Boar brush ( or Boar rush) break-in: enough is enough

[patten1969]

Team,
I have seen a lot of suggestions or methods for breaking in boar brushes. Yes, they are different than badger brushes in that they do need to break in, and they do need a soak prior to lathering (unlike badger brushes), but there are wild suggestions occurring regularly including freezing the bristles overnight and other brush-damaging advice. Let's put the 'b' back in 'rushes'.
Please, please, please: there is no reason to expedite the breaking in of a boar brush. Just use it. Otherwise, you will miss the the thrill of the moment when one day (and it doesn't take that long) you will use your boar brush and it will all of a sudden feel soft and wonderful. I had my ah-ha moment with an Omega 10049. That is the mission. Breaking in a boar brush is not a prerequisite, it is the outcome of the labor of lathering love.
So:
Badger: wet it and forget it
Boar: soak it, use it, and wait for the day when it becomes as soft as badger and you have the ah-ha moment.
Thanks.

 

[drwevil]

Thanks for the safe advice I have my very first Boar brush coming. Hopefully this week.

It's a monster with a 28mm knot.

I will use it and wait for the Ah Ha moment.
I will defunk it so doesn't smell like a wet pig..... if it does.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tokyospike]

Good advice . . . beautiful brush.

After an overnight soak in water with a little Dr. Bonner's Lavender Soap, a good rinse, a dry-out, and a couple hand-lathers, my boar brush was a pleasure to use, and it was only a few weeks to my ah-ha moment. It's only gotten better in the year since.

 

[Merle]

I guess I came to the board when members were inclined to traditional process. Rather reminds me of craftsmen who have learned along their journey. Seems maybe of late we've met some folk who come from the school of results first and as quickly as possible. It's an interesting comparison, and both modes demonstrate their results. I appreciate the original poster's plea. I hope it shows up as new novice members arrive to learn. Take your time, appreciate the development as it presents itself.

 

[Cino]

I agree. Break it in as fast as you can and start enjoying it.

 

[ColonelHogan]

It isn't as though a new boar is like rubbing a steel brush or a porcupine across your face. Breaking in a brush is a matter of it becoming softer- not moving from prickly to soft. I own 4 or 5 Omegas, 4 Zeniths, a couple of Mondials, & even the ridiculously overpriced Antica Barbieria Colla boar that I bought when I didn't know better. The Zeniths, Mondial, & the ABC were quite soft right out the box, and the ends began to split right away, continuing to do so for a good while. They had no animal smell. Two Omegas had some funk, but it dissipated with a quick dip in dishwashing soap and by use over a week or so. The Omegas were not as soft as the more expensive Mondials and Zeniths when brand new, but after a couple months the $10 Omega 48 and 49 are each as luxurious as the $75 Antica Barbieria Colla. While I haven't soaked a new boar in cold water for 2-3 days, I should point out that is the suggestion of Franco Bompieri, the 84 year old master barber & proprietor of Milan's Antica Barbieria Colla barber shop, so that advice isn't something that someone recently made up themselves. I just have never tried it myself.

There was one poster recently who suggested that we torture our little piggies by dipping the tips in near boiling water as a way of breaking the brush in quickly. I would think that can't be good for the brush. All these speedy break ins remind me of guys who buy jeans that are already stained or that have holes in the knees in order that they might look well worn by a guy who actually does something.

 

[Nick Flores]

I find half a dozen or so uses and whipping the boar dry on a towel is enough to start a good break in. I've never had a boar that I felt the need to defunk as the smell is usually overpowered by the soap.

 

[Cino]

. . . .
There was one poster recently who suggested that we torture our little piggies by dipping the tips in near boiling water as a way of breaking the brush in quickly. . . .

Hey! I'm that poster! Don't knock it till you've tried it. It works.

How do you rate the different brushes? I have only Semogues and an Omega. I was thinking about getting a Zenith but I've read posts that some can be real shedders. Others say they are the best. I like big brushes, and Zenith seems to offer them.

Any reason why you have no Semogues?

 

[Ice-Man]

Team,
I have seen a lot of suggestions or methods for breaking in boar brushes. Yes, they are different than badger brushes in that they do need to break in, and they do need a soak prior to lathering (unlike badger brushes), but there are wild suggestions occurring regularly including freezing the bristles overnight and other brush-damaging advice. Let's put the 'b' back in 'rushes'.
Please, please, please: there is no reason to expedite the breaking in of a boar brush. Just use it. Otherwise, you will miss the the thrill of the moment when one day (and it doesn't take that long) you will use your boar brush and it will all of a sudden feel soft and wonderful. I had my ah-ha moment with an Omega 10049. That is the mission. Breaking in a boar brush is not a prerequisite, it is the outcome of the labor of lathering love.
So:
Badger: wet it and forget it
Boar: soak it, use it, and wait for the day when it becomes as soft as badger and you have the ah-ha moment.
Thanks.

Very well said no need to rush things, let it happen in its own time.

Thanks for the safe advice I have my very first Boar brush coming. Hopefully this week.

It's a monster with a 28mm knot.

I will use it and wait for the Ah Ha moment.
I will defunk it so doesn't smell like a wet pig..... if it does.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You will love it mate a very big brush

 

[Ice-Man]

And yes I have 3 Zenith, Semogue 830, Omega 10049, the first 2 yes have broken in, and I got that feeling but the Omega I'm still waiting for that one and its been just under 2 years. But I hope it don't as I love it the way it is.

 

[ColonelHogan]

Hey! I'm that poster! Don't knock it till you've tried it. It works.

How do you rate the different brushes? I have only Semogues and an Omega. I was thinking about getting a Zenith but I've read posts that some can be real shedders. Others say they are the best. I like big brushes, and Zenith seems to offer them.

Any reason why you have no Semogues?

I have a couple Semogues new in their boxes but I've never used them. I guess I have a thing for Italian products! I have had no problem with Zeniths shedding. My oldest Zenith is a well broken in 26x64 that got softer and softer for a full year. It just kept getting better. Now it is like eiderdown with backbone, if such a thing was possible. The Zenith/Razorock blondie with a cherry handle is my overall fave. Nearly as broken in as the first one, I love the way the handle feels. It's a nice break from the standard Italian barbershop shape handle of most of these big boar brushes. Still getting softer & softer.

I'd recommend guys look around for Mondial boars. Hard to find outside the EU or Australia, they are superb boars. I own 3, all 26x57 knots, with a plastic, nickel, and an aluminium handle. The one with the aluminium handle is identical to the Antica Barbieria Colla brush. Same knot, exact same handle shape- it must be the same brush. But it is 1/3 the price. Mondial markets or labels their boars now as "Antica Barberia Mondial," which simply means "Mondial old barbershop [style]," and they are real quality brushes.

For a long time I have lusted after the elusive Koh-I-Noor Italian boar, which is really hard to find nowadays. At one time they were quite popular Italian barber size brushes. Recently a B&B member gifted me with one of these brushes- an unholy grail of sorts for me- and I look forward to breaking it in at some point in the future. Gotta always have something to look forward to.

The Zenith & Mondial boars have thinner, whiter hairs than do the Omegas, and they have much more substantial handles, with the exception of the Omega Italian Flag LE, which has lovely hair and a resin handle. The pure white hairs break in more quickly than the thicker hairs found in Omega production model boars, but honestly, an Omega pro size boar that has been slowly broken in is every bit as soft as a Zenith, and may over time even retain more backbone than the Zenith. These are all very good brushes, in my opinion.

 

[Volare]

there is no reason to expedite the breaking in of a boar brush. Just use it. Breaking in a boar brush is not a prerequisite, it is the outcome of the labor of lathering love

100% Agreed. This is the best break-in advice I've seen in a long time. No need to freeze your brush, boil the tips, bleach them, use sandpaper, allowing it to soak overnight in water or lather, etc. By using such methods, you are risking damaging your brush, whether it be the bristles, the epoxy or the handle.

If you cannot use a new boar because you can't stand the smell when its new, give it a quick lather or two with shampoo. Or, just use your smelliest soap or cream for the first couple of times, which will usually kill the stink. If your lather is disappearing between passes during the first few uses, you can always solve this issue by just using more product. You can always re-load when needed (A soap stick or cream makes this process even easier). Your boar brush will blossom with use. Keep it simple and enjoy.

 

[Cino]

Thanks Colonel. The loft on your favorite Zenith, 64 mm, even with a 26 mm knot seems high to me, but I've never used a Zenith. Does that ever get a little floppy? I've seen Zeniths with shorter lofts on ebay, but if 64 mm works I don't want to push my luck.

 

[sandstone]

I find half a dozen or so uses and whipping the boar dry on a towel is enough to start a good break in. I've never had a boar that I felt the need to defunk as the smell is usually overpowered by the soap.

+1...

 

[blzrfn]

There is nothing sacred about a boar brush and it is undoubtedly much more enjoyable to use once broken in. Considering the ridiculously low cost, why not experiment and get to the desired finish faster? I understand if you buy a vintage or antique brush that is hard to replace it may not be a good candidate for experimentation, but if you are getting a sub-$20 pure bristle brush and don't mind the possibility of failure then have at it! There is no hazing that needs to take place to earn a broken in brush. When I used to use boar bristle brushes I would lather them over and over until broken in because until those tips split they weren't pleasant to use. I have since abandoned all but my badger brushes, but I totally understand those that are trying to accelerate the break-in process.

 

[NesOne]

Wait a minute... OP, are you telling me that when I use my badger brush there is no need to soak it while I'm in the shower? I thought all brushes had to be soaked before each use. Is that not the case?

 

[Quink]

Team,
I have seen a lot of suggestions or methods for breaking in boar brushes. Yes, they are different than badger brushes in that they do need to break in, and they do need a soak prior to lathering (unlike badger brushes), but there are wild suggestions occurring regularly including freezing the bristles overnight and other brush-damaging advice. Let's put the 'b' back in 'rushes'.
Please, please, please: there is no reason to expedite the breaking in of a boar brush. Just use it. Otherwise, you will miss the the thrill of the moment when one day (and it doesn't take that long) you will use your boar brush and it will all of a sudden feel soft and wonderful. I had my ah-ha moment with an Omega 10049. That is the mission. Breaking in a boar brush is not a prerequisite, it is the outcome of the labor of lathering love.
So:
Badger: wet it and forget it
Boar: soak it, use it, and wait for the day when it becomes as soft as badger and you have the ah-ha moment.
Thanks.

+1
Absolutely agree... Unfortunately some people just don't have the patience and then complain that the brush is shedding or the handle (wood) got cracked after being submerged in water for 2 days... indirectly blaming the brush. Hmm... Thanks for posting.
I always enjoyed the journey and that "wow" moment when the brush is finally there... the sweet spot!!

 

[G.W.]

Rushing to break something in can also hasten its demise.

 

[sjerquinn]

I soaked my Omega 11648 in warm water with dawn for a couple of hours, then whipped up a lather and let that sit overnight before rinsing. That was all the break-in I did with mine and it's been a great brush from day one, but it's definitely gotten softer and more enjoyable to use. I've been exclusively using my latest badger brush since I got it, but I think I'll be breaking out my Omega with the next couple of shaves. I kinda miss it.

 

[Nick Flores]

Wait a minute... OP, are you telling me that when I use my badger brush there is no need to soak it while I'm in the shower? I thought all brushes had to be soaked before each use. Is that not the case?

Boars soak up a lot of water slowly while a badger will take up all the water it can after running it under the tap for 10 seconds. I can't see it hurting a badger to soak it but there really is no need.