Breaking in a boar's hair

[mmiller3475]

Okay...what's the secret to breaking in a boar's hair brush? Patience? Persistence? A combination of both? I've been working on one for 3 weeks now and it's not close. I was tempted to tie the brush to my car and drag it, but the police threatened me with a ticket for destroying county property

This is really a toughie. I've been alternating its use every other day.

 

[Klarion]

Okay...what's the secret to breaking in a boar's hair brush? Patience? Persistence? A combination of both? I've been working on one for 3 weeks now and it's not close.

That's pretty much how it goes. Most boars, with about 15-30 lather/dry cycles, will reach a level of acceptable performance by my stndards. However, depending onn the kind of brush and how dense it's packed, and howthick the bristles are, it may take even longer. Being "broken in" though, is a different story altogether, and I think a lot of others have a different opinion on the meaning than I do.

 

[craig87c]

Buy Williams/VDH/cheap soap, make a lather with it a couple of times a day even if you don't use it to shave. The wetting, lather, drying process will speed the breakin.

 

[Easttexasman]

I am in the same boat with a SOC,I am starting to get aggravated.
I have been lathering with it every 3 days because I read that it helped to let it to get completely dry between uses.
I am starting to think I made a mistake buying a boar.

Paul

 

[craig87c]

I am in the same boat with a SOC,I am starting to get aggravated.
I have been lathering with it every 3 days because I read that it helped to let it to get completely dry between uses.
I am starting to think I made a mistake buying a boar.

Paul

Shouldn't take 3 days to dry out- just park it in front on a fan and it should be good to go in the morning and at night.

 

[mblakele]

My SOC did pretty well with creams, right away. After about 20 lathers it broke in enough for melt-and-pour soaps. After about 40 it was ready for triple-milled soaps.

 

[filedog]

Hmm, interesting. I know it is the commonly held view that boars take a LOT of breaking in, but my SOC was fine from day one. Made test lathers of all my soaps, no problem. I have about 15 cycles on it now, and the tips are splitting, it's getting softer. It makes lather a BIT slower and less effectively than my badgers, but only a little. You guys that are frustrated, are you wanting ti to get softer? Hold more lather?

 

[mmiller3475]

Hmm, interesting. I know it is the commonly held view that boars take a LOT of breaking in, but my SOC was fine from day one. Made test lathers of all my soaps, no problem. I have about 15 cycles on it now, and the tips are splitting, it's getting softer. It makes lather a BIT slower and less effectively than my badgers, but only a little. You guys that are frustrated, are you wanting ti to get softer? Hold more lather?

Basically, I'd like it to be a little softer. Based on the other comments, I'd say I'm not using it enough. I'll lather up with it daily with whatever is cheap, and hope that does the trick. It is a good brush, but it needs some special care (initially at least).

 

[drandall]

my SOC is taking a very long time to break-in and it is occasionally frustrating.

my brush began with abysmal performance. then it graduated to mediocre, then average and now with about 20-30 latherings it has passed average and is trending upwards towards very good.

will it get to great? i certainly hope so.

to those who are similarly discouraged, hang in there. i'm not yet a believer...but i see steady progress and that's encouraging

 

[mmiller3475]

That's pretty much how it goes. Most boars, with about 15-30 lather/dry cycles, will reach a level of acceptable performance by my stndards. However, depending onn the kind of brush and how dense it's packed, and howthick the bristles are, it may take even longer. Being "broken in" though, is a different story altogether, and I think a lot of others have a different opinion on the meaning than I do.

I think that I just need to give it more time. I'm going to use it daily (just to make lather), and see what happens after some additional time.

 

[craig87c]

If you SOC guys decide to get rid of the brush, I'll trade you something for it!

 

[mmiller3475]

If you SOC guys decide to get rid of the brush, I'll trade you something for it!

Thanks for the offer, but we've spent so much time together that it would be like trading one of my family. I consider this a challenge to be met.

 

[vitaman]

For those of you that are wanting a softer boar before break in, try soaking your brush in hot tap water. Not boiling but as hot as you can get from the tap. This should help in the softness. As far as the break in goes, be patient.

 

[mmiller3475]

my SOC is taking a very long time to break-in and it is occasionally frustrating.

my brush began with abysmal performance. then it graduated to mediocre, then average and now with about 20-30 latherings it has passed average and is trending upwards towards very good.

will it get to great? i certainly hope so.

to those who are similarly discouraged, hang in there. i'm not yet a believer...but i see steady progress and that's encouraging

If I really thought about it, there must have been progress. So I'll keep plugging away. It can only get better.

 

[Drubbing]

I am in the same boat with a SOC,I am starting to get aggravated.
I have been lathering with it every 3 days because I read that it helped to let it to get completely dry between uses.
I am starting to think I made a mistake buying a boar.

Paul

Leaving it 3 days - it's just going to take 3 times as long to break in.

Use it every day, and an extra lather for practice as well.

It'll come good just before your frustration reaches the max.

 

[rodeo]

Okay...what's the secret to breaking in a boar's hair brush? Patience? Persistence? A combination of both? I've been working on one for 3 weeks now and it's not close. I was tempted to tie the brush to my car and drag it, but the police threatened me with a ticket for destroying county property

This is really a toughie. I've been alternating its use every other day.

Just use it and forget it. Before you know it, it will be all broken in.
Too much is made by new shavers about the urgency to break in a new brush. Enjoy the ride, look out the window and don't concentrate on "break in" and before you know it, it will be....

 

[mmiller3475]

Just use it and forget it. Before you know it, it will be all broken in.
Too much is made by new shavers about the urgency to break in a new brush. Enjoy the ride, look out the window and don't concentrate on "break in" and before you know it, it will be....

I'm not concerned with the urgency more than if I was doing something wrong. I know it will never match my silvertip brush, but I don't think it was made to compete directly with those brushes.

 

[Drubbing]

I'm not concerned with the urgency more than if I was doing something wrong. I know it will never match my silvertip brush, but I don't think it was made to compete directly with those brushes.

My boars can't compete with my Silvertip either.

So much so I can remember the last time I used it

 

[mmiller3475]

I use a sometimes controversial method in breaking in my boar brushes but all perform incredibly and none were harmed in any way. I own the Semogue 09 LE, 2000, and 1305 and the Omega(cheap ebay one?).

I basically speed up the proccess of the breaking in by using a hair dryer in between latherings. I lather up using whatever cheap soap I have....usually PC or VDH. I am quite rough with the lathering I might add. Rinse well and blow dry the brush on medium heat. Once the brush is dry I soak, lather, and dry again.

I did this 30 times straight with my 1305 (yes I counted) within about a 2 1/2 hour period and the brush was fully broken in. I will admit I used high heat a couple times but didnt find it to benefit in any way. I will say that the heat DID help in the splitting of the hairs(makes sense). The brush transformed into a lather lacker to a lather monster in a couple of hours. I then used the same method on my others. I wanted to try it on a cheaper brush before using on my cherished LE.

Some have said this method is insane and wrong. It destroys the brush tips and bristles. Well it worked for me and I didnt have to suffer one day at a time until my brush was up to speed. To simply stop the method when the brush is to your liking and it only gets better after that Also, if you think about it, the boar was probably not confined to air conditioned facilities and probably were in the hot scorching sun for long periods of time It worked for me

Whatever works can't be all bad! It does seem a little over the top, but it worked.

 

[Easttexasman]

I am fixing to get busy with the hairdryer.

Paul