Boreal 976 Boar

[Schwert]

Well more of last weeks xAD craziness has rolled in….Getting ready for tomorrows shave.

After reading the "Boreal--Where's the Love" thread I had to contact Gary at ShoeBox ShaveShop to hook me up with one. I tossed in the oddly smelling ARKO shave stick after reading about it too. I can see how this is a love/hate smell. I am not certain where I am on that right just now.

Now for the Boreal 976 Banded Boar. Gary called it a highly underrated brush and I can agree instantly after just dumping it out of the box. I have been using a thinning EverReady boar for a long long time…..this brush is way denser and should go after my Pre de Provence like a street sweeper after a New Year’s celebration.

I lightly polished up the NEW that arrived earlier this week and am set for tomorrows shave.

 

[Hodari D.]

I think the Arko love/hate thing lasts until you shave with it and realize what a great lather it provides and then you think to yourself, for the price, this stuff shaves like a champ. Forget the smell. Then you realize you're not in it to save money and start stocking up on Art of Shaving shaving soap refills.

Scott

 

[Brodirt]

I love my 976 and hated with a passion the Vulfix boar I was using before it.

 

[whiskerlips]

How would you describe this brush? Is is stiff and scrubby like the VDH. That's sort of what I'm looking for.

 

[Trippy]

Im usually not a fan of most wooden handles on brushes, but I'm really digging this one. Perhaps I'll look into one after you experiment with yours a little bit haha.

 

[Schwert]

How would you describe this brush? Is is stiff and scrubby like the VDH. That's sort of what I'm looking for.

Let me get back to you on Monday.

I don't have a VDH, but have looked at one at the store....this seems way fuller-packed and substantial compared to it in the new dry state however.

This was $17 and really looks vastly superior to any inexpensive boar brushes I have seen.


This is Brodirt's post that "forced" me to order this...

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92991&highlight=boreal

 

[Brodirt]

How would you describe this brush? Is is stiff and scrubby like the VDH. That's sort of what I'm looking for.

Stiff, dense and scrubby. It does not clump together when wet, like my Vulfix does, but rather retains its loft very well. An excellent brush that is a steal at $17.

 

[andrew98]

Brodirt's consistent endorsement is pushing me toward one of these. I actually really like my Vulfix 2233 boar, but I'd be interested to see if the Boreal is better. On the other hand, the last thing I need is another brush.

-Andy

 

[whiskerlips]

Let me get back to you on Monday.

Nice, I look forward to it. I'd like to hear more opinions on this brush.

Stiff, dense and scrubby. It does not clump together when wet, like my Vulfix does, but rather retains its loft very well. An excellent brush that is a steal at $17.

Sweet. That's what I like to hear. I have an Omega 31064 that is really great for soft soaps and creams but I still like a scrubbier brush for hard soaps.

I may have to have permission granted from the warden before this happens though.

 

[Darjeeling Express]

Excellent, I've got a Boreal in the cart.

 

[JEEP]

That sure is a nice looking brush. I may need one of those sometime


Regards.

Jakob

 

[whiskerlips]

Well, the lady of the manor actually greenlighted the purchase.....and payed for it! But the next morning we found out someone had purchased the last brush one hour before. I must say though, Gary at Shoebox Shave Shop is top notch. Very good communication and customer service. I just gotta wait two weeks for my new brush.....

But please post more reviews. Especially whoever bought MY brush last night.

 

[Schwert]

I gave the new Boreal 976 a run this weekend. First I should tell you all that I have only ever used boar brushes, in fact I have only ever owned EverReady boar brushes like the one in the below image.

First off the Boreal has at least twice as much hair as the old EverReady and possibly even three times as much. It is very densely packed in comparison to my old EverReady.

I soaked the Boreal in my lather bowl filled with hot water for a few minutes. It holds way more water than my old shedding EverReady.

For this image set, I used Williams in my mug. I gave the brush one good flick to remove water, then hit the soap for about 30 seconds of scrubbing building a load of soap cream…again much faster and easier than my old brush.

Normally I face lather after scrubbing a cream off my soap, but for this time I went to my lather bowl to see what this brush could do. Wow, is about all I can say. It built plenty of rich Williams lather…much more than I could use.

This $17 boar brush is defiantly a revelation to me. My old EverReadys served me well over the years, but this brush is vastly better. It is quite soft on my face, but with plenty of backbone to both scrub the soap and build lather—both in the bowl and on my face.

My second use of this brush was face lathering using Pre de Provence. I loaded the brush in just a few seconds on the tin of soap then face lathered that wonderful soap into a good dense cushion of wonderfully smelling richness. The brush had plenty of lather for my second pass and probably contained enough for at least one more pass ( I only do two pass shaves).

This morning, in the shower, I used the Boreal with Tom’s of Maine Mint for another face lather. A small pea sized dollop of mint at the brush tips and I had way more lather than I could use.

This brush did not smell at all, It has not shed any long hairs—only a few small broken tips (a couple seen in the lather bowl image). It is wonderfully soft even compared to my ancient super broken in EverReady, it is comfortable and efficient to use…I wish I had one of these years ago.

Of all the money I have spent since finding B&B I rank this $17 as the best investment—easily tied my fat-handled Tech and packs of Feathers. What a grand brush. I can only hope that badger brush I am trying to assemble will be half as good as this one.

 

[andrew98]

Great photos and writeup of your impressions concerning this brush! That is exactly the kind of post that keeps my SBAD going strong. You think you finally have things under control, then BAM!

Thanks a lot.

-Andy

 

[Schwert]

Someone said boar brushes don't count for SBAD....

 

[JEEP]

Nice pics. There goes another brush for my need list


Regards.

Jakob

 

[andrew98]

Someone said boar brushes don't count for SBAD....

Oh, good! I hadn't heard that, but I'm more than willing to assume that's true. Ahhh... reckless justification.

-Andy

 

[Schwert]

Well this brush is really making my mornings. I cannot believe how much I like it. I was in sort of a rush a while back to finish up my badger knot handle, but now I almost don't care....this Boreal seems near perfect.

It is soft at the tips with good backbone to scrub up the soap and my face.

Tuesday it was whipping up Williams, Wednesday it was Tom's Mint, and this morning Pre de Provence....

This brush gettin no love is a crime....

 

[Brodirt]

This brush gettin no love is a crime....

Hence my earlier thread http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92991&highlight=love+boreal

I love it too, its an excellent brush and a great value...not to mention very elegant looking.

 

[whiskerlips]

I just received mine today. Ran through a test lather with MWF. This brush is dense , stiff, but very soft. Made a creamier lather than I am used to with MWF. I'm very impressed so far. Exactly what I was looking for.