My First Boar - Proraso Pro

[rbscebu]

First some background. For decades I wet shaved about thrice a week with Badger brushes and carts, always face lathering with a cream soap. Soon after I switched to SR shaving in December 2019, I tried some synthetic brushes and fell in love with them. I am now down to one badger and two synthetics with my $2 Chinese synthetic being my favourite.

Yesterday just before lunch I received my first ever boar brush, a Proraso Pro made by Omega. Being impatient, 5 hours after my morning shave, I decided to see what this boar felt like.

Out of the box and into warm water for a 5-minute soak. I then gave the brush one gentle vertical "shake" before appling some Palmolive Regular cream to the middle of the brush. After massaging the cream into the bristles, I commenced to face lather.

The brush was not a prickly on my face as I thought it would be but it was still noticeably prickly. Still, with the backbone, it lathered well. I was surprised at how well it lathered.

Yesterday afternoon I placed the brush in cold water and left it to soak overnight. First thing this morning, I took the brush from its cold water soak, shook it as dry as I could and then dried the tips on a scratchy towel. The brush was then left to air dry while I cooked and eat my breakfast.

Now it was time for my first shave with the Proraso Pro. I soaked the brush in warm water while I prepared my face (thorough wash and rinse), for about 5 minutes. As I am shaving with tallow Tabac this week, I applied the soap to my whiskered face. Taking the brush from its warm soak, I gave it a couple of gentle vertical shakes and commenced to face lather.

The brush felt softer that yesterday's test lather and the lather built up well. First pass was WTG. I then went to relather straight from the brush - as I normally do. What a surprise. They was lather on the outside of the brush but none left inside to apply for the second pass!

I rinsed off and reapplied some more Tabac to my face before building another lather for my second pass. All worked well. This brush must eat lather for breakfast. For the third pass, I was able to use the residual lather in the brush without having to apply more Tabac.

After the shave, I rinsed the brush and put it aside in cold water to soak. This evening I will again dry the brush tips on a scratchy towel before returning it to its cold-water soak. I am trying to get the best of both worlds, accelerating the bristle tip splitting and feeling how the brush-feel changes during break-in.

Tomorrow morning will be another shave, face-latheting with tallow Tabac and the Proraso Pro.

 

[macintoshBR]

It’s a good brush, but yeah boars will eat lather, particularly if compared with synthetics. Be ready to use more soap

 

[wibbleandstrop23]

Congratulations on your new brush. A well broken in Italian boar and Proraso green cream are a perfect match.

 

[taffy]

They are nice brushes, years of service as well.

 

[Butch Waxx]

I must admit I find myself reaching for my Omega Italian boar brushes more than my badgers and synthetics.

 

[Kyle89]

Once it’s fully broken in it will stop eating lather. Those are fantastic brushes. I find myself choking up on the knot when using it. I forgot how long it took to break in.

 

[Butch Waxx]

Once it’s fully broken in it will stop eating lather. Those are fantastic brushes. I find myself choking up on the knot when using it. I forgot how long it took to break in.

When you watch those barber shop shaves on YouTube, the Italian barbers choke up on that boar and really apply the lather…and apply…..and apply….and

 

[BigJ]

Once it is broken in, I predict that brush is likely to become a favorite!

 

[rbscebu]

My second shave with the Proraso Pro brush this morning. Preparation before lathering and shaving soap (tallow Tabac) was the same. Soaked the brush in warm water while preparing (about 4 or 5 minutes) and face lathered.

The brush is already feeling softer on my face yet still has a very enjoyable backbone. Yesterday the lather in the brush did not last past the first pass. Although using about the same amount of soap this morning, the brush retained enough lather for two pass - but not a third.

I have decided to use the following breaking daily routine:

1. Shave and then soak brush, still with lather residue, in cold water for 5 hours.
2. Shake the brush dry and rub the tips on a course towel for about 5 minutes.
3. Allow brush to air dry for 5 hours.
4. Soak brush in cold water for 5 hours.
5. Shake the brush dry and rub the tips on a course towel for about 5 minutes.
6. Allow brush to air dry for 8 hours (overnight).
7. Shave.

Yes, I think that I am going to enjoy using this, my first boar brush.

 

[Felixthecat]

I have an Omega 83 which is essentially the same brush, I think.
On receiving it I soaked it overnight and spent a few minutes brushing it on a towel. I had split ends almost immediately. I put it in a glass with a bit of tea tree oil and the smell was gone. What I have found is that feeling it dry is nothing like when it is wet. Surprisingly comfortable and ridiculously inexpensive. It looks a bit big, but in some ways it makes it easier to use.

 

[timetofly]

Boars are fantastic brushes, and only get better over time. I enjoy using my Omega boars!

 

[albsat]

Proraso boar was my main first razor and I keep it in my rotation. It took me 6 months of daily shaves to be fully broken. It has a strong backbone. If I stay 2 days without a shave, then it is Proraso boar time.

Next boar brush to suggest is a Zenith one. I like boar brushes and have 4 of them, although recently I am using just the Zenith one from them.

 

[rbscebu]

Now five SR shaves in with my Proraso Pro boar brush. I must say that I am enjoying face lathering with it the more that I use it.

The Proraso Pro in this morning's shave held enough lather - just - for a three-pass shave, still using about the same amount of soap as I did with my synthetic brush.

I will continue using this boar brush through this coming week. Then I will revert to boar on Mondays to Fridays and synthetic on weekends. With that arrangement, I hope to get a better understanding of how this boar brush is breaking in.

 

[NorthernSoul]

After the shave, I rinsed the brush and put it aside in cold water to soak. This evening I will again dry the brush tips on a scratchy towel before returning it to its cold-water soak. I am trying to get the best of both worlds, accelerating the bristle tip splitting and feeling how the brush-feel changes during break-in.

There may be a slight problem with your cunning plan. Boar bristles mostly split during the drying phase. Meaning you should ideally let the brush dry out completely between lathers to get through the break-in as quickly as you can. A 24-hour cycle might not be enough time for everything to dry thoroughly, so you might want to go with an alternating day schedule.

My larger Omega boars took about 30-40 lather cycles before they stopped eating lather. Eating lather is harmless enough, except for burning through the soap a lot faster. They continued to improve gradually with use past that point. BTW, my favorite Omega is the Jade premium model sold by Connaught in the UK, but the inexpensive beehive 10081 and 80080 are also great brushes in a medium size. The 11137 is another good one. The 24mm/55mm knot size is a real sweet spot for Omega.

 

[rbscebu]

@NorthernSoul, I am now just using my Proraso Pro in the normal way, lathering with it, shaving, rinsing the brush and leaving it out to dry before the next shave 24 hours later.

I am in no rush now to further break it in. The Proraso Pro is already giving me an acceptable lathering experience and its lather consumption is decreasing slightly with each use.

 

[dmshaver]

Welcome to the wonderful world of boar! The Proraso Pro is an exceptional example of what boar has to offer. The more you use it, the softer it will get, & the more enjoyable it will become. I agree with your breaking-in process, & also with your assessment that no further breaking-in is needed other than to use it & enjoy it. Therefore, enjoy!

 

[Tillerman]

My boar is in its fifth week since being unboxed. I shave daily and bowl lather off a puck. I can see a big difference over that time span. I really am enjoying the brush.

 

[Tillerman]

First use picture is on the right, May 31. On the left is today. Good luck breaking in your brush and enjoy.

 

[saj]

I have an Omega 83 which is essentially the same brush, I think.
On receiving it I soaked it overnight and spent a few minutes brushing it on a towel. I had split ends almost immediately. I put it in a glass with a bit of tea tree oil and the smell was gone. What I have found is that feeling it dry is nothing like when it is wet. Surprisingly comfortable and ridiculously inexpensive. It looks a bit big, but in some ways it makes it easier to use.

So just to clarify the proraso pro is the same omega as the omega 83?

 

[saj]

@rbscebu after reading this thread I really want a boar, just curious what made you go for the proraso omega brush specifically instead of any other omega brushes?