Reconditioning an old boar brush

[5savages]

I bought a nice NOS Mohawk shaving set (Seen here) that included soap, a bowl, and a boar brush. My original intent was to reknot the brush but since it's NOS, I decided to try to use it as is.

My gave it a long soak and tried it out on a puck of Calani. I didn't go hard at it but was still able to make some nice lather. I also broke off 3 or 4 bristles off the brush. I know this can be expected with a new brush but it got me wondering...is there anything else I can do to recondition these old boar bristles that will get it back into shaving shape?

 

[duki92]

Try with nice shampoo and hair conditioner/regenerator. I think it will help, will soften the hair for sure.

 

[Jarick]

I bought a NOS Ever-Ready boar that looked like that. It never got any better. At some point they must dry out or the tips must be clipped because they just never bloomed or split.

 

[Big Jim]

Give it about a month, and if you don't love it by then, replace the knot with a Silvertip Badger. Life is too short to put up with an inadequate shaving brush.

 

[5savages]

Thanks for the input guys!

I gave it the shampoo & conditioner treatment (after soaking it for a few hours) the bristles seem to be softer and more flexible. I'll give it 2 or 3 weeks worth of use and see how it improves. I used it last night it loaded up nice, but with no bloom, i didn't get much for lather. What I did get was highly concentrated.

If it doesn't improve it will be reknotted at some point.

 

[NSmalls]

Give it about a month, and if you don't love it by then, replace the knot with a Silvertip Badger. Life is too short to put up with an inadequate shaving brush.

I think a month is a long time to give a brush that you are not enjoying. It would be for me anyway! But I wholeheartedly agree with the statement in bold.

 

[cwise]

That is a sweet brush vferdman! Very nice restore. Where is you get that black band that you added to the top of the brush?