What should I do if my shaving brush starts to shed bristles?
Many of our hand-made Simpson shaving brushes, particularly the Chubby series (widely regarded as the finest & most densely packed shaving brushes in the world) contain in excess of 20,000 individual hair strands within their knots. Knots of this size & density by their very nature contain many loose, short or stray hairs that haven't been picked up in the glue setting process, these will naturally work their way out during the first few months of shaving. Fortunately, in 99.9% of cases this initial shedding abates and stops all together.
We would consider a period of two to three months or approximately 50 shaves to allow a Simpson shaving brush to properly break itself in. It is common for Simpson users to panic initially as loose or short hairs work their way out. All brushes behave differently and have their own characteristics. We would not consider hair loss of approximately 1 – 5 bristles per shave to be consistent with a manufacturing defect or an inherent fault.
It is highly unusual for a brush to start dropping a substantial amount of hairs after many weeks or months of use. Various factors can determine if a brush starts to lose bristles however – the water can be too hot, the brush has failed to be cleaned or rinsed thoroughly (soap or cream residue build-up in the base of the knot), the brush has not dried sufficiently between shaves, mildew has started to build deep within the knot owing to a humid or damp storage environment, excessive force, amongst many others.
We but more specifically your vendor should be able to assess what might have happened to your brush if bristles are becoming dislodged on a frequent basis.
There are a few steps that can be taken to alleviate the problem & hopefully have your brush performing & functioning as it should within a couple of weeks:
Use a normal hair shampoo product and give the knot a gentle lather before rinsing our all residue in warm clean water.
To ensure the residue is fully removed, gently squeeze the base of the knot and any remaining soap with find its way to the tips. Once you are entirely satisfied that the brush is soap free give it a quick shake by hand and lightly stroke on a soft towel to ensure you have got rid of any excess moisture. The brush should then be left in a well vented area, preferably near to an open window to enable a natural airflow through the knot aiding the drying process. Simpson suggests rotating brushes if you shave on a daily basis. The denser the brush knot, the more drying time it needs. The Chubby series would need a minimum of 48hours to dry thoroughly for example. Moisture within the base of the knot will only lead to problems, eventually the onset of mildew and certain bristle loss. Look after your brush and your brush will look after you!
When the knot is completely dry take a gentleman's hair comb and gently comb through the knot to remove any loose, short or stray hairs that may be evident. This process should be repeated over the course of a fortnight, perhaps four or five times. Sometimes when dealing with such a precision, hand-made product, a little patience and perseverance is needed.
This should resolve the issue once and for all, however Simpson or your vendor (who should always be contacted in the first instance) will be happy to assist in replacing the brush should the problem persist. The brush must be less than 12 months old, you should be the original owner / purchaser and a copy of the original transaction receipt included when returned to us in order for Simpson Shaving Brushes to consider a free of charge replacement.
