Thread: New Brush Smell?

So I just got my first straight razor via a wet shave set from straight razor designs, and the brush that comes with it is badger. I have noticed that the brush itself smells.......less than pleasant to say the least. Does this fade with time? Is there a way to get rid of it?

the brush smells because it is animal hair. dead animal hair. most new brushes smell, except for synthetic ones obviously. after a few shaves with it the smell will go away. just ignore it til then.
if you really want to get the smell out right away, try buying animal shampoo and run it through the brush a few times. other than that, after a few shaves it should be smelling fine.

Thanks a lot! I thought the smell would dissipate but wanted to make sure. I knew the girlfriend would be less inclined to be close to me if the smell lingered. Thanks again!

Use it a few times and you'll be set. No need to buy special shampoo..

Originally Posted by Chemist

So I just got my first straight razor via a wet shave set from straight razor designs, and the brush that comes with it is badger. I have noticed that the brush itself smells.......less than pleasant to say the least. Does this fade with time? Is there a way to get rid of it?

Time and use solves this issue.

If you have a puck of Williams or another inexpensive
shave soap, practice making a lather for a while then
let the brush dry correctly. Another lathering practice
session will do the job for 90%.....

This is one reason to never toss a shave soap.
You can worry some lather out of a soap that you
do not like and not worry about wasting it.

Chemist,

The quickest way to get rid of the 'funk' is to wash the brush with something like baby shampoo (I use Johnsons for this).

Then make a thick lather with the brush and work the lather (Proraso works well for this) well into the body of the brush. Leave the brush to dry overnight with the lather on it.

In the morning, wash and re-shampoo the brush and you should find most of the 'funky' aroma gone

(IIRC this method was suggested by Ambrose over at B&B.)

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Some brushes are worse than others. Most of the ones I have just needed a quick wash in some borax. My Thater had this thick ugly yellowish material which kept coming out for quite some time.

Gentlemen:

The smell of a new brush is part of the wet shaving experience and it fades with time and use. I do nothing to a new brush except to use it, knowing soon enough the odor will be a memory.

Regards,

Obie

True...Overtime the smell of a new brush will dissipate.

I speed up the process by soaking my new brushes in a solution of warm water and baby shampoo for appox. 20-30 minutes.

I just put a drop of my normal shampoo into my lather dish and lathered as if it was shave soap. It worked well and left no smell at all. Now my brush just smells like my normal shave soap because my shampoo has a very light smell. I'm happy with the result.