Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
Thought I would do the proper method of breaking in a new 2nd boar brush. My first boar brush attempt of breaking in (4 years ago approx) I read a few articles and tried to remove the funk smell out of the brush because I have a keen sense of smell and did not like it. I used all the wrong methods to remove the smell of natural hair and I was a bit ruthless trying it and I was going to throw it out but before tossing it I would put it through a gauntlet of torture.( I laugh what I recall )
These are some of the drastic things I did , took the brush after a few brushings of lather and then rinsed and left by the window sill for about 24 hrs and then re-lathered and this time left the lather on the brush by the window sill in the open air and then next morning rinsed it off and tried to use it but the funk scent was still there.
New drastic untried tactic's going to MrClean lemon fresh industrial cleaner in a bowl and with brush over the sink immersed it and lathered in the solution and rinsed off the solution about 6-8 times(4 years ago trying to recall) with not much luck, so more drastic measures were needed before tossing my $12 dollar wooden handle boar brush.
Then I boiled some water and immersed the wooden handled brush in the water holding it down with a long cooking utensil for about 1 minute and then scooping it out cooling it under cold water and doing a smell test, still not happy with results, did this about another 2 or three times with not much better results.
Last hope and this was clincher I took the brush and placed it in the glass jar and then with MrClean solution with water just up to the top of the boar whiskers and let the micro wave rip, I let the microwave work until it started boiling and removed brush and man was the handle hot not realizing the rubber glued knot heated up also kind of split the wood a little, seemed like better results. Tried this about 3 more times and was sort of happier with the results. I was also thinking if this brush survives this torture it will be used and not tossed as a reminder.
After drying that brush for a day and then started using it I realized it was well built and the hairs starting splitting nicely and the brush is still used to this day because it works well. (if you read this far I hope you had a laugh or smile at least.)
NEW SIMPLER Better method, recently bought a another new boar brush and there was not much funk smell and used a kinder more better advice method from some Youtube advice from a old Italian barber (Mantic 59 interviewed).
Just took some Hair shampoo in my shaving bowl and cleaned the brush with lathering with shampoo and rinsing with water 5 times and then towel dry for 3-5 minutes and it removed any loose hairs. Then filled clear glass cup with cold water up 3/4 of the way up the whiskers of brush and placed in refrigerator for 18 hrs and removed and re-lathered with shampoo in the lathering bowl another 4 times and then towel dried 3-5 minutes once more and the towel will remove broken hairs or loose ones. Back into the fridge for another 18 hrs and then this time after removing from fridge I bowl lathered with hair conditioner 2 times and rinsed and then towel dried for about 3-5 minutes by swirling and going back and forth.
Looking at the results seemed really, really good IMO and did not spend a lot of time with the brush, a good broken in boar brush will give a nice different lathering to the face and I still enjoy a boar brush. So now I have 2 broken in boar brushes that will last a very long time!
Not sure how a wooden handle brush would work using this method of breaking in the Brush.(don't immerse handle in the water for 18> hrs!)
A nicely broken in boar brush will have those split hairs that give the softness and the main hair will give the back bone for hard soaps or croaps.
I'm sure there are also different method's of breaking in a boar brush.
New boar brush..........................2 day broke in boar brush.......... there are nicely split hairs with double, triple & quad splits.
Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!
These are some of the drastic things I did , took the brush after a few brushings of lather and then rinsed and left by the window sill for about 24 hrs and then re-lathered and this time left the lather on the brush by the window sill in the open air and then next morning rinsed it off and tried to use it but the funk scent was still there.
New drastic untried tactic's going to MrClean lemon fresh industrial cleaner in a bowl and with brush over the sink immersed it and lathered in the solution and rinsed off the solution about 6-8 times(4 years ago trying to recall) with not much luck, so more drastic measures were needed before tossing my $12 dollar wooden handle boar brush.
Then I boiled some water and immersed the wooden handled brush in the water holding it down with a long cooking utensil for about 1 minute and then scooping it out cooling it under cold water and doing a smell test, still not happy with results, did this about another 2 or three times with not much better results.
Last hope and this was clincher I took the brush and placed it in the glass jar and then with MrClean solution with water just up to the top of the boar whiskers and let the micro wave rip, I let the microwave work until it started boiling and removed brush and man was the handle hot not realizing the rubber glued knot heated up also kind of split the wood a little, seemed like better results. Tried this about 3 more times and was sort of happier with the results. I was also thinking if this brush survives this torture it will be used and not tossed as a reminder.
After drying that brush for a day and then started using it I realized it was well built and the hairs starting splitting nicely and the brush is still used to this day because it works well. (if you read this far I hope you had a laugh or smile at least.)
NEW SIMPLER Better method, recently bought a another new boar brush and there was not much funk smell and used a kinder more better advice method from some Youtube advice from a old Italian barber (Mantic 59 interviewed).
Just took some Hair shampoo in my shaving bowl and cleaned the brush with lathering with shampoo and rinsing with water 5 times and then towel dry for 3-5 minutes and it removed any loose hairs. Then filled clear glass cup with cold water up 3/4 of the way up the whiskers of brush and placed in refrigerator for 18 hrs and removed and re-lathered with shampoo in the lathering bowl another 4 times and then towel dried 3-5 minutes once more and the towel will remove broken hairs or loose ones. Back into the fridge for another 18 hrs and then this time after removing from fridge I bowl lathered with hair conditioner 2 times and rinsed and then towel dried for about 3-5 minutes by swirling and going back and forth.
Looking at the results seemed really, really good IMO and did not spend a lot of time with the brush, a good broken in boar brush will give a nice different lathering to the face and I still enjoy a boar brush. So now I have 2 broken in boar brushes that will last a very long time!
Not sure how a wooden handle brush would work using this method of breaking in the Brush.(don't immerse handle in the water for 18> hrs!)
A nicely broken in boar brush will have those split hairs that give the softness and the main hair will give the back bone for hard soaps or croaps.
I'm sure there are also different method's of breaking in a boar brush.
New boar brush..........................2 day broke in boar brush.......... there are nicely split hairs with double, triple & quad splits.
Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!