Boar face lathering....how do you do it?

[deshaveman]

I hate to break it to you but those boars will never match up to that Shavemac. Ya sure, they will get just as, if not softer than the Shavemac and they will load up on any soap you throw at them, but the amount of water the Shavemac can hold and the ease of making lather will never be the same. Boars are the best value in the world of shaving brushes, but a $100+ badger will not be beaten by a boar.

Absolutely agreed. By "stand in" I certainly didn't mean a replacement in look, feel, and performance. I was enticed to try some boar brushes because the thought of taking my pricey Shavemac on travel made me cringe. Between getting misplaced or damaged during a bag check, misplaced or damaged at the hotel, and the potential for mold and other wet-brush ailments made me consider other options. Low priced badgers were a thought but having traveled before with a cheap badger I found that the "travel light" mantra to mean that face-lathering is king, no bulky lathering mugs, scuttles, etc. So boars became my focus. Cheap, stiff, and potentially soft. I am certainly willing to risk less than $20 if it means I get a good face lathering brush for the road.

But I have found that like the learning curve with densely packed brushes, boars take some getting used to. So I certainly didn't mean to start a boar versus badger debate. I was just looking for a few tips from boar users. It sounds like they need more breaking in than I imagined. I will press on using the tips folks have shared and see how my brushes perform in a few more weeks.

 

[Ignatius]

The Vulfix and 10029 are really tiny brushes. They'll never hold lather for four passes. Go back to the 48; it's a tall brush but not at all 'floppy'. I thought it was ridiculously tall when I go it, but its just a badger prejudice.

 

[talibeard]

I completely disagree with you. You need to pick up a good boar. Holding water does not make a brush superior to another. I use a boar far more than badger, as it more consistently does a great job.

Something a boar will always hold over a badger is a lack of lather hogging. All badger brushes I have used, with the WORST being my Shavemac, hog tons of lather. You need to squeeze it out on your last pass and it just pours out. With a boar it is much less of a problem. You have a little to squeeze out at the end, but it typically leaves most of the lather on your face.

I'll second that 100%!! Nicely put.

 

[mikromicke]

Ouch. http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=boar&word2=badger#

 

[northpaw]

I hate to break it to you but those boars will never match up to that Shavemac. Ya sure, they will get just as, if not softer than the Shavemac and they will load up on any soap you throw at them, but the amount of water the Shavemac can hold and the ease of making lather will never be the same. Boars are the best value in the world of shaving brushes, but a $100+ badger will not be beaten by a boar.

...most of which must be shaken out before beginning to make lather - same as any boar brush. Why is this an advantage?

Heck, a soup bowl holds more water than both of 'em, but it doesn't lather so well.

 

[Slade xTekno]

I hate to break this to you, but getting the tiny Vulfix 2233 to get even three passes in one charge is quite the chore. It was my first brush (so it's well-broken in), I still use it every other day, and I still struggle to get more than two good passes out of it face-lathering with Tabac. In the end, I just return to the puck before the third pass; I actually prefer doing it now, as this way, the lather on the third pass is even better than the first.

 

[talibeard]

I hate to break this to you, but getting the tiny Vulfix 2233 to get even three passes in one charge is quite the chore. It was my first brush (so it's well-broken in), I still use it every other day, and I still struggle to get more than two good passes out of it face-lathering with Tabac. In the end, I just return to the puck before the third pass; I actually prefer doing it now, as this way, the lather on the third pass is even better than the first.

I am wondering; my typical travel set-up is an Omega 50014 and a Tabac or Irisch Moos stick.

I usually go for a 3 pass shave and I think the Omega has about the same size (close to 45mm hair lenght) as your Vulfix; there is enough soap left on my brush to go for a 4th pass or touch-ups.

Maybe the use of the stick on my face allows me to get (much) more soap on my brush, but this is never any problem and I don't even try very hard; I have no problem returning to my stick or puck if needed.

 

[deshaveman]

The Vulfix and 10029 are really tiny brushes. They'll never hold lather for four passes. Go back to the 48; it's a tall brush but not at all 'floppy'. I thought it was ridiculously tall when I go it, but its just a badger prejudice.

For face lathering? I find it much too floppy. Due to the tall loft it splays quite a bit when I use it. I need a little more "oomph" when I am face lathering soaps, hence my penchant for short lofted, densely packed badgers.

 

[GarageBoy]

I have the Proraso boar and I love it, its just I think I lather too hard as I've broken at least 1/3 of the bristles over the past 2 years
I also hate the chrome plastic handle

 

[mretzloff]

I completely disagree with you. You need to pick up a good boar. Holding water does not make a brush superior to another. I use a boar far more than badger, as it more consistently does a great job.

Something a boar will always hold over a badger is a lack of lather hogging. All badger brushes I have used, with the WORST being my Shavemac, hog tons of lather. You need to squeeze it out on your last pass and it just pours out. With a boar it is much less of a problem. You have a little to squeeze out at the end, but it typically leaves most of the lather on your face.

Lather hogging just requires you to adjust your technique. It really is not a problem if you have good lathering skills.

 

[Groundhog]

Behold......my ultimate face-lathering combo....