Thread: how hot is too hot?

So i just bought a brush, after my first one fell apart on me. (it was a 10 dollar job really cheap) anyway, I noticed this time it says not to put in boiling water? Anyway, usually what I do is I have a 4 qt pan, that I boil water in, then walk it over to the bathroom drop my mug and brush in, while I take a shower. That heats up the mug nice and warm then I make a lather and shave. Anyway, it wasn't super expensive but the brush ran me about 50 bucks, so I'd prefer it last a little longer than the last one. So I'm wondering how hot is too hot when it comes to soaking brushes?

Personally when I used to shave with hot water if it was too hot for my hands it was too hot for my brush. I always used hot tap water and I could just tolerate it at the temperature it is set at.

I also use the hottest water my tap makes and I have a cheapo brush. I live in a pre-war building, so sometimes it's hot enough to be really, really hot to the touch, other times I'm lucky to get lukewarm. (Also makes showering and staying warm at night fun!) Still, no problems other than a few shed hairs here and there. Anyway, why would you want to put boiling water on your face? I understand warming your water on the stove, but not to a boil. For a change of pace, read Jimmy's thread on cold water shaving and try this once or twice. Could save you the chore of watching water boil every morning.

+1 on the previous quotes...I only use hot tap water to warm my brush before shaving.

If you insist on boiling water, then let it cool enough so that you can stick your hand or brush in it. This will be after, not during, your shower.

By the time I strop the razor, take a shower and stuff - the water is toasty but touchable. Like I reach in there and grab the brush. And the lather is nice and hot on my face.

I'm too cheap to turn up my water heater... And I do enjoy the really hot shave.

But as a rule of thumb if it is too hot to touch then it is too hot to soak the brush? Maybe I'll just soak my brush in cold water.

Maybe it's a function of the soap I was using but I've only used boiling water once. As the lather cooled on my face, it hardened into a dired cake. Tap water is hot enough for me since then.

Originally Posted by leadduck

Maybe it's a function of the soap I was using but I've only used boiling water once. As the lather cooled on my face, it hardened into a dired cake. Tap water is hot enough for me since then.

Sometimes my lather will dry out a bit. But I make my lather pretty wet.

Boiling is a bit too hot. I would also reglue that knot in. A knot falling out is just a minor set back. Boiling water on some types of brushes that can handle the heat is an actual method of removing the knot.

I actually use a semi-temporary glue on my knots so I can swap them around.

Hello, Stdre27:

I must concur with the other gentlemen here that boiling water is too hot for the brush. I believe JimmyHAD said that if your hand can stand the heat, then the water is hot enough. That is an excellent point.

Regards,

Obie

I use a hot pot, and on 3/4 to max, its def too hot to touch, I pour this into my mug and allow my brush to soak, I think this disinfects it as its extremely hot, steaming out of the pot ( and no brush hairs lost so far) I also take a wash cloth and pour the rest onto this, mind you you cannot ring this out, unless you want to burn yourself. So I wait and do it a little at a time, til its done, then onto the face... such an eye opener and definitely softens the beard ( I have an extremely coarse beard)

I find very hot water to be the best thing for shaving imho

David