Boar--Have I Given Up too Soon?

[Chaucer]

I've been shaving with DE and brush for about a year now after 30 or so years with cartridges and goo. Thanks in part to helpful suggestions from B&B, I use several badger brushes in a rotation. Each has its charms.

So, following other suggestions, I bought an Omega boar brush and used it about a dozen times. It looks nice; there was no odor; and the price was right. But compared to the badgers, it's no fun. The bristles are stiff and prickly, and the lather never puffs on my face and gets clammy and dried out.

This can't be what you boar fans enjoy about these brushes. Is mine not broken in yet? Am I doing something else wrong?

 

[scottb]

It can take a while to break in a boar, but which Omega are you using?

I've had an Omega Pro and a 31064, the two were night and day.

 

[Don]

My Omega Pro 48 broke in very nicely in a short period of time.

 

[Hammer]

Some are stiff and others as soft or softer than badger. Might just need to give it some time.
Which one are you using?

If you don't want it I'll give it a home

 

[HeWhoKnows]

I just ordered Semogue boar...I really want to have fun with it! But could those boars really be that inexpensive but yet so good!?

 

[California Cajun]

I've been shaving with DE and brush for about a year now after 30 or so years with cartridges and goo. Thanks in part to helpful suggestions from B&B, I use several badger brushes in a rotation. Each has its charms.

So, following other suggestions, I bought an Omega boar brush and used it about a dozen times. It looks nice; there was no odor; and the price was right. But compared to the badgers, it's no fun. The bristles are stiff and prickly, and the lather never puffs on my face and gets clammy and dried out.

This can't be what you boar fans enjoy about these brushes. Is mine not broken in yet? Am I doing something else wrong?

Sometimes I want something stiff to stimulate my face. Most of the time I use a badger brush, but about once or twice a week, I enjoy the stiffness of a boar brush.

 

[talibeard]

A dozen times does not sound right. Do you use it with soaps or creams? Bowl, palm or face lathering?

Of course boars simply may not be your thing but they usually start out mediocre, then get worse and after 15 to 30 shaves they start to perform.

Using a boar is an ever evolving project; after they are "broken in" (some even claim a mere 10 shaves) the process isn't over. My oldest boar has turned into cotton fluff with backbone in something close to a decade (in rotation) and has qualities it didn't have after just 6 months of use.

 

[Joe Edson]

I just ordered Semogue boar...I really want to have fun with it! But could those boars really be that inexpensive but yet so good!?

I started out with one semogue boar, then another, now another. Let's just say that I really have fun with them.

 

[SliceOfLife]

My 2000 semo was my first good boar. It's very soft and firm. The only complaint I've got is that it doesn't produce as good of a lather as my badgers do when face lathering. I'd guess the different way boar holds water than badger is to blame, or possibly it's still not fully broken in. When I bowl or palm lather it's as good or better than my badgers though.

 

[Chaucer]

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts. The encouragement is much appreciated.

I don't know the model of my Omega brush. The handle is reddish brown with a brass ring on top and a brass-colored band painted in the middle. A photo is on the Em's Web site, on the top left of the Omega boar brushes. It's her #mno-res.

With the boar brush, I have mostly used cream (Nancy Boy and Speick) and lathered in a bowl. But I also used Em's soap from time to time (a nice product, BTW). Face lathering with the boar has not been successful at all.

I'll keep trying and I'll report back after awhile. Is there anything I can do to speed up the break-in process (like the Cable Cooker I use for my stereo cables)?

 

[Chaucer]

I'm sorry, guys. I should have checked in the obvious place. My brush is the same as the one reviewed here:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?ltr=O&t=64059

From the review, it seems that some folks like it.

 

[mblakele]

I am more confused than ever. Is this badger or boar? The Omega 639-638-637-636 is badger.

 

[DavidB]

Chaucer, one thing to keep in mind with boar brushes is to let them soak for a couple of minutes so the bristles can soften up. Unlike badger, boar bristles do absorb water, and letting a boar brush soak a bit will soften the bristles.

Dave

 

[rsaltonstall]

My 2000 semo was my first good boar. It's very soft and firm. The only complaint I've got is that it doesn't produce as good of a lather as my badgers do when face lathering. I'd guess the different way boar holds water than badger is to blame, or possibly it's still not fully broken in. When I bowl or palm lather it's as good or better than my badgers though.

+1

I have an Omega 10065, soft with backbone, and I am amazed at how it bowl lathers soaps--rich, thick, and plentiful. It face lathers decently, it does the job, but not as satisfying as badger.

 

[Chaucer]

I am more confused than ever. Is this badger or boar? The Omega 639-638-637-636 is badger.

Sorry about the confusion. The brush handle says "Pura Setola" on the side, and, when I bought it from Em, we were talking about boar brushes. I don't know the model number. It doesn't show up on the brush, the packaging or my invoice. But it looks exactly like the brush in the review I Linked to. I'm sure it's boar.

 

[Ignatius]

My oldest boar has turned into cotton fluff with backbone in something close to a decade (in rotation) and has qualities it didn't have after just 6 months of use.

Agreed. I was sceptical about the degree to which a boar would change. I used a 31064 daily for about 6 months and its like candy floss - by far the softest tipped brush I've used. It was, however, pretty soft-tipped out of the box, I seem to recall. I have 4 Omages in total and none were 'prickly', even when brand new.

ps the 31064 has also become a lot softer overall - and this was towards the end of its 6 month stint - it definitely has lost some backbone. I don't mind this, but some might.

 

[ginhud]

I think I'm using the very same brush. Also from Em's Place. Mine is definitely a boar and the plastic container it came in says art 11151. Cream or soaps provide a generous lather for face lathering, two passes. I didn't like the shape of the handle so I glued on 1/4 inch extension so my fingers more naturally fit into the 'groove' in the handle. I'd say experiment with more or less, probably more, water...and definitely give it a little time. You may find boars have a learning curve but once you get the hang of it, it'll have big mounds of lather if you want.

 

[Chaucer]

Thanks again, guys.
The plastic container my brush came in doesn't have a number.
I used this brush again this morning for the first time in a while and noticed another peculiarity that I had forgotten about. When the brush is wet, the bristles stick together, form a ring and leave a gap in the middle. The few bristles in the middle lose their heat, and the whole brush gets soggy on the outside and dry in the middle. Not a happy situation. None of my badger brushes does this. Will this go away with break-in?

 

[Jaymo]

Now I feel bad for having such good luck with my VdH boar brush. It works well, whether face, bowl, or mug lathering with soap or cream.

 

[kingfisher]

That's a badger brush. That's the problem. You are giving up on a lower grade of badger, not giving up on boar.