I recently bought an Omega Boar hair and had a little trouble getting a good lather with it. I've read it does take more time with a boar than a badger. Anything I should know about? Or Try?
Is there a trick with a Boar Hair brush?
- Thread starter Lefty923
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I found it does not hold as much water either.
What soap/cream are you using? Here is what I do...I fill the sink with pure hot water and let my brush soak in it. Before I load my brush with a soap I lift the brush from the water and let it drip, then give it a light sqeeze, then a shake. The brush is still damp but not dripping wet. Then I load the brush with soap from a puck by swirling it on the soap for at least 30 seconds. Then I lather on my face. I add a drop of water at a time if the brush is too dry. I hope this helps.
Its probably not broken in yet, my Omega Pro. whips up anything just fine, and honestly the tall loft works wonders on cream.
Give it a hard soap puck for a week or so, then get back to me.
As far as water retention boars work well with face lathering, adding water isn't a problem. You can add more by dipping the tip in water, bowl lathering shouldn't have a problem unless you're doing 5 passes
Scroll down, and you will see my pictorial on boar "face" lathering here.
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That is commonly used as a reason for why Badger brushes are superior: they hold more water.
The argument, however, fully ignores that this is insignificant.
The first thing you do when using a brush, is squeeze, and shake the water out of it, starting off with a fairly dry brush. How much water the brush is able to soak up isn't a factor when most of that water is being removed anyway....
Anyway, I agree with the above poster, your boar brush likely just needs a break in period.
It is probabely just breaking in. Though I did not know boars had to do that. I just picked up an old (unused and in original packing) VGH barbers boar I had lying around and started face lathering with Arko shave stick. Worked like a charm from day 1.
Keep using it. You need to break it in. Once the tips start soften up some, it should start working much better.
No tricks, only treats.
I was taught to keep a small amount of water in the brush in order to build the lather. That is why I said that. Guess I was taught wrong.
The "trick", as has been pointed out, is that boar brushes need a break-in period.
I gave up on my boar brush after a couple of uses but after hearing so much about how good they were I gave it another chance and pretty soon it was doing a fine job.
I still prefer badger, but like to use a boar now and then just for sake of variety. I have two that I use occasionally. They are cheap when compared to decent badgers so a little experimentation is no big deal.
I gave up on my boar brush after a couple of uses but after hearing so much about how good they were I gave it another chance and pretty soon it was doing a fine job.
I still prefer badger, but like to use a boar now and then just for sake of variety. I have two that I use occasionally. They are cheap when compared to decent badgers so a little experimentation is no big deal.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
Ditto on the break in issue.
I have been using an Omega Pro almost every day as of late. I get decent results using the drip method described above. I also use the dunk and stir method with soaps that works rather well. I just dunk the mug of soap and brush in a sink full of hot water and begin stirring with the brush. I raise the mug out of the water and let much of the excess water run off. I keep stirring and pouring off the excess until I get what I want. Sometimes I finish whipping up the lather in anther bowl, but usually I just keep whipping it on top of the soap and then apply it with lots of swirling strokes.
The above method will consume your soaps a little faster, but I find it is easier on my brushes. Working a wrung out brush on top of a damp soap seems to cause more hairs to fall out of my brushes. I am more concerned about the life of my brush than the life of my soap. After several months with a soap, I don't mind buying another one.
I have been using an Omega Pro almost every day as of late. I get decent results using the drip method described above. I also use the dunk and stir method with soaps that works rather well. I just dunk the mug of soap and brush in a sink full of hot water and begin stirring with the brush. I raise the mug out of the water and let much of the excess water run off. I keep stirring and pouring off the excess until I get what I want. Sometimes I finish whipping up the lather in anther bowl, but usually I just keep whipping it on top of the soap and then apply it with lots of swirling strokes.
The above method will consume your soaps a little faster, but I find it is easier on my brushes. Working a wrung out brush on top of a damp soap seems to cause more hairs to fall out of my brushes. I am more concerned about the life of my brush than the life of my soap. After several months with a soap, I don't mind buying another one.
Oh, also make sure you're soaking your brush throughly before use. Boar bristle sucks up quite a bit of water, so you'll want to make sure to soak it for a good minute or two. Otherwise, you're going to be losing water to the bristle while you lather, which is going to make lathering way harder than it needs to be.
- Thread starter
- #14
Lots of good info here.
Tonight's shave was a success! I just needed to add a little more water to get thicker lather. Thanks again guys.
Tonight's shave was a success! I just needed to add a little more water to get thicker lather. Thanks again guys.
This is great advice! It made a big difference in the performance of my Vulfix 2233 boar brush. Right now, I get as good a performance out of that brush as any of my badgers.
Dave
Boars actually hold more water, just differently. Where badger holds water on the outside of the shaft, boar absorbs water into the shaft. I think a big problem is people expect them to behave like a badger which they will never be, as a badger will never be a boar. Boars do need a break in period and eventually the tips will split giving you a brush that is super soft with plenty of backbone. I rarely use creams and even then I have a badger for those times. For soaps, and I have never had a problem doing this way with any type of soap, soak your brush for several minutes like while in the shower. Take it out and give it a good squeeze and a gentle flick. Work the puck, at first it might be a bit bubbly but that will quickly change into a thicker paste. You want the brush tips to be clumpy with soap. Now build your lather slowly adding water. Boars are fantastic brushes and represent the best value in brushes. Expecting them to work like a badger and to be used like a badger will leave you disappointed.
MY TAYLORS BADGER AND MUHLE BADGER HAVE BEEN UNUSED FOR THE LAST 3 OR SO SHAVES BY A £4 "BUY-IT-ANYWHERE" WILKINSON SWORD BOAR BRUSH.
I FOUND THIS THREAD EXTREMELY USEFUL --> http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=107335
I FOUND THIS THREAD EXTREMELY USEFUL --> http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=107335
Well done!
There are many different ways of building lather.
Some methods (like the tutorials on the site here) start off with a fairly dry brush. Other methods (such as the Zach's Method) start off with a fairly wet brush.
There is no proper/ improper, as long as the resulting lather is rich, has enough cushion, and performs the way you want it too.
Break it in and while you're doing that try face lathering for a while, it won't be as frustrating as bowl lathering currently is.
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