Brush Care

I have seen a lot of brushes for sale and some of the prices are pretty steep. What should I do to take care of my investment? Is a brush stand a "must-have"?

I have seen a lot of brushes for sale and some of the prices are pretty steep. What should I do to take care of my investment? Is a brush stand a "must-have"?

First of all, a good brush does not have to be expensive. Brushes can be had in all price ranges and in badger, boar, horsehair and blends of those, as well as synthetics.

Normal brush maintenance is easy. When done shaving, just rinse the brush under cool water until all soap or cream residue is gone. Shake out any excess water and allow the brush to air dry.

As for the pros and cons of brush stands, I don't think it matters too much, as long as you follow the maintenance I mentioned. Some of my brushes are on stands and some are just standing on the brush handle and I see no difference. I think the one time a stand would be necessary is if the handle of the brush had a round or fancy base and could not stand on its own.

Obviously, these are just my thoughts but I hope they help.

If you do decide to go the expensive route or the cheap route, brush care is pretty simple. I shampoo is with baby shampoo(not abrasive) once every couple months. About once or twice a year you a nice brush cleaner to get a deeper clean. You can buy one at the store or there are many online recipes. And one more thing that in my opinion is completely optional is lightly combing out the brush to prevent tangles and what not.

Get a synthetic and don't even worry about it.

Being strictly a synthetic user nowadays, I am not up to speed with brush care for animal hair. I do however hang my brushes from a brush stand after use to avoid water sitting on the adhesive used to hold the knot in the handle. 

Here is a cheap option and I am sure there are cheaper options out there with a more intense search.

..... I do however hang my brushes from a brush stand after use to avoid water sitting on the adhesive used to hold the knot in the handle. 
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Exactly; I read that the brush can be damaged by being wet and not drying correctly and so the hairs (knot?) get damaged and fall out. Its just a brush stand feels a bit girly you know?

..... I do however hang my brushes from a brush stand after use to avoid water sitting on the adhesive used to hold the knot in the handle. 
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Exactly; I read that the brush can be damaged by being wet and not drying correctly and so the hairs (knot?) get damaged and fall out. Its just a brush stand feels a bit girly you know?

What is "girly" about a brush stand?  I even keep some of my razors on stands to make them readily accessible, as seen in the photo. The reason I started with brush stands is for exactly the reason Ruds gives. However, I found that if I gently shake the excess water from the brush, the hairs dry faster and I haven't noticed a problem.  I wouldn't consistantly put a sopping wet brush on its base to dry, though.

That doesn't look girly I wish I had that many razors. Does having a rotation help with brush care? Maybe two brushes - use one while the other dries?

That doesn't look girly  I wish I had that many razors. Does having a rotation help with brush care? Maybe two brushes - use one while the other dries?

I rotate my brushes, razors, blades, soaps, etc. to change things up a bit each morning.  I like that but others may be happier with a regular setup.  You are correct about having more than one brush.  If you use a few brushes in rotation that does give each one a chance to dry thoroughly.  This usually isn't a problem with synthetic hair brushes as they dry extremely fast.

By the way Trout, I really like your avatar so you might not exactly be thrilled with my razor stands.  They're repurposed fishing lure stands that I purchased on eBay.

That picture of yours should be in the displays and collections forum