Am I dumb in doing this???

[bob.e]

I just picked up a Omega Marvy Boar #4 shaving brush super cheap and plan on using it with the cake soaps, but mostly shave with my Vulfix Badger and creams.
So to break in this new brush I soak it in hot water for a while then mix a batch of shampoo in a bowl with hot water every day and work it fairly hard to break in the brush, as it will only see intermittent use, and I want this brush broken in quickly so I can enjoy it more when I do use it. Am I nuts for doing this or is there a better way???

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Seems like a good way to do it. I know some people also swear by using hair conditioner on their new brushes as well. Enjoy! Those Omega Boars a nice brushes at a ridiculously low price.

 

[DE Shaver]

I used a blow dryer on my omega boar bristle to cause the ends to split. This helped break in the brush so that it was softer on my face but still firm.

 

[Greybeard]

The shampooing will get rid of the smell, but it's a slow way to split the tips. Using the brush is the best way.
Be careful using a hair dryer. The high heat may cause the bristles to dry out enough to break rather than split. Most Omegas also have a black plastic retaining ring at the knot. This is also susceptible to cracking.
I bought a cheap puck of Williams and made a test lather every second day (let the brush dry completely between use) for 2 weeks. The tips split enough to use and have gotten better since. It also got rid of the stink. I like the smell of Williams, but some may prefer the boar smell.



- Peter

 

[Dpflaum]

When I got my second and third boar brushes, I just soaked them in water, lathered, rinsed, dried, and repeated a couple of times a day. A week of that before I used them and they were very nicely on the way to being broken in.

Oh yeah, they were an Omega something or other and a Semogue 1520

 

[Schwert]

I just dumped my boar brush out of the box and started using it....it broke in at its own time. Why push it?

 

[huntmol]

Yeah, I've never done anything extra to break in my brushes. I'm keeping them for years and years, what's a few weeks of break-in?