Lather with a boar brush

[jcroteau]

I recently purchased a Proraso boar brush, and am having trouble replicating the lathers I was getting from my synthetic. Is this normal? I seem to be creating less lather with the same amount of shaving cream?

I'm still quite new to all of this, but wouldn't a set amount of shaving cream create the same amount of lather regardless of the brush used? The boar definitely takes more water, but the end amount is still substantially less.

 

[Atlantic59]

Boar brushes need to go through a break-in period. Give it 15-20 lathering sessions and you should see a big improvement. It will continue to gradually improve with more use from that point.

Especially when new, be sure to soak your boar brush in warm water for five or ten minutes before shaving to make sure it is fully saturated. Let the brush fully dry out after each use, that will help the tips to split, the brush will become much softer and will lather easier. An every other day schedule works well for this.

A larger brush will take more soap to make the same lather compared to a smaller brush. An equal size boar and synth should make the same amount, but the synth will make it more quickly and easily.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Boar in general don't give easy and lush lather like badgers (and most synths) can with almost any halfway decent soap. The best boars come close; especially if your soap is good. But in generally they're just a little less effective at lathering with poor to average soaps (in my experience). With top notch soaps and a good boar brush though, the difference becomes almost unnoticeable. When I was still using mediocre soaps, I just couldn't understand why folks liked boars. Once I upgraded my soaps; they became much closer to badgers across the board... and like I said, the really good ones became very nearly comparable.

The do improve with break-in in most cases. But that's more of a good brush turns great... not a bad brush turns good type of change.

Easiest fix I have found to improve boar shaves if you're having trouble? Lather twice. (Soak, Load, Lather, Load again, Lather again) The second lather will be much better. I suspect it has to do with the hairs absorbing/releasing water differently and saturating the hairs with soapy water (instead of pure water from just soaking the brush) seems to help a lot.

 

[Chaucer]

Boar in general don't give easy and lush lather like badgers (and most synths) can with almost any halfway decent soap. The best boars come close; especially if your soap is good. But in generally they're just a little less effective at lathering with poor to average soaps (in my experience). With top notch soaps and a good boar brush though, the difference becomes almost unnoticeable. When I was still using mediocre soaps, I just couldn't understand why folks liked boars. Once I upgraded my soaps; they became much closer to badgers across the board... and like I said, the really good ones became very nearly comparable.

The do improve with break-in in most cases. But that's more of a good brush turns great... not a bad brush turns good type of change.

Easiest fix I have found to improve boar shaves if you're having trouble? Lather twice. (Soak, Load, Lather, Load again, Lather again) The second lather will be much better. I suspect it has to do with the hairs absorbing/releasing water differently and saturating the hairs with soapy water (instead of pure water from just soaking the brush) seems to help a lot.

Good post. It takes more patience than I have (at least 20 prep lathers + more elbow grease in each shave) to get good results from the boar brushes I’ve had. Even a mixed badger & boar is far easier and pleasanter to use. And a decent badger brush, even “pure”, is far superior.

My experience with synthetics is limited. Their performance for me has been better than boars’ (no prep lathers!), but a good badger is just more satisfying.

As always with shaving, though, YMMV.

 

[Atlantic59]

...They do improve with break-in in most cases. But that's more of a good brush turns great... not a bad brush turns good type of change...

He's got a good one, the Omega Proraso brush should do fine.

The break-in process causes the tips of the hair to split. Since the lather is built by agitating the soap with the tips, split tips make a huge difference. Split tips also make the brush very soft (when saturated with water).

A good boar brush combines firm backbone, pleasant scrubby feel, and good lather making. A lot of people give up on boars too soon, without discovering what they are really capable of at their best.

I prefer boars over other brushes, personally. I can't understand people who turn their noses up at them. I wouldn't even want to use a pure badger, too harsh. I have one badger brush in finest, it makes a nice change of pace. Maybe a badger/boar mix is in the future, that is something I haven't tried yet.

 

[BigJ]

Boar brushes need to go through a break-in period. Give it 15-20 lathering sessions and you should see a big improvement. It will continue to gradually improve with more use from that point.

Especially when new, be sure to soak your boar brush in warm water for five or ten minutes before shaving to make sure it is fully saturated. Let the brush fully dry out after each use, that will help the tips to split, the brush will become much softer and will lather easier. An every other day schedule works well for this.

A larger brush will take more soap to make the same lather compared to a smaller brush. An equal size boar and synth should make the same amount, but the synth will make it more quickly and easily.

+1! Break-in is key for boar brushes!! Keep using the brush and your opinion will likely improve!!

 

[Schnitzel52]

Boar brushes are excellent values and produce fine lathers. Use your boar daily for a while and watch it improve.
My Omega Pro 48 out lathers my Colonel X2L and Omega 10065 and it should. It’s a bigger brush.
Once yours is broken in try the Marco technique with it.
You will enjoy sumptuous lather.

 

[objectuser]

Boar in general don't give easy and lush lather like badgers (and most synths) can with almost any halfway decent soap. The best boars come close; especially if your soap is good. But in generally they're just a little less effective at lathering with poor to average soaps (in my experience).

I have both very good (and expensive!) badger brushes and very good (and cheap!) boar brushes. I think my boar brushes produce lather at least as fast as my badger brushes.

But nothing I have produces lather faster than my synthetics. But I hate how they feel.

 

[linty1]

As others have said it will get better with use, in the meanwhile you can do this to help things along, get a mug, put your brush in bristle down and fill it with water just to the bristle/handle level and let it soak over night. The next day, take the brush out of the mug, shake it off, and grab a towel (any, bath, kitchen) and just brush it back and forth for about 10 mins. Repeat for 2-3 days. Should help.

Let us know how things progress, happy shaves.

 

[Timeclo]

Load heavy and add more water with boars. Synthetics are easier to use in my experience so it's gonna take some time to get used to the new boar.

When I tested the same amount of soaps with synthetics, boar, and badgers, synthetic always yielded in more and creamier lather. Not sure why but that's the case every time for me.