Obligatory First Post

[deadcruiser]

Even with the new Omega 10066 I'm having a really hard time loading the brush with the vintage Williams puck. I can't tell if it's my technique or if it's just a dud after sitting around for several decades. That said I really like the brush. Soft enough on the face after soaking for a good bit but stiff enough to dig in a bit. I like the faux ivory handle, and it shed very little even though I used it very vigorously. I will say that it has a distinctly animal odor to it that's a little offputting, but I read that it will diminish with use.

 

[Atlantic59]

You picked a great brush. Boar brushes take awhile to break in; sometimes it takes fifteen or twenty lathers before they start getting good.

To get rid of the funk, if you have Oxiclean around the house, you could soak the bristles in a solution of Oxiclean pluw dish soap or unscented laundry detergent.

Vintage Williams is probably rock-hard. You may not be loading enough product.You could soak the soap in warm water for 30 minutes or so. When you load the brush, load for a longer time without applying very much pressure. Watch the bristles to see when the tips are saturated. It's OK to drain off the initial bit of thin, runny foam while loading the brush. It takes practice sometimes.

 

[deadcruiser]

You picked a great brush. Boar brushes take awhile to break in; sometimes it takes fifteen or twenty lathers before they start getting good.

To get rid of the funk, if you have Oxiclean around the house, you could soak the bristles in a solution of Oxiclean pluw dish soap or unscented laundry detergent.

Vintage Williams is probably rock-hard. You may not be loading enough product.You could soak the soap in warm water for 30 minutes or so. When you load the brush, load for a longer time without applying very much pressure. Watch the bristles to see when the tips are saturated. It's OK to drain off the initial bit of thin, runny foam while loading the brush. It takes practice sometimes.

I'll have to see if I have any Oxiclean in my laundry room.

I'll see if giving the puck a good soak softens it up a bit. I was just swirling and swirling forever it seemed without making much progress. Might be I'm spending a too much effort on something I invested next to nothing into, lol. I've been thinking of getting a different soap. Have narrowed my choices down to Taylor of Old Bond Street, Haslinger, and Mitchell's Wool Fat.

 

[Atlantic59]

I'll have to see if I have any Oxiclean in my laundry room.

I'll see if giving the puck a good soak softens it up a bit. I was just swirling and swirling forever it seemed without making much progress. Might be I'm spending a too much effort on something I invested next to nothing into, lol. I've been thinking of getting a different soap. Have narrowed my choices down to Taylor of Old Bond Street, Haslinger, and Mitchell's Wool Fat.

Haslinger is great, get the Schafmilch and don't look back. It has a lot of similarities with MWF but is very easy to lather. Would be a good soap to use while working on your technique.

I think all the Haslinger flavors are very similar in performance. If you like one of them more than Schafmilch it is hard to go wrong.

 

[deadcruiser]

I think all the Haslinger flavors are very similar in performance. If you like one of them more than Schafmilch it is hard to go wrong.

I was looking at the Schafmilch for sure.