Potential problem with a Rooney?

Ok, i have a rooney, style 3 size 2, super silvertip...

ive only had it since monday evening, used it about 3 times since then.. today, i decided to try the sample of DR harris shave cream that the gentleman i purchased it from sent with it... i noticed the shave cream itself was relatively dense... almost pasty... hard.. i remember him saying the units he used to ship the samples were a new product to him, that he hadnt really had much experience with them, so i figure that may be the problem.. air seeping in it? i dunno... but the problem arose when i used a dab to lather up... i whisked it in with my brush, it was hard to get the little dab to melt down into the lather, and when it finally did, i put the brush to my face, and it felt "prickly".... kinda rough on the tips... something i dont recall feeling the first day i recieved it... not TOO bad, but enough that i noticed it... i shampoo'd it, conditioned it, and then re lathered it (post shave of course... just for a test) with the DR puck i bought... and still, not QUITE as soft as it was before... did i mess it up somehow? is the brush defective? is it just something that happens as the brush "breaks in"?

i also notice some hairs coming lose with just about every shave... maybe 1 or 2... but this time, must have been like 4 or 5 that came loose... not sure what to do.. any advice?

Keep using it. I have a Style 2 Genuine Silvertip, and it is a bit prickly. I didn't notice this until I had used it for a few months. Brushes all have their own break in period. The fact that you did not notice the feel of the tips on the first few uses is not unusual. Hair loss on a new brush is something to be expected. Some don't shed, others may loose 3-10 per shave for the first week or so. Keep using it and keep us posted.

Randy

rtaylor61 said:

Keep using it. I have a Style 2 Genuine Silvertip, and it is a bit prickly. I didn't notice this until I had used it for a few months. Brushes all have their own break in period. The fact that you did not notice the feel of the tips on the first few uses is not unusual. Hair loss on a new brush is something to be expected. Some don't shed, others may loose 3-10 per shave for the first week or so. Keep using it and keep us posted.

Randy

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+1 - give it a few more shaves and if it continues to shed, talk to the supplier.

FWIW my Roney #1 large slivertip is one of my favourite brushes.

so your sure the prickly feeling is something that is meant to happen? the whole brush feels more.... "bouncy".... like the bristles got a little more stiff, and consequently, a little more springy.... it doesnt mash down when wet like it did before, and it also doesnt "appear" to work up as good of a lather as what i see most people around here comin off with....... mounds of barbasol-like foam... i dunno... maybe im just paranoid the more "+1"s i hear about that, the more i might come to terms with it, and be at ease... but at $100, i cant afford to lose the quality of that brush... know what i mean?

I have a style 3, size 1 in super. I bought it used, so I don't know if it did when it was new, but it has yet to shed a single hair on me.

It's a great brush, it's not quite as stiff as when I got it, but it really hasn't changed much. It's a great brush, I'm sure Rooney would take care of you if it ended up being defective. But I doubt that it would be.

Warlockdlx69 said:

so your sure the prickly feeling is something that is meant to happen? the whole brush feels more.... "bouncy".... like the bristles got a little more stiff, and consequently, a little more springy.... it doesnt mash down when wet like it did before, and it also doesnt "appear" to work up as good of a lather as what i see most people around here comin off with....... mounds of barbasol-like foam... i dunno... maybe im just paranoid the more "+1"s i hear about that, the more i might come to terms with it, and be at ease... but at $100, i cant afford to lose the quality of that brush... know what i mean?

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Could also be a water/cream ratio issue, I notice that when I do not use enough water the brush seems harder to "pump", but as soon as I add a bit of water this goes away, and the lather does improve. Best of luck.

J

the lather doesnt seem to be a problem, i notice an issue even without lather... just when dry, or even just after soaking... the bristles seem more stiff... and the bristles stick to eachother when i soak it for a while, then flick it once or twice to get rid of the excess... i dont really remember if it was like that before... but something just doesnt feel right

Warlockdlx69 said:

... the more "+1"s i hear about that, the more i might come to terms with it, and be at ease...

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+1 Keep on using it.

LOL i meant, people having had experience with this same issue confirming that its normal... but thanks lol im definitely going to continue to use it to see how it reacts... im just worried...thats a lot of money on a brush for it to crap out on me... ya know?

Warlockdlx69 said:

LOL i meant, people having had experience with this same issue confirming that its normal... but thanks lol im definitely going to continue to use it to see how it reacts... im just worried...thats a lot of money on a brush for it to crap out on me... ya know?

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I do not think it will, and they do take awhile to break in (20ish uses). Enjoy!

J

so what, in your experience, tends to happen when a brush breaks in? common symptoms and what not? i kinda expected my brush to be the same from day 1, to day 1,000... and so forth... never knew the actually had to break in... but what typically changes?

Initial uses soften the bristles and open up the hair so that it retains more water.

It should stabilize after the first several uses (depends on the bristles).

I think this is an ongoing process (to a point obviously) as I notice that my Simpson Rover in pure is much softer than when new - I don't notice this as much with my silvertip brushes, as they're pretty soft to begin with.

see this is what im talkin about.... my bristles arent getting SOFTER they are getting STIFFER, more abrasive... this has GOT to be a problem

Going stiffer may just be your imagination...

Try this though if you want to soften it up a bit... There's some posts and stuff around that pretty much document this (might even be a video if I remember right), but anyway, here's the process...

Wet your brush just like you were getting ready to shave... Put about 1/8th teaspoon or so (not important, but just to give an idea) of dish detergent (dawn, joy, whatever), in your hand and whip it with the brush just as if you were lathering up a good cream...

After getting the brush good and lathered, plop it in a glass with soapy water (again just dish detergent and water) and let it soak for a good 10 minutes or so...

Pull it out and once again work up the lather in your hand for a bit...

Rinse it all back out real good...

Now go steal some of your wife/gf's hair conditioner (I like pantene.. ) and work that into the brush real good (it won't really lather, but you can tell it's working in good)...

Now rinse that out really well...

Now for the last step, dump out the glass you used earler, and this time put vinegar water in it... Again, not important, but I think I've seen a 9:1 ratio mentioned... (9 parts water that is).... You can also add a little glycerin (glycerol) to this mix as well...

Now again plop your brush in it and let it soak a good 5 minutes or so...

Rinse well...

At this point I usually grab a bit powerful smelling cream (I like to use TOBS Mr. Taylor) and whip a lather with it... That will help get rid of any lingering vinegar scent... Rinse well again, and your all set...

Brushes naturally over time get soap buildup and things that can cause the bristles to feel stiffer and not hold water as well... This should NOT be happening to your brush this early, but still a good washing/conditioning like this will most likely still soften your bristles tremendously...

Here is the link to the videos Em put together.

ill try it... but i know last night i shampoo'd it with suave and conditioned it with pantene... no change but ill give it a whack the way you state to try it, see if it works...

ive heard too hot water can damage bristles... but i only use water from my tap, and typically... i can run my hand under it indefinitely without getting burned... so it couldnt be THAT hot... the bowl i just bought for it was a cheapie wooden bowl i got from ross... no visable burrs or "catches" anywhere in it that ive noticed... and i looked pretty good... i run my fingers inside it, and nothing sticks out... no rougher than my beard you know? just a laquor finish wooden bowl... the cream? could that have done it? i dunno... hope not lol

I don't personally put much stock in the "if the water is too hot it can damage your brush"... I personally use an electric kettle... I let it boil the water (it shuts off automatically once it boils) while I'm getting my shower... By the time I'm out, it's probably only cooled to 200 degrees or so... I pour it in my bowl (which is big and heavy and saps a lot of the heat out, but still I wouldn't DREAM of sticking my hand in there), then plop my brush in to soak while I'm prepping... It's never caused any problems with any of my brushes... Even my very cheap Vulfix...

As for the cream... I find it highly unlikely it could have done anything to the brush... Certainly nothing permanent anyway... If a good cleaning/soak doesn't return it to what you think it should be, then maybe contact Rooney and see what they say...

How is the bloom on the brush?

it bloomed quite large lol what was once a medium size brush, is now almost too big to use on my face... if i mash the bristles down on my cheek, it almost completely covers the size of my face... when dry, it bloomed to about the size of a baseball...

Honestly, sounds like new brush fussing to me, we've all been there

Give it a few weeks, or even a month, and see where you're at. Best of luck.

J

i honestly hope thats all it is.... i just want to make sure its not something that needs replacement of the brush, and if it DOES, i need to catch it early and send it back to the seller... the guy is pretty nice, i think hes a member here... jim from vintage blades... said if i had any problems, dont hesitate to bring em up.... but, i dont want to wait 3 months ya know? lol hopefully its just me being paranoid.... eh... who knows...