Shaving Brushes

Soak your brush in hot water 20-30 seconds to soften the bristles & let the brush retain water. Gently shake excess water out of the brush and apply your choice of shaving soap or cream.  Work lather in a bowl/mug, in your palm or directly on the face by using gentle pressure in a circular motion.  Add water or soap as needed.  A brush not only helps produce great lather, it gently exfoliates the skin & lifts whiskers in preparation for being shaved. Be aware brand new brushes will go through a break-in period.  Don't panic if your brush looses a few bristles, this should end after a short period of time.

• Badger brushes are the benchmark, mostly due to their water retention properties & softness.  Badger bristles come in several grades, rated from lowest to highest:  Pure, Best/Standard, Super/Deluxe & Silver-Tip.
• Boar or Natural bristle brushes are stiffer than badger and recommended for those with heavy beards.  Affordable & great for hard soaps.
• Synthetic brushes are gaining popularity because after several generations, they're really starting to become great performers. While not holding as much water as badgers, they're just as soft & dry quicker, making synthetics a great choice for travel. Many prefer using a non-natural derived bristle, as no animal is used or harmed in its production.  Plus, it won't smell like a wet badger when new.  Should outlast natural bristle brushes.

Note:  Natural bristle brushes may have an unpleasant odor when brand new.  To break-in your brush, we recommend washing the brush with dishsoap several times & then soaking it in dishsoap water for several hours or overnight.  Rinse & then build-up a healthy lather with your favorite shaving cream/soap.  Leave the loaded brush to dry overnight & rinse the next morning. In some cases, a soak in vinegar may be helpful.