Horse-hair brush has wax build-up at hair-tips

[Cayne-Abel]

After just a couple of uses, my new Kiwi horse-hair brush has a waxy build-up...the tips of the hair have become stiff.

I'm wondering if this is normal, or if this means that I'm using too much wax. Also, should the build-up somehow be removed every once in a while? How?

Lastly, can I use the same horsehair brush for both brown and black shoes (when using wax polish for both)?

 

[alliswell]

To your last point - use different brushes for different colors.

 

[Joenobody0]

I've actually washed my brushes with dish soap and hot water to get the wax off. It seemed to help and the brushes suffered no ill effects. This was for the brushes I use on Shell Cordovan. I actually prefer for the brushes I use of calf to be "dirty". It makes for a nice quick clean up.

Different color = different brush for me.

 

[Ataturk]

Brushes seem to leave a better shine after they're "broken in." I don't know if this is wax buildup, or what, but it doesn't seem to hurt anything. I've used the same brushes for many years without a problem.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I have a kiwi brush too. Let me tell you I have used every brush under the sun and I swear by the kiwi one. I feel like most of the others the bristles are too stiff and they disrupt the finish more than smooth it out.

Like another person said, I wash mine in really hot water and dish detergent once every couple of months. They take forever to dry so let it sit over night. When I am finished brushing I will usually wrap the cloth around my hand and brush the cloth to remove excess polish on the brush. It probably doesn't do much in the long run, but in my mind it does. I don't use different brushes for different colors because I only wear black shoes.