First, does the soap matter? Should I be using a relatively hard soap?
Second, does face vs. bowl lathering make a difference?
Second, does face vs. bowl lathering make a difference?
Breaking in a boar - questions
- Thread starter insomniac
- Start date
#1 I don't think the soap matters all that much. It's more....use, than anything else.
#2 The face might be (with stubble) a little coarser than a lathering bowl. This, I could see as being an advantage to getting a bristle brush broken in properly.
I hope that answered your questions.
#2 The face might be (with stubble) a little coarser than a lathering bowl. This, I could see as being an advantage to getting a bristle brush broken in properly.
I hope that answered your questions.
- Thread starter
- #3
It does, thanks.
I was thinking of breaking out the Pre de Provence, I believe it is my hardest soap
In my experience, smaller brushes actually work better. It's simply easier to get the water/cream ratio right thus enabling you to lather up without making a bloody mess everywhere, and you don't end up rinsing more cream down the drain than you used for the shave.
Since I started using boar regularly, I felt it's the best tool for soaps, owing to its scrubbing ability with soft-tipped bristle. People have said that badger works better with creams. I believe boar is not only superior with soaps, but is also the best tool for creams.
Having re-read Zach's well written intro to boar, and in addition to noting some of his commentary on using boar with creams, all of which are excellent by the way-he notes that:
Boar brushes hold less water. Why is this an advantage? Because even boar brushes hold more water than you will need, even boar brushes must be allowed to drain some water, or allowed some excess water to be shaken off. Too much water in the mix is the number one problem with bad lather. Youre far less likely to have this problem, simply by using a boar bristle brush. Stated more plainly: if a boar brush can hold too much water for lathering, and a badger brushes can hold WAY too much water, then the ability to hold more water becomes a risk to your lather.
This is essential and was root of what often frustrated me to no end about lathering creams-the brush must be drier than with soap, since there's already more moisture in the lathering agent, and since excess water gets the lather going too quickly, resulting in very bubbly, wet lather that looks like airy and therefore vanishes from the face within seconds, and doesn't provide much glide or slickness while it's there.
Plan on using soap with your boar and lathering directly on the puck; if you plan to use cream, plan on using a mug or lathering in your hand.
Many people prefer to bowl lather then there are those who find face-lathering better. It's been discussed to have been rather bit messy-even with boar. I use bowl or mug in general. Due to fact the bristles aren't as flaccid as badger hair, there is less likelihood of driving air into the lather. Therefore, you can lather all day long in a bowl with a boar brush and wind up with strong lather. Further, if you find that your lather is too dry-perhaps much of the brush was shook before beginning the lather process. As they say it's always easy to add water but not other way around.
If you have a mug in which to rest the brush bristles-down, you will have less evaporation, which is what creates the "lather-eating" effect boar brushes are infamous for: the bristles absorb liquid and some of the cream as they dry out. By having the bristles rest in lather facing down, you reduce the evaporation effect and are less likely to need to add water or additional cream as the shave goes on.
Further, it's generally believed that Omega Pro brushes as well as 310xx series work great due to their size, which allows them to hold onto plenty lather without so much as drying or evaporating.
I'm not trying to convert any zealous badger fan more so provide information as well as gain experience with these brushes.
I haven't used much creams as I'm typically soap guy but I have tried a variety of methods for producing, adding, subtracting, preserving, heating, and applying water and lather. I have never had better, stronger lather than I get with boar and I can now replicate the lather with soaps and creams alike, with or without a scuttle or bowl, and have plenty of lather for 3-4 passes.
There is tendency to think of brushes as soap brushes or cream brushes, and in that aspect most would place boar with soap while badger with cream.
In summation, boar without question is better with both soaps and creams than its badger counterpart. Nevertheless, I still like and will continue to use badger in my rotation. Boar in general will be the work horse.
Here's a video by Zach demonstrating the amount of water boar and badger hold. The main point here is that, while badger certainly holds more water
than boar, it does not hold on to it the way boar would.
Dry
Col. Conk Pure by Vulfix 0.16
Omega 49 Boar 0.14
Wet
Col. Conk > 0.20
Omega 49 > 0.18
Damp
Omega 49 > 0.16
Col. Conk > 0.16
Absorption
Omega 49 > 0.02
Col. Conk > 0.0
Since I started using boar regularly, I felt it's the best tool for soaps, owing to its scrubbing ability with soft-tipped bristle. People have said that badger works better with creams. I believe boar is not only superior with soaps, but is also the best tool for creams.
Having re-read Zach's well written intro to boar, and in addition to noting some of his commentary on using boar with creams, all of which are excellent by the way-he notes that:
Boar brushes hold less water. Why is this an advantage? Because even boar brushes hold more water than you will need, even boar brushes must be allowed to drain some water, or allowed some excess water to be shaken off. Too much water in the mix is the number one problem with bad lather. Youre far less likely to have this problem, simply by using a boar bristle brush. Stated more plainly: if a boar brush can hold too much water for lathering, and a badger brushes can hold WAY too much water, then the ability to hold more water becomes a risk to your lather.
This is essential and was root of what often frustrated me to no end about lathering creams-the brush must be drier than with soap, since there's already more moisture in the lathering agent, and since excess water gets the lather going too quickly, resulting in very bubbly, wet lather that looks like airy and therefore vanishes from the face within seconds, and doesn't provide much glide or slickness while it's there.
Plan on using soap with your boar and lathering directly on the puck; if you plan to use cream, plan on using a mug or lathering in your hand.
Many people prefer to bowl lather then there are those who find face-lathering better. It's been discussed to have been rather bit messy-even with boar. I use bowl or mug in general. Due to fact the bristles aren't as flaccid as badger hair, there is less likelihood of driving air into the lather. Therefore, you can lather all day long in a bowl with a boar brush and wind up with strong lather. Further, if you find that your lather is too dry-perhaps much of the brush was shook before beginning the lather process. As they say it's always easy to add water but not other way around.
If you have a mug in which to rest the brush bristles-down, you will have less evaporation, which is what creates the "lather-eating" effect boar brushes are infamous for: the bristles absorb liquid and some of the cream as they dry out. By having the bristles rest in lather facing down, you reduce the evaporation effect and are less likely to need to add water or additional cream as the shave goes on.
Further, it's generally believed that Omega Pro brushes as well as 310xx series work great due to their size, which allows them to hold onto plenty lather without so much as drying or evaporating.
I'm not trying to convert any zealous badger fan more so provide information as well as gain experience with these brushes.
I haven't used much creams as I'm typically soap guy but I have tried a variety of methods for producing, adding, subtracting, preserving, heating, and applying water and lather. I have never had better, stronger lather than I get with boar and I can now replicate the lather with soaps and creams alike, with or without a scuttle or bowl, and have plenty of lather for 3-4 passes.
There is tendency to think of brushes as soap brushes or cream brushes, and in that aspect most would place boar with soap while badger with cream.
In summation, boar without question is better with both soaps and creams than its badger counterpart. Nevertheless, I still like and will continue to use badger in my rotation. Boar in general will be the work horse.
Here's a video by Zach demonstrating the amount of water boar and badger hold. The main point here is that, while badger certainly holds more water
than boar, it does not hold on to it the way boar would.
Dry
Col. Conk Pure by Vulfix 0.16
Omega 49 Boar 0.14
Wet
Col. Conk > 0.20
Omega 49 > 0.18
Damp
Omega 49 > 0.16
Col. Conk > 0.16
Absorption
Omega 49 > 0.02
Col. Conk > 0.0
What he said!!
echo that. Plus the drying through evaporation aids in causing the bristles to flag. This is a good thing. some people speed up this process by lightly drying the bristle tips with a hair dryer.
- Thread starter
- #7
As a total newb, my experience is minimal, but my Omega 49 i breaking in just fine, after 8 uses, bowl lathering soap. No more smell, tips splitting nicely. I say just use it 
Just use it and it will break in fine.
Agree with the gentleman who said to just use it and it will break in naturally.
Also agree with the rather tangential post about boar brushes. I have decided that I, too, prefer the lowly boar over the much-hyped badger.
Also agree with the rather tangential post about boar brushes. I have decided that I, too, prefer the lowly boar over the much-hyped badger.
I'm sorry, but how in any way does that answer my question?
No two brushes are alike. It doesn't matter if it's boar, badger or horse hair. While some break-in faster others do not. Semogue is known for longer break-in.
If you swirl/rotate brush on your face ie face lather you help the tips split. After rinsing the brush and swirling it yet again on towel will do so as well.
Mark's video will explain about 1 minute in.
Employing paint stroke or to and fro stroke might split the tips but at a slower rate.
Palm lathering, puck lathering soap/cream will help split tips.
I broke in mine with Williams Shaving Soap for a couple of months. Now it has a velvet soft bloom that makes my beard tingle.
I found this method the fastest way to brake in a boar.
What the video said would do it for you. I have my VDH boar brush nicely broken in a short amount of time, using hotwater soak while in the shower and using a VDH pink puck 
About 10 good uses break it in to a good point.
But for a bigger boar it could take a lot more before it reaches its full potential, but when it does
Like some other fine gents wrote, its the drying that breaks it in.
But for a bigger boar it could take a lot more before it reaches its full potential, but when it does
Like some other fine gents wrote, its the drying that breaks it in.
Get you some cheap cheap soap. Like williams and vdh. start lathering up. Lather and clear your brush of it. then re-lather and so on and so on. Then clean the brush with water. Take a dry cloth wipe your brush over the cloth to dry the bristle some. Then do this
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=139297&highlight=brush+softening
Im doing it as we speak myself
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=139297&highlight=brush+softening
Im doing it as we speak myself
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