Show and Tell: broken in boar brush

[Rustyshackelford]

I’m currently in the process of breaking in a new SOC Boar brush. I am enjoying monitoring the progress of the break in process, but I am very curious to know what these brushes come to look like many many miles down the road. There is not a collection that I can find showing examples of anyone’s prized boar brushes and the information on the number of miles they have seen.

So grab your favorite boars from your den and post a pic, even better if you can provide a back story of how you came to have the brush, when you got it, how long for initial break in, estimated lifetime uses. I’d love to see them all, not just semogue, omega, zenith, etc...

 

[FarmerTan]

I'll be back. EXCELLENT idea for a thread by the way!

I've only ever used boars. So it's easy for me to say: "Boars are the best brushes I've ever used!"

Pics and tales tomorrow. Hopefully.

 

[Mike H]

The handle is about 100 years old. The knot is about 6 years old. Used a couple times a week. My favorite brush.

Rubberset before and after, a short tutorial

A short restoration tutorial...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Demolition]

My favourite boar is a Victoria, made in West Germany in the late-1950s. My Dad passed it and his J-4 Slim to me when I started shaving. I used them every other day until I got a job in the logging industry. Constant travel and meagre amenities forced me switch to a Trac II and canned foam. I did that for a few years, then switched back to the Slim and the Victoria brush which I used almost everyday for the next 23-ish years.

In 2013, the handle started to crack and the paint began to crumble off. While searching for info on how to restore a wooden brush handle, I stumbled on B&B. Reading a few reviews led me to buy a couple of Omega boars. Now, the Victoria is just a conversation piece. But, it's still my favourite brush because it originally belonged to my Dad and reminds me of him. Also, it was with me for most of my formative years. One day, I'll have it restored.

'Til then, here's a couple of photos from when I first joined B&B:

As for details about break-in, how many uses, etc... It was already broken-in when I got it. My Dad used it everyday for 20 years before he passed it to me. So, my estimate of combined uses is (20 x 365) + (25 x 365) = 16,425.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

All of these brushes are at least acceptably broken in...

All of the brushes pictured are good boars...

The Jade is an Omega. The others are Zeniths.

If you enlarge the photos you can see split ends. Split ends are a sign of the break in process's progression.

Some boar brushes - here I'm talking the bleached Zeniths and my Mondials - really don't need much if any breaking in, but they will still become softer with use.

My SOC (above) doesn't show its split ends very well in the photo. It's a couple of years old now, and feels great in use. It may continue to break in as time goes on, but it's perfectly acceptable now. I'd say mine took a pretty long time, months, to break in, but it was useable from the beginning.

The copper handled Zenith was good from the beginning, but has improved with use.

Both of my Mondial boars have impressed me. They're similar to the Zeniths. I don't like the boars which are treated to look like badgers. I think they look lousy. So, I have Mondial boars which look like this one in the knot, like boars should look.

In my experience, Omegas can take awhile to break in. Some are very much better after a month or so of daily dry to wet to dry cycles.

In my opinion the Jade from Connaught (a premium Omega brush) is the best boar of all. You can see some split ends on both of these boars.

The white handled Mighty Midget (purchased for $7 at Connaught) is a really good brush, but it is super stiff with backbone and needs a lot of breaking in. Along with the Proraso Pro (a made by Omega brush) it is in another league when it comes to backbone in boars.

The Mighty Midget looks better and is easier to hold onto with the addition of three #13 O Rings.

Knots vary from pig to pig or batch to batch. Even within the same brand and model brushes vary as does the degree of stiffness, the backbone, the scrub, and the need for extended break in, but I believe all boars (that I've used) have improved with use.

You can find split ends in all these photos.

Be patient with your boars.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[FarmerTan]

My favourite boar is a Victoria, made in West Germany in the late-1950s. My Dad passed it and his J-4 Slim to me when I started shaving. I used them every other day until I got a job in the logging industry. Constant travel and meagre amenities forced me switch to a Trac II and canned foam. I did that for a few years, then switched back to the Slim and the Victoria brush which I used almost everyday for the next 23-ish years.

In 2013, the handle started to crack and the paint began to crumble off. While searching for info on how to restore a wooden brush handle, I stumbled on B&B. Reading a few reviews led me to buy a couple of Omega boars. Now, the Victoria is just a conversation piece. But, it's still my favourite brush because it originally belonged to my Dad and reminds me of him. Also, it was with me for most of my formative years. One day, I'll have it restored.

'Til then, here's a couple of photos from when I first joined B&B:

As for details about break-in, how many uses, etc... It was already broken-in when I got it. My Dad used it everyday for 20 years before he passed it to me. So, my estimate of combined uses is (20 x 365) + (25 x 365) = 16,425.

Awesome story. I wish I had something like that from my dad, but almost every time I shave I am literally standing in the same place he did.

Never forget just how blessed you are my friend!!

 

[Demolition]

Thanks, Dave!

Yes, I certainly do feel blessed. I was lucky that my Dad not only taught me how to shave, but gave me some nice hardware to get started. Then, after he passed, I inherited more of his shaving gear which I gladly integrated into my normal rotation.

Interestingly, I also stand very close to where my Dad shaved because I bought the house that I grew up in. I don't use the master bath because that was "his". I use the powder room next door that has a frosted privacy window between the two. When a tree waves outside, a shadow moves about the master bath and I sometimes pretend it's him in there. Kind of silly, I know.

 

[FarmerTan]

Thanks, Dave!

Yes, I certainly do feel blessed. I was lucky that my Dad not only taught me how to shave, but gave me some nice hardware to get started. Then, after he passed, I inherited more of his shaving gear which I gladly integrated into my normal rotation.

Interestingly, I also stand very close to where my Dad shaved because I bought the house that I grew up in. I don't use the master bath because that was "his". I use the powder room next door that has a frosted privacy window between the two. When a tree waves outside, a shadow moves about the master bath and I sometimes pretend it's him in there. Kind of silly, I know.

Not silly; just hope.

I too am living in the same house I grew up in. Many changes over the years, but it's neat to look at trees we planted together, sheds we built, etc.

 

[Boghopper]

All of these brushes are at least acceptably broken in...

All of the brushes pictured are good boars...


View attachment 1061342

The Jade is an Omega. The others are Zeniths.

If you enlarge the photos you can see split ends. Split ends are a sign of the break in process's progression.

Some boar brushes - here I'm talking the bleached Zeniths and my Mondials - really don't need much if any breaking in, but they will still become softer with use.



View attachment 1061344


My SOC (above) doesn't show its split ends very well in the photo. It's a couple of years old now, and feels great in use. It may continue to break in as time goes on, but it's perfectly acceptable now. I'd say mine took a pretty long time, months, to break in, but it was useable from the beginning.



View attachment 1061345


The copper handled Zenith was good from the beginning, but has improved with use.


View attachment 1061346


Both of my Mondial boars have impressed me. They're similar to the Zeniths. I don't like the boars which are treated to look like badgers. I think they look lousy. So, I have Mondial boars which look like this one in the knot, like boars should look.

In my experience, Omegas can take awhile to break in. Some are very much better after a month or so of daily dry to wet to dry cycles.


View attachment 1061351


In my opinion the Jade from Connaught (a premium Omega brush) is the best boar of all. You can see some split ends on both of these boars.

The white handled Mighty Midget (purchased for $7 at Connaught) is a really good brush, but it is super stiff with backbone and needs a lot of breaking in. Along with the Proraso Pro (a made by Omega brush) it is in another league when it comes to backbone in boars.


View attachment 1061349


The Mighty Midget looks better and is easier to hold onto with the addition of three #13 O Rings.

Knots vary from pig to pig or batch to batch. Even within the same brand and model brushes vary as does the degree of stiffness, the backbone, the scrub, and the need for extended break in, but I believe all boars (that I've used) have improved with use.

You can find split ends in all these photos.

Be patient with your boars.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I always enjoy your boar musings.

 

[FarmerTan]

I always enjoy your boar musings.

That's funny. The rest of us find him "boaring!"


Oh, that was bad, even for me! Forgive me Gents, I promise to try harder next time!



No, you're all correct; of course I won't.

 

[Boghopper]

Oh no you didn’t

 

[steveclarkus]

My favorite brush is an Omega 10049 I’ve had and used for 11 years. It is softer than my Vulfix silvertip and lathers anything.

 

[ajduplessis]

This is my favorite brush, Omega 10098. It’s got gel soft bristles and lathers anything effortlessly. she is a beaut.

 

[Post_Shave]

Just my lowly Semogue 1305. I’ve begun face lathering more than bowling so I use badger more often. Great brush...this just reminds me that I should use it more. May be the best $20 I’ve spent on wet shaving.

 

[steveclarkus]

This is my favorite brush, Omega 10098. It’s got gel soft bristles and lathers anything effortlessly. she is a beaut.

View attachment 1062465
View attachment 1062464

I have a 98 and two 48’s. Omegas just can’t be beat in my book. I got the 98 and second 48 last year just in case my old 48 blew up or something.

 

[Post_Shave]

I can see it...
sorry your house burned down sir. Did you manage to save anything?

 

[ajduplessis]

These are my other boar brushes in rotation and perform very, very well.

 

[Steinmetzify]

My two:

Envy Shave L, Turn N Shave R...I bought the TNS used and it's (fairly) broken in, which makes it nice to use. The Envy was a Christmas present, which means I've only used it 5-6 times. I did the cold water refrigerator treatment on that one because when I opened up the tube Christmas Eve, that thing felt like a ROCK, no joke. It's softened up quite a bit now and is my favorite of the two.

They're both in rotation, so they're only getting better with use.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Here are some of my Boar brushes:

*Please excuse the BOSS knot synthetic (2nd from left)

 

[Rustyshackelford]

Here are some of my Boar brushes:

View attachment 1062751

Your omega jade handle looks like it has broken in very nicely.

What is the loft height of the zenith? Which model? And do you like it?