Semogue 820 today.
🐗 🐖 🐷 🐽 DecemBOAR 2021 - Only boar brushes… for all of December! 🐗 🐖 🐷 🐽
- Thread starter SharpieB
- Start date
Brush: Trusty Semogue 1470
Razor: Super Speed Red Tip
Blade: Feather (3)
Soap: Ogallala Sandalwood bay rum
Decemboar 6
I faced a lather crisis as I got a new soap puck and put it in my shaving mug. Doesn't sound like a crisis, I know, but I had been lathering in the mug with bits of old soap and now I have nowhere to build a lather. Nowhere except my face, that is.
So the boar got some quality time attacking my face. Love a bristly brush for that; I couldn't be bothered using something soft on my face.
The results were mixed. I love the smell of the Ogallala Sandalwood. They call it a bay rum, but the smell is all sandalwood. My bathroom smells lovely now.
The lather itself was OK. I didn't hit any squeaky patches when shaving but it wasn't particularly slick. Between passes, my halfhearted rinses rinsed away all the soap feeling.
My brush is fairly well broken in. Not totally, but good enough. I had been using Em's Place glycerine soap pucks. While they're great when you build the lather in a bowl, they're also great for building lather on the face or even on the puck itself. Residual slickness for miles.
Now I'll need a new approach. I don't like to change two variables at once (the soap and the lathering technique) but I did and now I'll have to find a way to get this face lather working.
Razor: Super Speed Red Tip
Blade: Feather (3)
Soap: Ogallala Sandalwood bay rum
Decemboar 6
I faced a lather crisis as I got a new soap puck and put it in my shaving mug. Doesn't sound like a crisis, I know, but I had been lathering in the mug with bits of old soap and now I have nowhere to build a lather. Nowhere except my face, that is.
So the boar got some quality time attacking my face. Love a bristly brush for that; I couldn't be bothered using something soft on my face.
The results were mixed. I love the smell of the Ogallala Sandalwood. They call it a bay rum, but the smell is all sandalwood. My bathroom smells lovely now.
The lather itself was OK. I didn't hit any squeaky patches when shaving but it wasn't particularly slick. Between passes, my halfhearted rinses rinsed away all the soap feeling.
My brush is fairly well broken in. Not totally, but good enough. I had been using Em's Place glycerine soap pucks. While they're great when you build the lather in a bowl, they're also great for building lather on the face or even on the puck itself. Residual slickness for miles.
Now I'll need a new approach. I don't like to change two variables at once (the soap and the lathering technique) but I did and now I'll have to find a way to get this face lather working.
Thank you, Eric. Every day I have many choices to make, including my attitude & how I treat others.
DecemBOAR 7th (8th shave)
This morning I broke out “Big Red” (Omega 10049 Pro Boar), a BMMOC, GEM PTFE (1), Cella Extra Extra Bio, and Captain’s Choice Italia.
A BBS three pass (W/X/A) shave.
My big beautiful Boar has an eating disorder but, we’re working through it. In the meantime I load heavy & often and get great lather.
Excellent shave, that makes me question why I use anything besides a MMOC/BMMOC and I’m not sure of the answer at this point.
MOAR BOAR!
This morning I broke out “Big Red” (Omega 10049 Pro Boar), a BMMOC, GEM PTFE (1), Cella Extra Extra Bio, and Captain’s Choice Italia.
A BBS three pass (W/X/A) shave.
My big beautiful Boar has an eating disorder but, we’re working through it. In the meantime I load heavy & often and get great lather.
Excellent shave, that makes me question why I use anything besides a MMOC/BMMOC and I’m not sure of the answer at this point.
MOAR BOAR!
One of my favorite brushes, a zenith unbleached boar. This brush stands out from every boar I've tried for its water retention and soft bristles.
Nice looking handle on that brush.
Zenith, forgot the model number. Fatboy set to 5. That Gillette Pure is surprisingly not bad.
Day 7. Omega 40033 and Razorock P160. Good brush and a good soap, but not good together. Brush not holds enough of that soap for 1.5 passes.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Not my favorite brush...
...but I really love the handle.
Happy shaves,
Jim
...but I really love the handle.
Happy shaves,
Jim
If it's the Zenith B03-A26 (26mm x 57mm), it was one of my favorite boars... and one that I still regret no longer having in my possession.
Decemboar 7th, Col. Ichabod Conk
This brush was given to me decades ago. Seldom used and frankly mistreated. Found it caked in soap a while back and brought it back to life. Its ultra soft with great proportions for face lathering. Just a fine little brush.
Well I cheated today. Not because I had the desire to, but I just got a bunch of AP Shave Co. brushes and didn’t want to wait until January to try them.
Since Black Friday, I’ve spent a small fortune buying synthetic brushes of all types, and right now I’m hoping it wasn’t all wasted, since I honestly love the boar feel and everything else feels floppy in comparison.
Current favorite is still the Omega 40033 Mighty Midget. I love the feel of it on my face. Looking forward to trying the 2 Zenith boar brushes (short and scrubby and big scrubby aluminum) next.
If these boar brushes spoiled me (i can see myself using boar year round aka everyday) to the point I stop using my other synths or the one or two badgers I have, then I’ll have a lot of paper weights. A LOT!!!!
Since Black Friday, I’ve spent a small fortune buying synthetic brushes of all types, and right now I’m hoping it wasn’t all wasted, since I honestly love the boar feel and everything else feels floppy in comparison.
Current favorite is still the Omega 40033 Mighty Midget. I love the feel of it on my face. Looking forward to trying the 2 Zenith boar brushes (short and scrubby and big scrubby aluminum) next.
If these boar brushes spoiled me (i can see myself using boar year round aka everyday) to the point I stop using my other synths or the one or two badgers I have, then I’ll have a lot of paper weights. A LOT!!!!
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Does anyone make a synthetic version of a boar that is close (feel more than looks, I don’t care about the looks as much as the stiff feel)? I bought an Omega S-brush mainly out of curiosity and my love for synthetics. I tried it once and it didn’t seem very boar like in feel. Splayed way too much and was overly floppy.
I have a ton of boars now but would be cool to see a synthetic version as i do prefer the quicker dry times of synthetic over natural bristles. I read a lot of complaints about synthetics that they are too stiff (guessing these shavers are comparing to badger as a standard) but I welcome stiff bristles. In fact after DecemBOAR, I want to try using a literal bath tub scrub brush, or a back brush lol. I face leather as it is so no problem having to deal with making a lather in a bowl….
I have a ton of boars now but would be cool to see a synthetic version as i do prefer the quicker dry times of synthetic over natural bristles. I read a lot of complaints about synthetics that they are too stiff (guessing these shavers are comparing to badger as a standard) but I welcome stiff bristles. In fact after DecemBOAR, I want to try using a literal bath tub scrub brush, or a back brush lol. I face leather as it is so no problem having to deal with making a lather in a bowl….
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
Continuing to break in the new SOC. Cream was SMN and the razor a Shell 72 Silver Steel by Perfect Works, AS balm was L’OP Cade.
The bad thing about boars is that you snag 2-3 of them on the holiday sales and then spend the next 6 months breaking them in!
The bad thing about boars is that you snag 2-3 of them on the holiday sales and then spend the next 6 months breaking them in!
Today an ode to my cheapest drugstore brush ever.
I took it home from one of my holidays in the Czech Republic 10/15 years ago for the sum of €1,= and they still make them today for less than €2. It is listed as a mixed boar/horse but has been listed as pure boar in the past as well so I don't really know what my knot is made from. But if there is horse in mine it must be a Siberian plow horse; this will make lather out of a deepfrozen triple milled soap and ice!
It is the stiffest boar I ever came across and though it is still not broken in (I seldom use it) the feel on my face is certainly not unpleasant. The company, Spokar, is making all kind of brushes in house (toothbrushes, dishbrushes, brooms etc) and shaving brushes are just a side show. Their top brush is a pure badger going for around €10 and you will only find them in drugstores and alike. But there is something about this brush that sets it apart from your usual cheap drugstore brush.
First the knot; after close inspection you can see that most of the hairs, if not all, have their natural tips (dig that, Mühle and Wilkinson Sword!) and will split over time. Secondly the grip; it is a decent moulded plastic, simple and cheap but also robust, with a better build quality than the cheap Omega's and surprisingly ergonomic. So it is very affordable and basic but somebody at Spokar knows what he is doing!
Hard to get outside the Czech and Slovak Republic but when you have the chance grab one; you might like it or not but what you get is a good knot and a decent grip for next to nothing and with the best price/quality ratio ever, period!
I took it home from one of my holidays in the Czech Republic 10/15 years ago for the sum of €1,= and they still make them today for less than €2. It is listed as a mixed boar/horse but has been listed as pure boar in the past as well so I don't really know what my knot is made from. But if there is horse in mine it must be a Siberian plow horse; this will make lather out of a deepfrozen triple milled soap and ice!
It is the stiffest boar I ever came across and though it is still not broken in (I seldom use it) the feel on my face is certainly not unpleasant. The company, Spokar, is making all kind of brushes in house (toothbrushes, dishbrushes, brooms etc) and shaving brushes are just a side show. Their top brush is a pure badger going for around €10 and you will only find them in drugstores and alike. But there is something about this brush that sets it apart from your usual cheap drugstore brush.
First the knot; after close inspection you can see that most of the hairs, if not all, have their natural tips (dig that, Mühle and Wilkinson Sword!) and will split over time. Secondly the grip; it is a decent moulded plastic, simple and cheap but also robust, with a better build quality than the cheap Omega's and surprisingly ergonomic. So it is very affordable and basic but somebody at Spokar knows what he is doing!
Hard to get outside the Czech and Slovak Republic but when you have the chance grab one; you might like it or not but what you get is a good knot and a decent grip for next to nothing and with the best price/quality ratio ever, period!
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Omega 10065 today!
Semogue 1250 (Ash)
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Lovely. I'll add it to my unobtanium list. (It's amazing how many turn up.)
The handle shape is very interesting and attractive.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Decemboar 7th
Omega 10005 again
Omega 10005 again
Decemboar 7
Shave Forge shoat
GEM Clog Pruf (Peerless)
And an action shot
Shave Forge shoat
GEM Clog Pruf (Peerless)
And an action shot
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