Who uses a brush stand?

KarlMaldensNose

KarlMaldensNose

Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
1,342
I'm in the process of deciding what I want and need to start up and have a couple decent badger brushes I'm looking at. Is a stand a must-have to store it in an inverted position so it can dry properly? Or does it dry just fine sitting upright if it is shaken out properly?
 
One of my brushes came with a stand, I rarely use it, I just lightly squeeze the knot, shake it out a few times, and rub it on my towel. Then just sit it on it's base.

I have used it some, but haven't noticed any difference in dry times.
 
I like them. Badger brushes hold far more water than synthetic or Boar so I think they are useful, helps give them a ready for action look anyway! Toothbrushes are usually stored upright too.......

On a similar note, what do people use to clean out their brushes with? I find a lot of soap/cream residue is building up these days.
 
Hey man go to the Canadian Superstore, I just picked a brush from the one in Newmarket. $6 i think, also got some Nivia shaving soap there too.
Don't realy need a stand unless your wife is realy anal about keeping the bathroom looking just so. Just shake it dry and set it on its handle. I may get a stand cuz my wife keeps throwing my razer in the drawer.
 
I have a stand I made myself that I use. I don't really see any difference between hanging the brush or standing it on end for drying, but the difference could be made closer to the base of the knot where I can't see or feel it.

There was a good brush cleaning thread over on B&B I will see if I can find it when I get to work and can look on a computer instead of a blackberry.
 
So much easier to find things using a full sized computer over the blackberry:D

here is the B&B brush cleaning thread I mentioned. I have tried it and it does work, there are other suggestions though out the thread too.
 
Over two years now I have shaved almost every day with my only brush, Silver-tipped badger, and I see absolutely no residue of any sort. I use good soap. I rinse the brush out with running water until there is no soap visible on it. I shake it out (no wringing) and then I put it on its stand. While I have no data to cite, I do believe that common sense shows that it is better to dry a brush on a stand with the hair oriented downward. As an engineer, one of my basic rules-of-thumb is "don't fight gravity." Drying on a stand uses gravity to draw the water out of the brush; when you dry with the brush facing up, gravity draws the water deeper into the brush which is not good.
 
I use a stand for my Vullfix boar's hair brush and I keep my brush in my bedroom rather than the bathroom. It works for me.
 
Thanks for the brush cleaning link.

Will be trying it out. By dish detergent, this is liquid soap for washing-up dishes, Fairy, Ajax etc? Not hard soap you keep in a dish to wash with?
 
Yes, it does make sense to store/dry it upside down. But I'm sure many don't and haven't had problems. I imagine it'd be years of constantly being wet and never drying fully before water damage would reveal itself in the handle or bristles. But that's saying nothing about the hygiene aspect of never fully drying it... if you use it every day.

Money is tight right now and I actually contemplated making my own stand with a wire clothes hanger.:eek: But real ones can be had for $10.

@Gregncat
Shoppers Drugmart has Omega boar brushes for $15 and also a decent selection of proper shave creams (e.g. Proraso, The Real Shave Co., etc.) I'll check out Superstore, though. I hear they carry Kiss My Face brand shave creams, which are supposed to be very good. Regarding boar brushes, I found an old unused one at my parents' place and used it last night with The Real Shaving Co. cream and a Gillette Sensor. The cream was very nice done up all warm, but I didn't get a fantastic lather and I attribute that to the boar bristles (nah, had nothing to do with the fact that it was my first time;)). The bristles were also a bit scratchy on my face. I will be springing for a Badger brush soon. Nice Edwin Jagger Best or Super with stand at Fendrihan for $50.
 
One brush (my new Badger made by Omega) lives in a stand that holds the razor by the handle as well (all of $20.00 at Westcoast shaving), and the other an Ever-Ready brush lives bristle down in a shaving mug.

Dave
 
willgoy said:
Thanks for the brush cleaning link.

Will be trying it out. By dish detergent, this is liquid soap for washing-up dishes, Fairy, Ajax etc? Not hard soap you keep in a dish to wash with?
Click to expand...

Yes, like dawn or joy or something.
 
Where I previously lived the water was fairly hard and I had to remove the buildup of soap occasionally with vinegar. Where I live now the water is soft and I have little trouble with buildup.

And directly to the OP, I have both a plastic brush stand and a nickle plated steel stand. The plastic one is nearly useless for all but small brushes but the metal one is great for sm, med and lg ones. And yes, for a good brush a stand is a must have to care for the brush.
 
A stand is a necessity if you want your brushes to last. A good brush properly taken care of will last 15+ years.

I don't ever have any soap build up. I use soaps from Taylor of Old Bond Street, Truefitt and Hill, and Proraso. I'm sure there other good ones but after having good success with these for 30+ years I haven't felt the need to change.
 
jacketch said:
Where I previously lived the water was fairly hard and I had to remove the buildup of soap occasionally with vinegar. Where I live now the water is soft and I have little trouble with buildup.
Click to expand...

This doesn't align with my own experiences with hard and soft water. The water where I currently live is what I'd consider medium-hard. No significant problems with lime or other mineral build-up on faucets, showerheads, kettles, etc. but there is some build-up over time... enough so that I have to use distilled water in my espresso machine. And soap rinses off skin very easily.

When I visit places with soft water, I have difficulties rinsing soap off my skin. The water almost feels 'slippery' to me, as I'm accustomed to the microscopic mineral particulate in my usual hard water providing it with, while certainly not a 'gritty' feel, but with more 'resistance' that feels 'cleaner', if that makes any sense. I'm having difficulties explaining it.

Anyway, this relates to the brush and soap build-up in that I don't understand how you get soap residue in the brush with hard water (which, in my experience, should easily rinse out clean due to the 'abrasive' quality the mineral content provides), and how you get no build-up with soft water (which should not rinse out clean due to the lack of 'abrasive' action of water with less mineral content).

Or do I just have this all backwards?
 
KarlMaldensNose said:
This doesn't align with my own experiences with hard and soft water. The water where I currently live is what I'd consider medium-hard. No significant problems with lime or other mineral build-up on faucets, showerheads, kettles, etc. but there is some build-up over time... enough so that I have to use distilled water in my espresso machine. And soap rinses off skin very easily.

When I visit places with soft water, I have difficulties rinsing soap off my skin. The water almost feels 'slippery' to me, as I'm accustomed to the microscopic mineral particulate in my usual hard water providing it with, while certainly not a 'gritty' feel, but with more 'resistance' that feels 'cleaner', if that makes any sense. I'm having difficulties explaining it.

Anyway, this relates to the brush and soap build-up in that I don't understand how you get soap residue in the brush with hard water (which, in my experience, should easily rinse out clean due to the 'abrasive' quality the mineral content provides), and how you get no build-up with soft water (which should not rinse out clean due to the lack of 'abrasive' action of water with less mineral content).

Or do I just have this all backwards?
Click to expand...

With hard water (high in calcium and magnesium), soap solutions form a white precipitate (soap scum) along with the production of lather. This happens because the dications destroy the surfactant properties of the soap by forming a solid precipitate (the soap scum). A major component of such scum is calcium stearate, which arises from sodium stearate, the main component of most soap.
 
In my experience, use of a brush stand is irrelevant. I use my brush daily and set it upright from one shave to the next. I watched my father do the same thing and he used his badger brush for 60+ years and it was still good when he died. He would have laughed at the idea of a stand.
 
Simpleminded Rob said:
In my experience, use of a brush stand is irrelevant. I use my brush daily and set it upright from one shave to the next. I watched my father do the same thing and he used his badger brush for 60+ years and it was still good when he died. He would have laughed at the idea of a stand.
Click to expand...

He used the same Badger brush for 60+ years? I would imagine he would be laughing. I know I am.
 
I made a quick stand out of a leftover piece of baseboard. I also have a nice Omega metal stand, but it doesn't take long before you acquire more stuff!

shavestuff.jpg
 
I have a Kent badger which I have stored just sitting on it's handle for nearly a decade and it is fine. On the flip side, I had a horse hair brush before this one with a wood handle that went mildewy on me stored the same way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top