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My first boar brush - what am I doing wrong?

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Of course, with Em's soaps, you could get a good lather with a basting brush.

Many basting brushes are boar. Alton Brown uses a boar shaving brush as a barbecue sauce brush.

6268A994-4A24-4C89-A505-29667741EEB2.jpeg
 
Many basting brushes are boar. Alton Brown uses a boar shaving brush as a barbecue sauce brush.
That's probably what got me on the idea. I literally could take a few flicks of the basting brush on one of her soap pucks and have a slick enough lather to shave with.

I wonder, though, with all the black pepper and smoke shave soaps out there, if someone has made one that can double as BBQ marinade.
 
So tonight I performed my second shave using a boar brush. This time, I used a Sterling soap bbq sauce flavor. No wait... Flashbacks of my previous post here.

I used Sterling soap barbershop. It provided an excellent lather with the boar. Sure wish I could say the same with my first straight razor shave. Took 45 minutes with that shave, which I am not pleased with the results. I will post my thoughts on the straight razor forum.
 
So tonight I performed my second shave using a boar brush. This time, I used a Sterling soap bbq sauce flavor. No wait... Flashbacks of my previous post here.

I used Sterling soap barbershop. It provided an excellent lather with the boar. Sure wish I could say the same with my first straight razor shave. Took 45 minutes with that shave, which I am not pleased with the results. I will post my thoughts on the straight razor forum.
I just ran out and copyrighted the phrase "barbercue."
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I have three boar brushes in house.. and a few more on the way.. snail mail from Spain and Portugal.... I already started the wetting and drying process on the first three.

I'm assuming the mixed knot brushes will respond more quickly to the break-in process... but I have actual proof this is the case but I'll be doing something similar with them, just in case. I will start using the Mistura brushes right away, though, since they start out a bit softer to begin with.
 
Multipurpose basting, shaving, paintbrush.
I joked about this here, but I've been staying at my in-laws this week and didn't bring a brush. I was going to just hand lather but I found an unused, cheap pastry brush in a drawer and whipped up a good lather with it despite the rock-hard water here. I kind of like the paintbrush profile, as it's easy to paint on the lather without it getting everywhere, especially on the mustache.
 
The best way to break in a boar is to just use it, and or use it and do a few test lathers after each shave (prior to it being discontinued, I'd say use Williams, but any soap will do, but hard pucks do better).
One of my softest boar brushes is the well broken in $5.00 Surrey boar that I picked up in a random antique store. I just reknotted two brush handles with knots from The Golden Nib; one was a badger and the other was a boar. The boar was scentless and washed up without a problem and is quickly beginning to split and soften. The badger didn't smell upon first install, but then I added a few drops of Dawn and worked up a quick lather. Everything seemed okay until I squeezed the knot to re-lather it and all of the lather turned a dark, muddy brown color and it smelled like they harvested all of the hairs from around the badger's "wastegate." It took about five re-lathers and rinses before the lather and rinse came out clean and the smell went away. Once it was clean the badger bloomed much larger than its 22mm knot size, while the boar continues to soften with good backbone.
 

Chef455

Head Cheese Head Chef
In order to stay on subject, I'll state again, my experience for the best way to break in a boar brush is by obtaining one that is used. Someone else's face had to go through that super scritchy nonsense. I appreciate them.

I joked about this here, but I've been staying at my in-laws this week and didn't bring a brush. I was going to just hand lather but I found an unused, cheap pastry brush in a drawer and whipped up a good lather with it despite the rock-hard water here. I kind of like the paintbrush profile, as it's easy to paint on the lather without it getting everywhere, especially on the mustache.

My question to @slimshavy is did you find the experience to be more of a slathering on of BBQ to some ribs, or an egg wash to some puff pastry?
 
Hmm, I haven't made ribs before, and it was much thicker than egg wash. No scritch at all, which you'd like. I prefer a good scritch, so I use my boar brush to free some trapped hairs. Of course, I'll keep it even after it's well broken in, as I don't want to have to buy more than one brush every 20 years.
 
Hmm, I haven't made ribs before, and it was much thicker than egg wash. No scritch at all, which you'd like. I prefer a good scritch, so I use my boar brush to free some trapped hairs. Of course, I'll keep it even after it's well broken in, as I don't want to have to buy more than one brush every 20 years.
8379D56D-BE34-4D66-AB06-088C3F76716F.jpeg

Here’s the setup. Not bad!
 
I acquired my first boar brush from west coast shaving last week. It is an omega boar brush that I used for the first time today.

I wanted to see how it would perform against my trusty silver Badger. Boars are supposed to feel more agressive on your face compared to the silver Badger. I did not have any issues with taking the boar to my face with it's bit more aggressiveness.

My experience with it is that the shaving cream I used (tobs ceadareood - first time use) it did not lather up well on my first use. The lather lasted no more than 1-1/2 shaves. On the second lather, it was no better.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to gather a better lather with a boar as I would with a silver Badger?

Thanks.

Hi Mike,

I realize it's been a couple of months since you first posted this, so you've probably got this worked out. But I wanted to opine a bit.

First, I have about 20 brushes in rotation, mostly vintage. Several of them were new old stock with boar knots. Frankly, I don't like boar compared to badger. I think they're a pain in the butt to deal with, and it's true that they're not as comfortable as badger. The definitely are better with soap, mostly because their stiffer bristles dig into the soap better to pick up material before I lather in my scuttle.

Second, I use several TOBS creams and I've found that the Cedarwood doesn't lather up quite as well as the Sandalwood, Peppermint, and Royal Forest that I'm also using. I like the scent just fine, but the cedarwood needs a bit more water it seems like to give as much volume of lather as the others.

I hope this helps.
 
Hi Mike,

I realize it's been a couple of months since you first posted this, so you've probably got this worked out. But I wanted to opine a bit.

First, I have about 20 brushes in rotation, mostly vintage. Several of them were new old stock with boar knots. Frankly, I don't like boar compared to badger. I think they're a pain in the butt to deal with, and it's true that they're not as comfortable as badger. The definitely are better with soap, mostly because their stiffer bristles dig into the soap better to pick up material before I lather in my scuttle.

Second, I use several TOBS creams and I've found that the Cedarwood doesn't lather up quite as well as the Sandalwood, Peppermint, and Royal Forest that I'm also using. I like the scent just fine, but the cedarwood needs a bit more water it seems like to give as much volume of lather as the others.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for your input John.

20 brushes in your collection.... You have me beat. I believe I have 6 or 7 of them which are synthetic, silver Badger, and a boar. All do the job well as I am finding out which brushes do best for cream vs soaps. All feel comfortable on my face with the boar feeling just a bit more aggressive than the Badger and synthetic - but not by much.

Since getting advice from others here on the best way to use a boar brush - I keep it regulated to soaps. I so far used it on Sterling soaps which the boar seems to do the job well. I have not used it that often as I have a whole bunch of sample creams I need to exhaust. And since being on this forum just a few months, this forum is the reason I went from about 6 creams/soaps 1 razor to several razors and a whole damn bunch of soaps and creams - probably near 80 or so, but most of them probably 40 to 50 are of sample sizes which I am trying to exhaust.

I don't think I need to tell you what my cc bills look like since joining this forum.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Thanks for your input John.

20 brushes in your collection.... You have me beat. I believe I have 6 or 7 of them which are synthetic, silver Badger, and a boar. All do the job well as I am finding out which brushes do best for cream vs soaps. All feel comfortable on my face with the boar feeling just a bit more aggressive than the Badger and synthetic - but not by much.

Since getting advice from others here on the best way to use a boar brush - I keep it regulated to soaps. I so far used it on Sterling soaps which the boar seems to do the job well. I have not used it that often as I have a whole bunch of sample creams I need to exhaust. And since being on this forum just a few months, this forum is the reason I went from about 6 creams/soaps 1 razor to several razors and a whole damn bunch of soaps and creams - probably near 80 or so, but most of them probably 40 to 50 are of sample sizes which I am trying to exhaust.

I don't think I need to tell you what my cc bills look like since joining this forum.
I think you need to start looking at more razors...:letterk1:

~doug~
 
I acquired my first boar brush from west coast shaving last week. It is an omega boar brush that I used for the first time today.

I wanted to see how it would perform against my trusty silver Badger. Boars are supposed to feel more agressive on your face compared to the silver Badger. I did not have any issues with taking the boar to my face with it's bit more aggressiveness.

My experience with it is that the shaving cream I used (tobs ceadareood - first time use) it did not lather up well on my first use. The lather lasted no more than 1-1/2 shaves. On the second lather, it was no better.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to gather a better lather with a boar as I would with a silver Badger?

Thanks.

Did you try using Omega soap with Omega brush?

I soaked my boar in water for seriously 5 days before using it. I still let it soak overnight if I know I am going to have a good boar shave.

Do not compare badger to boar. If they eventually are more like badger then that is a bonus though they boar in the beginning get no love. I heard somewhere to drown the boar in pre-shave oil for like 20 days (trying to ruin it). The result is it actually is a super soft and completely usable brush. Repeat the same procedure for another 20 days.

Some soap makes the brush super soft, where some dry it out. Start with something that dries it out and do more bowl lathers. Then switch to a brush with more hydrating softer feel to the bristles. CELLA can be drying, and Sebum Gold can be moisturizing for the brush.

As for the soap itself, apply a quarter to half dollar size and apply to the entire surface area of the entire bowl.

My boar is soft on the face. Definitely not aggressive. It has more backbone for sure and that is why I reach for it several times in a week.
 
I think you need to start looking at more razors...:letterk1:

~doug~

Yep, you're right on. That's the next step. I finally stopped with three vintage Gillettes in rotation: 1959 Fatboy, 1957 Red Tip, and 1948-50 Super Speed. I found I like the TTO razors, so retired the modern three piece razors.
 

As the others have said, the more you use it, the better it will get as it breaks in. I find that the longer you soak in warm/hot water before using, the better. I usually soak for 10-15 mins. I was also taught to splay lightly, and I find that it helps a lot.

Here are mine. I’ve had them both for over a year, and they are fantastic. They are pretty much all I use. I call them “The Dualing Boars.”
 

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