

Oh my. I assume it's not the wind doing that.

Is it stuck in that position or just very floppy?

Maybe the glue melted and rose up the bristles. (More precisely, oozed down since the brush was inverted in a mug?) I found one old boar brush that was rock solid almost all the way through. I partially softened it by lots of cleaning and soaking in a water/vinegar mix, but it's still stiff near the handle, and I reckon it's glue causing it.

Another reason to cold water shave!

 

[rajagra2]

I think the knot may be beyond repair.

If glue moved away from the joint with the handle, that could explain floppiness while also explaining rubbery bristles.