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How do you soak your boar brush?

Well shaves 19, 20, and 21 happened with my 10049 pro boar.

The brush is working well, but I am noticing the brush feeling more scratchy the last few shaves. I am going to push through. The only thing I am doing different recently is I no longer strop the brush against a towel after shaking it dry. I’ll report back in a few days about how the brush is doing.

It will be very interesting to see how this brush compares when you (eventually!) get around to using something different. How many shaves are you going for?
 
It will be very interesting to see how this brush compares when you (eventually!) get around to using something different. How many shaves are you going for?
I am going for 30 shaves to start. Then might start rotating a bit more. But so far I love this brush.
 
Shave 20

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Made in England Gillette Tech
Gillette 7.00 Green (1)
Semogue 1438
Proraso White

I finally decided to try the Tech. I've had a few theories running through my head lately, fuelled by reading many well written, well researched and well argued posts on the subject of razor design. I am convinced that B&B is the home of the most knowledgable wet shavers on the planet, especially when it comes to technical aspects. I'm pleased to call myself a member.

I kept everything in my standard setup and routine the same as normal, only changing the razor, probably the most important variable of all, which I matched with a new Gillette 7.00 green.

I loaded heavy in case I might've needed multiple passes, dipped once while at the bowl stage and got started face lathering. I really took my time, using slow, deliberate swirling and painting motions. I added a fair bit of water, I'm not sure how many dips because I lost count, this brush is such a pleasure to use that it's hard to focus on anything else besides the way it feels. I ended up with a thick, slick and cushiony lather, and plenty of it too.

I picked up the razor and dipped it in the sink of cold water. Although I haven't shaved with it before, I have taken the time to handle the razor a little bit before now, accustoming myself a little bit to the differences between the Tech and the 34C. It's lighter, the handle is thinner and shorter and the head is thinner with a different geometry.

First pass, WTG, right ear. The first stroke was delightful. I hardly even had to think about angle but aimed as usual for shallow. The right side of my face was done in no time, it was just ridiculously easy. On to the problem area lower lip and jaw corners. Same thing, smooth, effortless, no tugginess at all. By the time I'd finshed the left side and was shaving the moustache I was so in tune with the razor that I had to give no consideration to pressure at all, though I'm sure I used some light pressure as is my custom, but with absolutely no adverse effects.

The neck was the same story, no pulling or snagging at the tricky section above my adams apple where north meets south and I have to do some direct ATG shaving. The lather hadn't dried out at any stage of the first pass.

As I rinsed off for the second pass my hands confirmed what I already knew. The shave up to this point was more even in closeness than normal. A lot more. I dabbed my neck and lips with a towel and lathered up for pass 2.

WTG once more, and with the extra slipperiness of the second pass lather it was a repeat of the first but better. I was even able to repeat stroke on my most sensitive area, the grove between my bottom lip and chin, in complete comfort and there was no need to turn the razor on its side to shave directly below the nostrils. At one point I noticed that the handle was covered in the soap that had fallen through the slots; if I hadn't seen it with my eyes, I wouldn't have known it was there, as it made no impact on my ability to grip the handle. If this had been the Merkur I'd have needed to stop to dry it on a towel, a common and irritating occurence when I use that razor. At one point, shaving the far right corner of my neck to lower jaw, just below the ear, I became a little too cavalier and bumped the leading edge of the razor (and presumably blade) against the jawbone. Nothing bad happened.

I rinsed off, almost giddy with satisfaction, eager to towel off and confirm to myself by looking in the mirror what I already knew. No irritation, no redness, no nicks and the closest, most even finish since I've been DE shaving.

With 2 WTG passes I have CCS everywhere and a fraction off DFS in many places, particularly above the jawline where it's quite possibly a true DFS in some areas. But the thing I'm most pleased about was the in-shave comfort. It was everything I'd hoped for from my first DE shave and not gotten. Effortless, no tugging anywhere and a more comfortable, closer finish than I could get going XTG with a BIC disposable, not something I could get near to with the 34C. Amazing.

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(A huge thanks to Al @AimlessWanderer )


(And the brush lost 3 bristles. I'm not bothered one bit.)
 
Well shaves 19, 20, and 21 happened with my 10049 pro boar.

The brush is working well, but I am noticing the brush feeling more scratchy the last few shaves. I am going to push through. The only thing I am doing different recently is I no longer strop the brush against a towel after shaking it dry. I’ll report back in a few days about how the brush is doing.
Sounds like what happened to my Omega. It was getting better and better then suddenly, it started to feel really skritchy. I postulated earlier that it might have been due to the split ends breaking off due to the vigorous towel scrub that I gave it after each use.

From then on, I treated it more gently and it eventually got back to being my (former) favourite brush.
 
I've found that older (well and often used) brushes tend to accumulate a fine layer of soap scum if not completely rinsed & shaken dry. Reading around, I found a simple maintenance procedure: Soak & shake out excess water. Apply a dab of quality shampoo & work into bristles. Allow to sit for 15 minutes (arbitrary) then rinse well. Another recommendation was to add only a drop or 2 to a 12 oz glass of warm water, then immerse the brush, agitating for a couple of minutes. Rines in cool water, then shake dry.
 
I've been able to get consistently good lathers with the Semogue 1438, and have experienced no problems with its ability to absorb water, cracking of the handle or any other issues. With that being said, I'll continue to record my shaves but I'll be posting them here My Search For Smooth - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/my-search-for-smooth.577690/ instead, since the topic will be going a long way away from brushes, boar or otherwise. I may well return if the Omega 10051 starts annoying me again, though it may be the case that this is simply not the brush for me. No matter, as I can be fairly sure that Semogues are. I'll likely try another Omega, just out of interest, considering how affordable they are.

Thanks to everyone for contributing. I've learnt a ton!
 
Shaves 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 have all gone well. I have stopped stropping the brush more than any other brush I own and it is nice a soft. Not getting softer, but I don't notice and scritch at all now. Still has good back bone and lathers great. Still noticing it likes to eat lather a bit, but not as much as before. Overall, I am very happy with the brush now. Once I hit 30 shaves I am going to start working in some other brushes and consider a semogue and a zenith. Hope you all are getting some good shaves and your brushes are working well!
 
Shaves 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 have all gone well. I have stopped stropping the brush more than any other brush I own and it is nice a soft. Not getting softer, but I don't notice and scritch at all now. Still has good back bone and lathers great. Still noticing it likes to eat lather a bit, but not as much as before. Overall, I am very happy with the brush now. Once I hit 30 shaves I am going to start working in some other brushes and consider a semogue and a zenith. Hope you all are getting some good shaves and your brushes are working well!


I would think vigorous stropping should be avoided altogether, just a gentle back and forth on a towel is enough. I gave my Omega a 10 minute towel rubbing 3 times during its 72hr cold water soak.

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The ends of some of the bristles have broken off and become blunted. They're almost white in colour.

This is the same picture with arrows to point them out.

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I've yet to use this brush since it's last breaking in treatment (I'm just enjoying the Semogue too much. It's fantastic.) so I don't know what effect it has on the brush feel. This 'problem' brush has always been super scrubby anyhow. I'll try it soon enough, just not yet. I'm treating my Semogue with the utmost respect and it's breaking in superbly with no special measures whatsoever. That brush is certainly working well!
 
I would think vigorous stropping should be avoided altogether, just a gentle back and forth on a towel is enough. I gave my Omega a 10 minute towel rubbing 3 times during its 72hr cold water soak.

View attachment 1040139

The ends of some of the bristles have broken off and become blunted. They're almost white in colour.

This is the same picture with arrows to point them out.

View attachment 1040140

I've yet to use this brush since it's last breaking in treatment (I'm just enjoying the Semogue too much. It's fantastic.) so I don't know what effect it has on the brush feel. This 'problem' brush has always been super scrubby anyhow. I'll try it soon enough, just not yet. I'm treating my Semogue with the utmost respect and it's breaking in superbly with no special measures whatsoever. That brush is certainly working well!
Hi @TinyT ,

Yes I have stopped stropping heavily after the rinse, but I still do a light strop of about 10-20 back and forth on a towel just like any other brush I own, mostly to help dry it out. The Omega finally got really soft again recently. So today the 28th use went really well. I am coming up on 30 shaves with the brush, and it will be time to let others into the rotation again.

When I started with the 30 days on this Omega 10049 Pro Boar I thought it was going to be hard to do and I was going to be wishing I could use another brush, but as I approach the end of 30 days, I find I feel I could use this one brush for the rest of my shaving life. I think this is a great statement on how nice a Boar Brush can really become and how we should all try our gear and give it a good shake down before giving up on it. I really have come to love my boar brush and now I will see how it really stacks up against some of my other brushes.

Hope you all are getting some great shaves.
 
Penultimate shave with the 10049 Pro Boar before introducing some other brushes back into the line up. It was a good shave today, and I bowl lathered with the brush. I used some Pacific Shave Co. Shave cream and painted it on after building a lather in the bowl. The brush felt great and it seems soft. Still finding it can eat the lather a bit, but today wasn't a good test as I think this shave cream might be brush-less after using it. Tomorrow ends the Omega 10049 Pro Boar exclusive run. As of now I will use it every other day, mainly because I love it too much now.
 
Final Shave with the 10049 Pro Boar happened today. It did 30 shaves, and the brush is well broken in now. It felt soft today and I had to really try to notice any scratch from the brush. I am disappointed as I really like this brush now, but I have many other brushes either here waiting to be used, or on the way. Time to put this one aside a bit and start spreading the shaving wealth to my other brushes. Up next will be my Sinatra Lennon Synthetic, and then I have a new 2 band badger from Maggard Razors, as well as a RazoRock Plissoft. I also want to get a semogue and a zenith now. The tentative plan is to start using the boar every other day. Hope you all are getting some amazing shaves.
 
Never ever rub your boar brush against a towel after a shave. It would cause the bristle to break off the next time you use it and make it feel a little rough. Just shake or wring out the excess water after use and leave it to dry.
 
Never ever rub your boar brush against a towel after a shave. It would cause the bristle to break off the next time you use it and make it feel a little rough. Just shake or wring out the excess water after use and leave it to dry.

I agree. Don’t rub any brush tips on a towel. Will result in accelerated wear and damage to the bristles. The knot will break in and the tips will split naturally from normal use.
 
There is nothing nicer than a well hydrated boar brush. I put my brush in a mug of warm, not hot, water while I shower. Water level is just below the knot. I've been doing this for years with no problems.
 
For my shave today, I soaked my Omega Pro 48 for about an hour. I kind of forgot about it and then went back to it. The boar seemed to be well hydrated but it didn't seem much different than when I hydrate it for 5-10 minutes. I guess I can do more testing on future shaves.
 
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