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Shavemac DO1

Rabid Badger

Rabid Badger

Active Member
2018 Charity Auction Winner
Dear forum,

Over the last 12 months, I kept all my shaving brushes in storage (dry, low humidity, wrapped in tissue paper and kept in their coffin). We have just moved into our brand new house and I finally got to unpack all of my brushes. Most of my collection is made up Simpson brushes with a few other top tier and mid-range ones to boot. Disappointingly, the titled brush seems to have fared much worse than all the other brushes. On brushing it up against my palm, hairs just fall out, with no end seemingly in sight.

I have two questions. Firstly, has anyone else ever experienced a similar fate? Secondly, apart from re-knotting, any suggestions?

 
Rabid Badger said:
Dear forum,

Over the last 12 months, I kept all my shaving brushes in storage (dry, low humidity, wrapped in tissue paper and kept in their coffin). We have just moved into our brand new house and I finally got to unpack all of my brushes. Most of my collection is made up Simpson brushes with a few other top tier and mid-range ones to boot. Disappointingly, the titled brush seems to have fared much worse than all the other brushes. On brushing it up against my palm, hairs just fall out, with no end seemingly in sight.

I have two questions. Firstly, has anyone else ever experienced a similar fate? Secondly, apart from re-knotting, any suggestions?

Click to expand...
Paging @TroyTools and @alfredus for options
 
Yes, this has happened to me before but not for a brush with exactly the same grade of hair. My beloved Omega Black Badger was packed carefully in a box and kept in what I felt was a good temperature and environment in the living space. I actually think I had it wrapped in a brand new tissue also.
I took it out some time perhaps last year or the year before but to my shock it began to shed at the touch. I noticed that the hair felt a little dry and brittle if you will. It is one of my oldest brush and perhaps my first decent brush. I recall paying a fair bit for it in the early part of 2002-2005 from The Shaver Shop. (No regrets) so it's fairly old.

I tried to email Omega and wrote in both English and Italian in the hopes of some sort of reply but got no reply. I have since managed to salvage the brush but it was a bit stressful at the time. My assumption is that natural brushes do not like to be stored away for long periods of time without use/moisture. I believe the hair's dry out and become fragile particularly if they have been used before, having said that I have several brand new Simpson brushes in Pure Badger and Best Badger as well as a Silvertip Shavemac that have not shed a single hair. I also have an 32mm LS Silvertip brush that I used a few times that has not shed either but in regards to the LS brush it is out in the open.

I gave my Omega brush a good wash with TSW brush cleaner and let the brush do its thing as it shed until it stopped, thankfully mine did. I feel like Shavemac will reply back if you email them and explain to them the situation and offer some sort of explanation or advice.
I knew I wasn't going to be using that brush so I did wash it out before I retired it and it wasn't full of old shaving soap. Shedding aside your brush looks to be in very good condition and near new considering it hasn't even bloomed.

Another interesting thing I just noticed but that brush seems to be set pretty high (am I correct) which is similar to my Omega Black Badger. Could that be a telling reason too? I don't know but it may make sense.
 
I asked ChatGPT, and this is how it responded:

If your badger shaving brush knots have become brittle and are shedding hair, there are a few things you can try to revive them. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Soak the brush: Fill a bowl or sink with warm water and let the brush soak for a few minutes. This can help to rehydrate the bristles and make them more flexible.
  2. Use a conditioner: After soaking, you can apply a small amount of hair conditioner specifically designed for natural bristles. Gently work the conditioner into the bristles using your fingers or a comb. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water.
  3. Apply a hair oil treatment: Another option is to apply a hair oil treatment to the bristles. Choose a light, non-greasy oil such as argan or jojoba oil. Rub a small amount into the bristles, focusing on the damaged areas. Leave it on for a few hours or overnight before rinsing with warm water.
  4. Brush the bristles gently: Once the brush is clean and conditioned, gently brush the bristles with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to remove any tangles or remaining loose hairs. Be careful not to pull or tug on the bristles too harshly, as this can cause further damage.
  5. Dry the brush properly: After washing and conditioning, make sure to dry the brush properly. Shake out any excess water and reshape the bristles with your hands. Place the brush on a towel in a well-ventilated area to allow any remaining moisture to evaporate.
  6. Repeat the process if necessary: If the bristles are still brittle or shedding after the first attempt, you can repeat the above steps a few more times to see if there is any improvement. However, if the brush is severely damaged, it may be difficult to restore it completely.
 
JVS said:
I asked ChatGPT, and this is how it responded:

If your badger shaving brush knots have become brittle and are shedding hair, there are a few things you can try to revive them. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Soak the brush: Fill a bowl or sink with warm water and let the brush soak for a few minutes. This can help to rehydrate the bristles and make them more flexible.
  2. Use a conditioner: After soaking, you can apply a small amount of hair conditioner specifically designed for natural bristles. Gently work the conditioner into the bristles using your fingers or a comb. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water.
  3. Apply a hair oil treatment: Another option is to apply a hair oil treatment to the bristles. Choose a light, non-greasy oil such as argan or jojoba oil. Rub a small amount into the bristles, focusing on the damaged areas. Leave it on for a few hours or overnight before rinsing with warm water.
  4. Brush the bristles gently: Once the brush is clean and conditioned, gently brush the bristles with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to remove any tangles or remaining loose hairs. Be careful not to pull or tug on the bristles too harshly, as this can cause further damage.
  5. Dry the brush properly: After washing and conditioning, make sure to dry the brush properly. Shake out any excess water and reshape the bristles with your hands. Place the brush on a towel in a well-ventilated area to allow any remaining moisture to evaporate.
  6. Repeat the process if necessary: If the bristles are still brittle or shedding after the first attempt, you can repeat the above steps a few more times to see if there is any improvement. However, if the brush is severely damaged, it may be difficult to restore it completely.
Click to expand...
That is surprisingly lucid. I was expecting it to say try running it a warm bath, wrapping it in a warm towel and patting it until it feels better. haha.

I am keen to hear what the staff at Shavemac have to say about this because I was a bit dumbfounded by what happened to mine too.
 
Last edited:
JVS said:
I asked ChatGPT, and this is how it responded:

If your badger shaving brush knots have become brittle and are shedding hair, there are a few things you can try to revive them. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Soak the brush: Fill a bowl or sink with warm water and let the brush soak for a few minutes. This can help to rehydrate the bristles and make them more flexible.
  2. Use a conditioner: After soaking, you can apply a small amount of hair conditioner specifically designed for natural bristles. Gently work the conditioner into the bristles using your fingers or a comb. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water.
  3. Apply a hair oil treatment: Another option is to apply a hair oil treatment to the bristles. Choose a light, non-greasy oil such as argan or jojoba oil. Rub a small amount into the bristles, focusing on the damaged areas. Leave it on for a few hours or overnight before rinsing with warm water.
  4. Brush the bristles gently: Once the brush is clean and conditioned, gently brush the bristles with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to remove any tangles or remaining loose hairs. Be careful not to pull or tug on the bristles too harshly, as this can cause further damage.
  5. Dry the brush properly: After washing and conditioning, make sure to dry the brush properly. Shake out any excess water and reshape the bristles with your hands. Place the brush on a towel in a well-ventilated area to allow any remaining moisture to evaporate.
  6. Repeat the process if necessary: If the bristles are still brittle or shedding after the first attempt, you can repeat the above steps a few more times to see if there is any improvement. However, if the brush is severely damaged, it may be difficult to restore it completely.
Click to expand...
Except for the hair oil, that would have been my response - only because I do not own any hair oil
Have treated 2 x brushes in this way and the Shavemac Americana improved considerably but still sheds the odd hair
The other brush "shedding dog" I experimented with injecting some 2 pack epoxy into the knot base and this helped but I would not recommend it
 
I would not use oil...but maybe glycerin?
 
This had happened to one of my badger brushes a few years back.

I believe it's when there is some carbonate build-up deep in the knot which makes the hair brittle during the extended storage period and the hair then starts to shed just by touch.

My suggestion is to do a citric acid soak, getting the solution deep in the knot by pumping the brush up/down once it has soaked and softened for about 10 minutes.

Then let it sit in the solution for another 15 minutes.

If the shedding stops, you're good to go.
If shedding reduces, repeat the process.
If there's no change, the knot is likely a goner!
 
That's a bugger, Rabs.
And such an attractive and high performing brush, too.
It probably doesn't make you feel any better, but I have three Shavemac knots, and none have shedded, and are amongst my favourites.
 
Still waiting on Bernd, but I gave it a soak in some cold water and then did the smallest amounts of shampoo and conditioner (nothing fancy, just what the wife had in the shower) and then another soak in cold water. At the moment, this seems to have done the trick. 🤞
 
nav1 said:
This had happened to one of my badger brushes a few years back.

I believe it's when there is some carbonate build-up deep in the knot which makes the hair brittle during the extended storage period and the hair then starts to shed just by touch.

My suggestion is to do a citric acid soak, getting the solution deep in the knot by pumping the brush up/down once it has soaked and softened for about 10 minutes.

Then let it sit in the solution for another 15 minutes.

If the shedding stops, you're good to go.
If shedding reduces, repeat the process.
If there's no change, the knot is likely a goner!
Click to expand...
There is a lot of logic to this treatment, I was thinking possibly bacteria in the roots causing hair to become dry and brittle but if carbonate then a citric acid soak would do the trick.
 
Reply from the man himself:

"Hello Matthew,

I am sorry to hear that there is a problem with one of our shaving brushes. The large amount of hair that has fallen out indicates massive damage to the badger hair. I suspect that over the years shaving soap has attacked the hair. Probably this cannot be repaired any more. I can offer you to exchange the brush head at a special price. The price is 75 euros plus 9 euros postage.

Best Regards
Bernd Blos"

That's great customer service. However, like I mentioned, the cold water soaks and washing the brush SEEMS to have done the trick. If it starts again (it is now back in rotation) then I'll try some other treatments and then take him up on the offer if still no resolution.

Thanks for the tips everyone. May the only hair loss that you experience be that from shaving your lovely faces or noggins.
 
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