I started shaving with a DE razor in July. I've been very happy with my Stirling finest badger fan brush (butterscotch handle) - my first and only brush for months. I had a trip planned so I purchased a cheap, $8 Omega S Brush (synthetic badger) and that opened my eyes to the differences in brushes. After watching videos and reading reviews I knew I wanted a Semogue boar brush. I ended up getting a brand new Semogue 1800 for $15 (shipping to my residence included). The brush arrived on Oct 30, 2017 and my journey began there.
What I knew is that this brush would not be fit for service out of the box From what I read -- and I read quite a few things about a new boar brush -- it needs to be broken in. The break in methods suggested varied from leaving it in cold water for a specified period of time to the just use it method and everything in between. I took an educated guess and for about a week, I'd lather this little guy up with tabac soap and hand lather. I'd do this 2 or 3 times and let the brush sit and fully dry, until i lathered it up again. I'd do this a few times to soften the tips and break it in.
I noticed that some of the tips started splitting, so I decided to start to use it. I assumed that it would be like my trusty Stirling -- remember, I'm new to this -- and I'd soak in the shower, remove excess water, load it up and build a lather in the bowl, and take it to my face. I couldn't have been more wrong. I'd try to build lather and when I'd taken the brush to my face, the brush gave me the same bounty that Geraldo Rivera received from Al Capone's vault. Out of the gate, regardless of the soap, croap or cream I tried (from all points of the globe), the Semogue would eat lather. So I'd reload it and take to my face and when I was rushed for time, I'd go to the synthetic to get the job done.
At this point, I was starting to think the allure of the Semogue boar brush was a myth. I knew it wasn't an issue of water that was too hard, so it must be me and technique. I'd try loading it with less water and more water. And on occasion, I could get a decent lather when I was practicing, but in a key game situation, when the game was on the line, I was like Shaq shooting free throws.
I kept trying, but I still could not get it to load, build and give forth a consistent lather. However, I did follow one rule with this brush: let it fully dry before I use (or rather try to use) it again. I noticed that the ends of those pig hairs were splitting and the brush was getting softer. While, I still couldn't make a lather from this brush, I took a small victory in the fact that it was breaking in.
Even after I joined B&B -- I did an initial post in the newbie board -- I was still having difficulty getting this thing to work consistently. Then @Retiredgene told me to look up the @Marco method of lathering with soft Italian soaps. I believe that was two weeks ago and my initial attempt was wildly successful -- however that initial trial was done just to see if I could build a lather - I could- but I didn't shave.
Fast forward to today, when I put the Marco method to the test to shave off 4 days of growth. During my initial trial of my the Marco method, I was successful using Proraso green. Of course, I didn't go with a known entity, I selected Razorock XXX. Happily, the Marco method worked and I whipped up a beautiful lather in my trusty Martha Stewart
Cereal bowl and brought it to my face. What I noticed today was that the tips of the brush were soft as I swirled the soap into my scraggly face, but the brush held firm. I've finally achieved and experienced what these veteran boar brush users were raving about. And, I built enough lather for 4 passes.
As I get success, I also started to ask myself more questions: do I use a boar solely for soft soaps? How do I use I for creams or hard soaps? And are my badger brushes -- particularly my super luxurious Kent P4 -- specific tools for specific soaps. In short, I've used the Silvertip Kent with a cream. It performed well, but I had a little less success using the kent with Caties Bubbles (a hard soap)?
Is the reason you enablers have hundreds of brushes, because you need brush works with specific types of soaps? I know in my heart that's not true, but like Grasshopper on Kung-Fu, I'm looking for the enlightened path.
What I knew is that this brush would not be fit for service out of the box From what I read -- and I read quite a few things about a new boar brush -- it needs to be broken in. The break in methods suggested varied from leaving it in cold water for a specified period of time to the just use it method and everything in between. I took an educated guess and for about a week, I'd lather this little guy up with tabac soap and hand lather. I'd do this 2 or 3 times and let the brush sit and fully dry, until i lathered it up again. I'd do this a few times to soften the tips and break it in.
I noticed that some of the tips started splitting, so I decided to start to use it. I assumed that it would be like my trusty Stirling -- remember, I'm new to this -- and I'd soak in the shower, remove excess water, load it up and build a lather in the bowl, and take it to my face. I couldn't have been more wrong. I'd try to build lather and when I'd taken the brush to my face, the brush gave me the same bounty that Geraldo Rivera received from Al Capone's vault. Out of the gate, regardless of the soap, croap or cream I tried (from all points of the globe), the Semogue would eat lather. So I'd reload it and take to my face and when I was rushed for time, I'd go to the synthetic to get the job done.
At this point, I was starting to think the allure of the Semogue boar brush was a myth. I knew it wasn't an issue of water that was too hard, so it must be me and technique. I'd try loading it with less water and more water. And on occasion, I could get a decent lather when I was practicing, but in a key game situation, when the game was on the line, I was like Shaq shooting free throws.
I kept trying, but I still could not get it to load, build and give forth a consistent lather. However, I did follow one rule with this brush: let it fully dry before I use (or rather try to use) it again. I noticed that the ends of those pig hairs were splitting and the brush was getting softer. While, I still couldn't make a lather from this brush, I took a small victory in the fact that it was breaking in.
Even after I joined B&B -- I did an initial post in the newbie board -- I was still having difficulty getting this thing to work consistently. Then @Retiredgene told me to look up the @Marco method of lathering with soft Italian soaps. I believe that was two weeks ago and my initial attempt was wildly successful -- however that initial trial was done just to see if I could build a lather - I could- but I didn't shave.
Fast forward to today, when I put the Marco method to the test to shave off 4 days of growth. During my initial trial of my the Marco method, I was successful using Proraso green. Of course, I didn't go with a known entity, I selected Razorock XXX. Happily, the Marco method worked and I whipped up a beautiful lather in my trusty Martha Stewart
Cereal bowl and brought it to my face. What I noticed today was that the tips of the brush were soft as I swirled the soap into my scraggly face, but the brush held firm. I've finally achieved and experienced what these veteran boar brush users were raving about. And, I built enough lather for 4 passes.
As I get success, I also started to ask myself more questions: do I use a boar solely for soft soaps? How do I use I for creams or hard soaps? And are my badger brushes -- particularly my super luxurious Kent P4 -- specific tools for specific soaps. In short, I've used the Silvertip Kent with a cream. It performed well, but I had a little less success using the kent with Caties Bubbles (a hard soap)?
Is the reason you enablers have hundreds of brushes, because you need brush works with specific types of soaps? I know in my heart that's not true, but like Grasshopper on Kung-Fu, I'm looking for the enlightened path.
