Breaking in boars - questions!

[jhclare]

Hi all,

Just some questions about boar brushes:

We are always told we need to break in a boar, and that the ends will split making them softer. But, how come the ends aren't split already? Surely boars get wet and dry several times in their lives before their hair is used in a brush?

Also, every boar brush I've had has developed spit ends after only 5 or so uses. After that, they seem to stop and don't improve any more after that.

I hear folks talking about "fully broken in" - does this mean that we should expect every single hair in the brush to split?

Thanks!

John

 

[Captain Flint]

Honestly speaking I don't know how to answer your first question. In any case, I suppose the bristles you get in your brush have been treated in order to lather with soaps and creams, which is not the primary function of boar and hog hair

I think most people speak of "fully broken in" brushes when the bristles seem to multiply in number and their touch becomes therefore softer. If you ask me it's all very relative and different people will have different opinions about the "break in" point. One thing I can say: you must use a boar brush many times until it starts showing its real capacities.

I hope this helped.

 

[talibeard]

I think most people speak of "fully broken in" brushes when the bristles seem to multiply in number and their touch becomes therefore softer. If you ask me it's all very relative and different people will have different opinions about the "break in" point. One thing I can say: you must use a boar brush many times until it starts showing its real capacities.

That sums it up nicely. Honestly I didn't break any of my boars in in just 5 shaves......

To the op's first question; I am not an expert but I think it might have to do with the hair still alive and growing on the boar.
It never did that on a brush....

 

[Dpflaum]

It is a really simple explanation actually...

Take the hair on your head. It grows. It falls out. New hair replaces it. I think the simple solution is that the boar hair is likely relatively "new" when the boar is killed.

Could be that the scrubbing motion has something to do with it too... Not sure about that though...

 

[Greybeard]

I'm not a brushmaker, so this is just speculation.

The bristles on the boar are not as densely packed and lofted as in a brush and would be more resilient.

The bristles that are already split when harvested are probably discarded. The split ends would make the bundles of bristles harder to measure and handle. The brush wouldn't look pristine and new with split ends.

Soap and scrubbing accelerates the ends splitting.

Some hair is just resistent to splitting. Some will never split.

I've had 3 boar brushes. The hair splitting is noticeable to me for about the first 3 weeeks. After that, not so much.



- Peter

 

[andrew98]

...I think the simple solution is that the boar hair is likely relatively "new" when the boar is killed.

Don't you mean "shorn"?

-Andy

 

[Schwert]

No killed is correct.

 

[mmack66]

My boar brush was good to go from day one, but maybe it is just getting better and I can't tell.

 

[kooshman7]

That sums it up nicely. Honestly I didn't break any of my boars in in just 5 shaves......

I got boars that could still use some breaking in after 15 times, so they're resilient little guys. They are getting better though! Glad I had some patience with them.

 

[FiXXXer]

Using the word boar is not really the best description for the hair used in shaving (and hair) brushes. I think generally boar is the term used simply because it sounds less offensive and more elegant than saying hog bristle.

This is a wild boar, which is not the animal used for shaving brushes.

This is a domesticated pig, commonly referred to as a hog. This is used for bacon, bbq, and brushes, and yes it's killed in the process.

 

[Saltysteele]

first off, i was born, raised and have worked on a hog farm my entire life...... it took me a bit to actually "get over" what i have seen on pigs, and what they do with themselves and to each other

but, about the breaking in. mine is broken in now. at first, it was a bit stiff, and would lather and apply lather.... but it was stiff.

now, while it is still somewhat stiff, it actually spreads on your face while lathering, as opposed to being a clump of bristles flopping around my face. as i'm working the lather on my skin, i have a full radius of bristles all around. i like it.

i started using one of those sticks with the plastic "poofy" things on it (kind of like the loofa stick scrubs). now, whenever i hop in the shower, i get certain parts of my body that almost itch in anticipation of being scrubbed (because it feels good)

kind of the same way with my boar brush. i kind of like and enjoy the scrub

 

[FiXXXer]

first off, i was born, raised and have worked on a hog farm my entire life...... it took me a bit to actually "get over" what i have seen on pigs, and what they do with themselves and to each other

I'm pretty sure they rinse it off first, should be fine.

 

[Ignatius]

There may also be a difference from brush to brush. For example, my Omega 31064 seemed great almost out of the box, while my Omega 48 required a few weeks use before it started to soften.

 

[winkydink]

i started using one of those sticks with the plastic "poofy" things on it (kind of like the loofa stick scrubs). now, whenever i hop in the shower, i get certain parts of my body that almost itch in anticipation of being scrubbed (because it feels good)

kind of the same way with my boar brush. i kind of like and enjoy the scrub

They make bath brushes out of boar too. I love mine!

 

[john parker]

They make bath brushes out of boar too. I love mine!

And toothbrushes, though I don't plan on getting one.

 

[kopio]

All I know is that my Boreal 976 gets better with every shave. It holds lather like a badger!

 

[memoryleak]

Do you think a badger is "shorn"?

Yes, right before it goes in the cook pot (at least in parts of China).

And my Semogue 1305 (several months old) comes very close to being as soft as my Kent BK4.

 

[jhclare]

Just received one of these:

http://www.shoeboxshaveshop.com/omega-10005--beautiful-beechwood-h10005.html

Felt soft right out of the box, and yes - I saw a few split ends before I used it. After a test lather on my hand... wow!

Loads of backbone yet tips softer than my Semogue LE 2009!!! I can't wait to shave with it.

John

 

[jhclare]

I wonder what the science is in breaking in a brush?

Is there anything else that happens apart from the ends splitting?

How does breaking in a brush increase water holding ability? What's happening to the bristles to cause this? Is this all due to the split ends, or something else?

John

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

Yes, right before it goes in the cook pot (at least in parts of China).

Afterall they eat / ate dogs too