Brush problem

It's a Sunday so I guess I'll make it special day, so I used one of my brand new brushes that I just recently acquired this year.

It's beautifully made, it's one of the legendary brushes out there but there is a big problem.

Omg is there a scritch.

It's incredibly scritchy and pokey, I don't recall having felt this before even with my Parker Pure badger.

This brush was an expensive, dream brush, and I was proud to finally have it among my top tier brush collection, I didn't think it would be like this at all.


Anyway, gents, this is the first time I have used this brush, do you think it will "break-in" ? returning this wouldn't make much financial sense, after all the hassle and expenses I've been through just to get it here, I'm really disappointed..

Your thoughts, advice and counsel are needed and welcomed.

I don't wish to mention the vendor, it's not my intention to make them look bad, it could be that this was a fluke, but I'm really surprised.

My face is actually raw right now from the scrub and pokeyness of the hair, stubbornly I was refusing to believe it and kept on making it work.

This is an almost impossible question to answer without knowing the manufacturer and, most importantly, the hair type in the brush. If you have bought on recommendation of others for its softness and scritch-free feel, then it definitely sounds like a problem. If it's a hair such as a Shavemac D-01 2-Band, especially with a low set loft, it could merely be a breaking in process, although the more recent batches have been pretty good. We really need more information to give you a precise answer. These high end brushes are hand made and badger hair is a natural material, so variation, occasionally to the extreme, can happen. Please share and, if possible, a photo of said brush. Seeing it in the flesh, so to speak, can often reveal the issue.

I have had 2 very different brushes with the problem you describe. One was a D0-1 2-band (24x48). The other, believe it or not, was a Thater. I sold them both. They never "broke in" and turned into the brush I was hoping for.

I agree with David above; more information is needed. However, I will say that while boar brushes have a pretty impressive break-in transformation, this is not common with badger hair. While it may soften a little, it won't transform into something soft. The scritch will most likely remain

I would definitely contact the vendor/artisan if it's a new product.

I found my Shavemac D01 3 band to have a huge amount of scritch. It was almost too much to enjoy the brush. However, after about 30 uses or so the brush just changed overnight with the brush feeling much softer. Without knowing the brush it will be hard for many to offer advise.

I don't understand the aversion to ever mentioning the manufacturer of products we may have an issue with. I don't think it makes them look bad in any way. I think it actually benefits them. That way they can display their customer service skills to the world and show their patrons how they deal with an unsatisfied customer. And besides, isn't that part of what these forums are for? So we can share our experiences with different products/vendors/ideas, etc. and be able to make informed decisions thereafter?

I don't understand the aversion to ever mentioning the manufacturer of products we may have an issue with. I don't think it makes them look bad in any way. I think it actually benefits them. That way they can display their customer service skills to the world and show their patrons how they deal with an unsatisfied customer. And besides, isn't that part of what these forums are for? So we can share our experiences with different products/vendors/ideas, etc. and be able to make informed decisions thereafter?

I totally agree, Jeff.

It's pretty inevitable that when dealing with anything natural such as badger hair, there will always be variation and, occasionally, a brush as mentioned can appear. No fault with the manufacturer; even the most expensive brush is capable of displaying inconsistencies. As you say, it's how a manufacturer responds to an issue that really counts.

I don't understand the aversion to ever mentioning the manufacturer of products we may have an issue with. I don't think it makes them look bad in any way. I think it actually benefits them. That way they can display their customer service skills to the world and show their patrons how they deal with an unsatisfied customer. And besides, isn't that part of what these forums are for? So we can share our experiences with different products/vendors/ideas, etc. and be able to make informed decisions thereafter?

I totally agree, Jeff.

It's pretty inevitable that when dealing with anything natural such as badger hair, there will always be variation and, occasionally, a brush as mentioned can appear. No fault with the manufacturer; even the most expensive brush is capable of displaying inconsistencies. As you say, it's how a manufacturer responds to an issue that really counts.

In addition to possible inconsistencies, you also have characteristics of certain brushes that might not appeal to a given person. Some like the dense wall of badger feel with a lot of back bone and scrub while others like something exactly the opposite. I have found that identifying what I want in a badger brush and then finding the brush that ticks most of the boxes helps me be more satisfied with my acquisitions.

I found my Shavemac D01 3 band to have a huge amount of scritch. It was almost too much to enjoy the brush. However, after about 30 uses or so the brush just changed overnight with the brush feeling much softer. Without knowing the brush it will be hard for many to offer advise.

I had this exact same experience with my Simpsons Manchurian.

I was thinking that I was never going to enjoy it and then one day after a couple of dozen uses it changed. Drastically in fact.

It's one of my favorite brushes to use now. Dense and luxurious with scrubby backbone and tips that are soft with not even a hint of scritch anymore.

I also agree that we can't really speak to your experience without knowing what brush and knot you're dealing with.

I have a TGN Finest fan that never improved. It's pokey and scratchy after at least 50 uses and 50 hand lathers. I even set it at a higher loft without change.

Time will tell. Hand lather it for a couple weeks and then try it maybe.

I don't understand the aversion to ever mentioning the manufacturer of products we may have an issue with. I don't think it makes them look bad in any way. I think it actually benefits them. That way they can display their customer service skills to the world and show their patrons how they deal with an unsatisfied customer. And besides, isn't that part of what these forums are for? So we can share our experiences with different products/vendors/ideas, etc. and be able to make informed decisions thereafter?

Information is always good. Totally agree, Jeff.

Imagine a first time buyer buying this brush and having similar experience. He might think that this is normal since no one mentioned anything bad about this brush. We are in a shaving forum. Not in a shaving equipment appreciation forum, I think.