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Soaking the brush

I am new to wet shaving and concentrated on getting a good DE (Merkur HD).

I never put much thought into the brush. I picked up a Vulfix pure badger. My routine is after shower I run the brush under hot water for about 15-30 seconds. I do get a good lather with my Proraso. Does "soaking" the brush make a difference? I will try it tonight but as I said I get what seems to be a good shaving lather without soaking.
 
If you're getting a good lather, that's the important thing. Since you shave after a shower, you can try letting it soak in hot/warm water while you shower to see if it works any better. I shave before showering so I let the brush soak a couple of minutes while I'm getting everything else ready.
 
OK. So yesterday i soaked my brush while showering. For me i saw no difference in the amount or quality of lather. I think the soak may be part of the ritual. Hey if it works for you go with it.

j
 
one other thought on soaking: I use a moss scuttle, and I used to soak the brush in the hot scuttle while I showered, and I think doing this caused the hair on some of my brushes to curl at the tips. It doesnt hurt the brush's fuctionality, but it does make the brush look more used. Ever since I stopped doing this, I haven't had any curling happen. Now I just soak it in the hot scuttle for a few seconds and it does the job.
 
In my experience period of soaking brush is effected neither lathering nor shaving. On the other hand temperature and hardness of water are directly effected your shaving. For example, MWF is good with cold water but Valobra stick needs warm to hot water for good lather.
 
I find that I get the most consistent results with soaking - the amount of water retained is more predictable. That said, most folks don't mind adding water as they build lather, while I prefer to start with the right amount and reduce/diminish the need to re-hydrate. So, maybe that's why I notice/care so much about water retention. Soaking also has the benefit of warming the brush a bit better in my experience.

All of the above is applicable to both badger and boar, though specifically with a newer boar that hasn't been broken in, you might find that your brush saps the moisture right out of your lather if it hasn't been soaked prior to use. YMMV.
 
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