What is a shaving brush used for?

Hair, hair and more hair. Razor brands are legion and it is sometimes difficult to choose between a disposable razor or a more natural solution with a razor and a traditional badger made in France or in a European country. The price is not the same but neither is the quality!

Whatever your hair type, thick or sparse, tuft of hair or sparse beard, the shaving brush made in France is a choice that will convince many men.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before making your choice:

• How much do I want to spend on my badger brush?
• What size should I get for my shaving brush (we are talking about the size of the tuft here)?
• Choice of brands: known worldwide (Plisson, Muhle are good references) or not?
• What type of hair? Natural hair or synthetic tuft?
• What color for the handle? Black or white? Noble, quality materials (horn handle, chrome handle, etc.) or natural ones like wood?
• What types of finishes?

These parameters are important and will help you make your choice! The main thing is that your brush matches your beard, your skin and your shaving habits. A large brush size, therefore a tuft of hair, will allow for a more abundant lather. But if you shave little, a standard size brush will be quite sufficient!

At Caliquo you will find two types of shaving brushes with neat finishes , handcrafted in France. No chrome here, the handles are made of natural wood, oak or walnut handles, hand-turned by a cabinetmaker. Available without a stand, water does not penetrate the handle thanks to a protective varnish, a guarantee of an impeccably neat finish. The grip is ideal.

How to use a shaving brush?

Having appeared in the 18th century in Europe, the shaving brush has long been the essential accessory for any barber and man with an impeccable beard. Having fallen out of fashion after the Second World War, it has made a significant comeback in recent years with the shaving brush, which goes hand in hand with the revival of professional barbers and beards in our culture. But how do you use this tool, and what are the pitfalls to avoid when buying one?

WHY IS A BEARD BRUSH CALLED A "SHAVING BRUSH"?

Shaving brushes, as their names indicate, were historically composed of tufts of real badger hair. Filled with authentic badger hair (or boar bristles, horsehair), the shaving brush allows the shaving soap to be lathered more or less abundantly and evenly and thus allows razors to be less aggressive for the skin.

As its name suggests, the badger brush is originally made of badger hair (not blerot). Indeed, these hairs have the particularity of being half-hard, half-soft, and therefore provide great comfort when applied to the skin. The soap is in a small bowl where the badger has just collected it in a circular motion. Here again, the hairs play a vital role, because they allow to retain a maximum of water, and to create a creamy and homogeneous shaving foam. When applied, the skin is hydrated, massaged, and the beard hairs are softened which makes shaving more precise. You are then ready for a trouble-free and impeccable shave.

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR SHAVING BRUSH FOR A BETTER SHAVE?

The main difference between several badger brushes will be the material and the quality of its bristles. Indeed, we can find badgers made of boar bristles or horsehair, as well as brushes made of synthetic bristles. Among badger bristles, you should also know that there are several qualities, ranging from the shortest and thickest ( pure badger ) corresponding to a hard bristle, to the longest and most flexible ( super badger ) corresponding to a more flexible and less aggressive bristle for the skin. Boar bristle or horsehair brushes are similar to pure badger , as are synthetic bristles. It is therefore necessary to know what type of shaving suits you in order to choose the brush accordingly, knowing that prices also vary greatly. You will thus benefit from a good shaving brush. Thanks to technological advances, today synthetic bristles offer real shaving comfort thanks to soft bristles, while being less expensive than animal hair. The handle of the badger brush is also important, and can be made of ivory, precious wood, or even porcelain.

Focus on synthetic shaving brushes, Caliquo's choice

There are several types of shaving brushes, and it is important to be able to make your choice by knowing the differences between the brands. All shaving brushes are used with a razor and shaving soap. They all allow you to shave! But shaving can become a pure moment of happiness (yes, yes it is possible!) if you choose a quality brush, made in France, with a tuft of superior quality bristles while preserving our friends the badgers - the real ones, the animals!

From hair to hair, it's possible! A beautiful tuft of synthetic hair is also possible! Gone are the days when a quality badger brush was necessarily a plisson or lordson or muhle badger with a pure badger , or silvertip badger . Natural hair brushes are no longer the only ones to offer the skin unparalleled softness. The type of handle and the size of the tuft count for little in the shaving itself. What is essential is the quality of the brush and the hair.

Today, Caliquo offers two synthetic shaving brushes , made of synthetic fibers imitation silver tips for a shave combining softness, tradition and respect for the animal cause. Technological innovations allow high-quality synthetic bristles. 100% vegan, our tufts of synthetic bristles are in three colored bands (a white band above the handle, a second black band and finally a gray band) and are comparable in quality and softness to silver tip badger. These tufts of synthetic bristles create a creamy and abundant foam, guaranteeing an easy and precise shave. Another advantage of synthetic brushes is that the bristles are not hollow (unlike tufts of natural bristles). Cleaning and drying the brushes are therefore easier and hygiene is optimal for several years.

Click here to discover our range of shaving brushes made in France at an affordable price!

HOW TO PROPERLY PREPARE YOUR SKIN BEFORE SHAVING?

Before shaving, we recommend filling your sink with cold, clean water to rinse the blade of your razor. Hot water will cause the blade to swell and become less sharp.

If you have a beard that is rather long, it is important, before using your razor, to start by cutting your beard as short as possible with scissors or a clipper. Electric clippers are the most suitable for this use. Remove the comb and trim your beard completely. Never apply a large amount of foam on a long beard to shave it directly with your razor. Your shave will be painful and rather ineffective and you will wonder what the beard is for.

To prepare your skin for shaving, it is advisable to start by washing your skin as best as possible, in order to avoid infections or irritations. Use a good natural exfoliant (cosmetic product that is used to eliminate dead cells from the epidermis to allow the skin to be smoothed) and then wash your skin with soap and warm water. Finally, dry your skin with a clean towel.

Barbers typically heat men's faces with a hot towel to open up their pores and soften their beard hairs. This allows them to give a closer shave that is more comfortable for their clients. We recommend using the same technique to replicate this effect. The heat and moisture will soften your beard, raise the hairs, and open up your pores.

Using a shaving brush is recommended to apply shaving cream to your skin. Applying shaving cream with a shaving brush will help soften your beard even more while lightly exfoliating your skin. You can also use your brush to remove any hairs that get cut off your blade while shaving, which can be a time saver.

If you're out of shaving cream, avoid using a bar of soap, which could leave residue on your blade, dull it, and could even rust your blade, even if it's stainless.

How to maintain your shaving brush?

Investing in a shaving brush made in France or in a European country is a guarantee of quality. But without regular maintenance, your bristles risk getting clogged and your handle losing its shine and strength. Whether your brush is made of natural bristles or synthetic fibers, here are the keys to maintaining it!

After each shave, soak your tuft of hair for a few moments in warm or hot water - especially not hot. You can also rinse your handle for a few moments in warm water. Run your fingers between the hairs to gently separate them and thus remove any residue from shaving soap or foam.

Gently squeeze the hair from the base of the tuft towards the tips to remove as much water as possible - this will make drying easier

Wipe the handle and then the bristles with a cotton cloth. You can then run your fingers through the bristles again to circulate the air.

You can finally place your badger brush upside down so that the tiny water droplets still contained in the bristles do not accumulate at the base of the tuft but can evaporate little by little.

WHAT SERVICES DOES A BARBER PROVIDE?

For most barbers, three types of services are most often offered. Simple beard trimming, done with clippers and scissors, is a relatively quick service, about 10 minutes, beard trimming with a blade and razor finishes and finally, the old-fashioned shave done in about thirty minutes with the traditional hot towel and moisturizing treatment.

What types of barbershops?

Traditional, modern, trendy or vintage, there is something for everyone. All the traditional equipment, shaving brush and shaving cream in hand, your Barber will install you in a cozy leather chair before taking care of you using his cut-throat razor for an ultra-precise shave. Make no mistake, maintaining a manly look like this requires a lot of work. Who better than a professional to advise you?

For each Barber Shop, you can find services that match the environment.
A rock haircut style for example at "alex's haircut" inspired by the fifties, waxed back style. You can adopt a very Vintage style thanks to Alex.

At the “Shapierie”, the type of beard is more in the beard sculpted with a real traditional Japanese straight razor.
At "Les mauvais garçons", they will offer you a very high quality service and a very precise old-fashioned shave but always in the dandy style like Le Bon Marché.
At Alain's, tradition and experience are at the rendezvous, his style and his performance in terms of moustache trimming will leave you speechless.
The “Barber’s Key” offers you a little excursion into the American barber shops, Times Square won’t seem very far away!

In any case, take advantage of the shaving brush to transform your shave into a pleasant moment.

Caliquo is a French brand that produces eco-responsible everyday items.

Our rechargeable toothbrushes , our children's toothbrushes , our razor and our shaving brush .