I recently got a Semogue boar brush medium price. Bristles so stiff it will hardly lather. Any suggestions? Thanks
Semogue Boar brush very stiff
- Thread starter Fillifan
- Start date
How long are you soaking it for beforehand?
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- #3
I wet it but did not soak it for any length of time. How long should I soak it? Thanks.
I soak mine for the time it takes to shower; so around 5-10 minutes. 5 is probably sufficient though.
I let my brushes soak in hot tap water for the however long it takes to shower. If you are not showering, at least a few minutes or more. Soaking makes a huge difference with natural bristles.
- Thread starter
- #6
Those would be easy tips for me to follow. Shower is just next to sink. I'll do that next shave.
Good advice above, I usually do 3 to 5 for boars but longer won't hurt, especially when it's new.
With every boar, to include bleached bristles - there is a break-in period to be expected.
Without you mentioning which model you purchased, we can't infer which level of boar bristle you are working in.
From my experience, Premium tips only require a light break-in. For me, that consists of a few soak/dry cycles coupled with building lathers of MWF (tallow-free) and allowing to marinate in the frothy goodness; taking full advantage of the lanolin to condition the bristles.
Well, if you read around you'll see all kinds of advice for boar brushes like soaking them in all kinds of weird liquids, throw them out on the road and let some transport trucks drive over them, pound on them with a hammer, microwave them...
As my mechanic says about cars, "They all do that."
Frankly, this is simple. Not fast, but simple.
When I decide it's a shave day, I run some water in the sink. I plug the sink and start filling; the water gets warm then hot while I'm filling. I have a little plastic 1/2 cup container that I will fill with warm water and plunk the brush into it to soak. After I've done a few things; lay out my tools, get a couple towels out, maybe go finish my coffee -- then I pull up the brush and let it drain until the water quits coming out. Give it a light squeeze and build your lather.
Aha, but how long does it take to break in the brush? Well, heck, it's a boar. I've been using the same Omega 10005 every shave for the last four or five years. I've got a Semogue Cherry Owner's Club waiting in the wings. I imagine that Semogue will take about four or five years to get really broken in, and while it's doing that I'll get some great shaves. At the rate I'm going with the Omega, I may not live long enough to use the Semogue. But that's how it goes.
O.H.
As my mechanic says about cars, "They all do that."
Frankly, this is simple. Not fast, but simple.
When I decide it's a shave day, I run some water in the sink. I plug the sink and start filling; the water gets warm then hot while I'm filling. I have a little plastic 1/2 cup container that I will fill with warm water and plunk the brush into it to soak. After I've done a few things; lay out my tools, get a couple towels out, maybe go finish my coffee -- then I pull up the brush and let it drain until the water quits coming out. Give it a light squeeze and build your lather.
Aha, but how long does it take to break in the brush? Well, heck, it's a boar. I've been using the same Omega 10005 every shave for the last four or five years. I've got a Semogue Cherry Owner's Club waiting in the wings. I imagine that Semogue will take about four or five years to get really broken in, and while it's doing that I'll get some great shaves. At the rate I'm going with the Omega, I may not live long enough to use the Semogue. But that's how it goes.
O.H.
