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

[deshaveman]

Okay, I'm a big fan of face lathering. I have Shavemac D01 23mm knot 50mm loft and a Rooney 3/1 Super (from Jim with a 22mm knot and 48mm loft). Both brushes are great face lathering brushes.

Now I also have a few boar brushes that I am trying to get the hang of. A Vulfix 2233 (20mm knot and 49mm loft) and an Omega 10029 (24mm knot and 50mm loft). I also have a Pro 48 but it is more of a giant floppy cream whipper.

I soak the boars during my shower to soften them up and saturate them and I can whip up decent lather on my face with both glycerin and triple-milled soaps. Not as easily as with my badgers but it gets there. Also, even though the brush knots are on par with my badgers size-wise (at least the 10029 is) I can't seem to get more than a couple passes worth of lather to stay in the knot. The knots are so tight a stiff they squeeze out any extra lather instead of holding it inside like the badgers.

Being new to boar brushes I don't know if they are "being boars" or, as the Internet meme goes, I'm doing it wrong.

So what gives? Am I expecting too much from these boars? Is their capacity always going to be less than their badger pals? Is having to return to the puck typical with boars? Or do they just need more time to break in?

Ideally, I'd love a stand in for my 23mm Shavemac. Something with the backbone to handle face lathering and the capacity to pump out tons of lather as needed. Extra scritch is fine, it doesn't necessarily need to feel like D01 silver tip. Can I get that from a boar knot? Do I need a longer loft? Bigger knot? Any suggestions?

As I mentioned I have an Pro 48 and the knot is huge and holds a lot of lather but because of the tall loft it doesn't do it for me in the face lathering area. I usually whip up lather in a bowl using the Pro 48 and just paint it on.

 

[talibeard]

Part of the problem will be that they are new boars. They are not broken in with just a few shaves. I never get lather for 3 passes on a new boar but after a couple of weeks of use that is no issue anymore. Even my small travel brush can hold enough soap for a 3-pass shave.

Boars do hold lather differently than badgers do; I soak a boar for just a few minutes and load too much soap for the amount of water on the brush. Then, during the lathering, I add a few drops of hot water every time I feel the need. Has worked with every soap I ever used.

The main reason I went back to boars is that they work so well with hard soaps and face lathering....Good luck!

 

[Dharion]

You could always try a brush in 'pure' or 'finest' badger hair. They are awesome with soaps (due to their scratchiness they take it up faster than their silvertip counterparts).

But! the boars are, too. So stick with them for a while. Chances are they become very usefull.
Here's two usefull links:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=106414
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIsj58fqVjY

 

[thadoggfather]

like talibeard said, new boar need a couple of days/weeks to work really good.
Maybe this video is helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIsj58fqVjY

To make lots of lather boar needs more water then badger.
I usually load the brush like in the video above and then go to the face to lather (instead of going to the hand like in the video) and usually get enough lather for 4 passes


oh i just noticed the video was already posted... oh well, but this method works really good

 

[Sodapopjones]

Okay, I'm a big fan of face lathering. I have Shavemac D01 23mm knot 50mm loft and a Rooney 3/1 Super (from Jim with a 22mm knot and 48mm loft). Both brushes are great face lathering brushes.

Now I also have a few boar brushes that I am trying to get the hang of. A Vulfix 2233 (20mm knot and 49mm loft) and an Omega 10029 (24mm knot and 50mm loft). I also have a Pro 48 but it is more of a giant floppy cream whipper.

I soak the boars during my shower to soften them up and saturate them and I can whip up decent lather on my face with both glycerin and triple-milled soaps. Not as easily as with my badgers but it gets there. Also, even though the brush knots are on par with my badgers size-wise (at least the 10029 is) I can't seem to get more than a couple passes worth of lather to stay in the knot. The knots are so tight a stiff they squeeze out any extra lather instead of holding it inside like the badgers.

Being new to boar brushes I don't know if they are "being boars" or, as the Internet meme goes, I'm doing it wrong.

So what gives? Am I expecting too much from these boars? Is their capacity always going to be less than their badger pals? Is having to return to the puck typical with boars? Or do they just need more time to break in?

Ideally, I'd love a stand in for my 23mm Shavemac. Something with the backbone to handle face lathering and the capacity to pump out tons of lather as needed. Extra scritch is fine, it doesn't necessarily need to feel like D01 silver tip. Can I get that from a boar knot? Do I need a longer loft? Bigger knot? Any suggestions?

As I mentioned I have an Pro 48 and the knot is huge and holds a lot of lather but because of the tall loft it doesn't do it for me in the face lathering area. I usually whip up lather in a bowl using the Pro 48 and just paint it on.

Give it time to break it, a good solid couples weeks on the puck for the Omega.

Also you might need to add more water during the lathering process than you're used to, as boars dig up soap.

If I can get 3 passes out of a puck of Williams or VDH before it needs charged again, should tell you its just fine.

Scroll down and you can see my complete guide with pictures to Boar Face Lathering Here

 

[dashmaverick]

Score for Boar!!

I've got an Omega 10029 and I love it!! Like others said, give it about a week to soften up and let the ends split. Mine is the perfect combination of soft and scratchy and I can get more than enough lather for a 3 pass shave.

 

[mretzloff]

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.

 

[dashmaverick]

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.

Brothers of the Boar, We Shall Overcome!

 

[Sodapopjones]

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.

I wouldn't let a $100 brush come near, a puck of Williams

 

[Leche]

Let it break in more and in that time frame you will get used to the differences. Badgers and boars just behave differently. Boars are really the best for soaps.

 

[SAFETYpin]

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.

How ever you need to justify that purchase to yourself is fine.

 

[NoFair]

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.

This is my experience as well. Boars are good, great badgers are way better

 

[dog]

Scroll down and you can see my complete guide with pictures to Boar Face Lathering Here

Thanks so much for the short, but helpful pictorial. I have the same brush (but with the red handle), and have been on a VDH kick lately.

In the short time that I have been wetshaving (2ish months) I have only been bowl lathering. Thanks to your help I just completed my first shave with a face lather! I am fairly sure I had enough lather for a 4th pass on my brush, but I only had enough facial hair for 3 passes

Sorry to interrupt the latest boar vs. badger debate! lol

 

[masonjarjar]

with a boar in one hand, and my lilac vegetal in the other, I will walk the earth with pride and win no wet shaving popularity contests...

 

[talibeard]

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.

Your milage is different from mine !

 

[St. Ignatz]

My Dad was a barber and I now have a couple of his boar brushes. Whether for sanitation purposes or other I remember he would use the brush as described earlier a little light on the water then a few drops to get the right balance. He would then transfer to his hand to lather a customer that way ensuring a vigorous application. Boar and badger are as different as SE and DE which just makes it that much more interesting.
Tom D.

 

[Sodapopjones]

Thanks so much for the short, but helpful pictorial. I have the same brush (but with the red handle), and have been on a VDH kick lately.

In the short time that I have been wetshaving (2ish months) I have only been bowl lathering. Thanks to your help I just completed my first shave with a face lather! I am fairly sure I had enough lather for a 4th pass on my brush, but I only had enough facial hair for 3 passes

Sorry to interrupt the latest boar vs. badger debate! lol

Glad it worked out for you, cheaper soaps work a lot better face lathering at least for me

 

[VR6ofpain]

Funny you bring this up. I never liked creams until I start face lathering with creams, using a boar brush (Semogue 1305 currently). I found you get the maximum amount of lather out of the cream. Obviously face lathering with a boar and soap also works excellent.

 

[VR6ofpain]

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.

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.

 

[82R100]

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.

But didn't you read what he said? He's paying more than $100 for it!