What's your Boar Preparation Preference?

[Goblin]

In my early days of wetshaving I was a serial brush abuser. I would buy a boar, prep it every morning by throwing the whole thing in a sink of hot water for 5 minutes whilst I showered, then stick it on the shelf in a damp bathroom where it failed to dry out properly. This treatment seemed to kill a brush in about 2-3 years, then I would get another.

Nowadays, I try to look after my brushes better. When I use a boar, I like to soak it in lukewarm water for a good, long time - sometimes, if I am just kicking around the house at the weekend, I put it in soak at lunchtime when I am not planning to shower and shave until the evening. It's complete overkill, but I don't believe in the phenomenon of "over-soaking" that some folks mention. I soak all the way up to the top of knot. I like plenty of splay, so soaking the brush all the way up helps to achieve this. I seem to get fewer broken or lost hairs this way. Having a rotation means that brushes now get a good 48hrs to dry out before being either used again or put back in the cupboard until next time.

But, I know some guys just give the brush a quick sluice under a tap and consider it good to go (you must like 'em stiff and spiky) whilst I believe some Italian barbers probably keep their boars fully soaked and ready to go almost constantly.

What are your boar preparation habits?

 

[Spy Car]

I voted for 5-10, but 10 minutes is generally the minimum.

I also tend to soak the knot in a depth of water from 50-75% of the knot.

Bill

 

[dmshaver]

I'll start soaking my brush right before I get in the shower. The brush soaks during my shower. I shave right after I get out of the shower. How far up the bristles I soak the brush is dependent on which brush I'm using.

 

[ivan_101]

In my early days of wetshaving I was a serial brush abuser. I would buy a boar, prep it every morning by throwing the whole thing in a sink of hot water for 5 minutes whilst I showered, then stick it on the shelf in a damp bathroom where it failed to dry out properly. This treatment seemed to kill a brush in about 2-3 years, then I would get another.

Nowadays, I try to look after my brushes better. When I use a boar, I like to soak it in lukewarm water for a good, long time - sometimes, if I am just kicking around the house at the weekend, I put it in soak at lunchtime when I am not planning to shower and shave until the evening. It's complete overkill, but I don't believe in the phenomenon of "over-soaking" that some folks mention. I soak all the way up to the top of knot. I like plenty of splay, so soaking the brush all the way up helps to achieve this. I seem to get fewer broken or lost hairs this way. Having a rotation means that brushes now get a good 48hrs to dry out before being either used again or put back in the cupboard until next time.

But, I know some guys just give the brush a quick sluice under a tap and consider it good to go (you must like 'em stiff and spiky) whilst I believe some Italian barbers probably keep their boars fully soaked and ready to go almost constantly.

What are your boar preparation habits?

I knew it this thread has been started by you. Even before I scrolled down to see the first post.

I didn't vote, simply because it is different time and different part of the knot with every boar.

 

[Beto Salatini]

I soak the brush the night before (50/75%) and shave in the morning.

 

[Goblin]

I soak the brush the night before (50/75%) and shave in the morning.

That's interesting. For some reason I figured I would be the only person doing several hour soaks.

I knew it this thread has been started by you. Even before I scrolled down to see the first post.

I know this has probably been discussed many times, but I want data! We probably all do things a little different, but I wonder what the "average" looks like.

 

[gpjoe]

Longer than 10 minutes, but not necessarily intentionally.

I shave either in the early afternoon, or after a shower.

If I'm shaving after a shower, the brush goes into the mug before I get in the shower, generally more than 10 minutes.

If I'm shaving in the afternoon (not not immediately following a shower) I put the brush into a mug and get to it at some random time later, but always at greater than 10 minutes later...sometimes an hour or more, depending on what happens to distract me.

 

[Beto Salatini]

That's interesting. For some reason I figured I would be the only person doing several hour soaks.



I know this has probably been discussed many times, but I want data! We probably all do things a little different, but I wonder what the "average" looks like.

Dear @Goblin, thank you very much for the mention. Italians often leave boar brushes to soak overnight, especially if they have not been used for a few days. They become softer when shaving.

Cheers!

 

[Big Jim]

A five minute soak may be enough, but I just do it while I shower which is usually well over 10 minutes. I only soak the tips.

 

[SamplingNature]

I fill up my mug/bowl with hot water and soak soak the brush along with whatever soap I'm going to use that day (probably a snurdle or two of Proraso Green croap these days). If I'm doing a hot towel, that water is tea-kettle hot. Usually from a few minutes before I start my shower until I've finished whatever other prep and start to whip up a lather.

 

[Ravenonrock]

It depends on the boar, stiffer and more dense brushes get a longer soak, but I’m only talking a few minutes max. Brush soaks while I prepare my works and strop my razor. Well broken in and easy to splay boars get the least soaking time.

 

[nlife]

I soak mine after I have a shower. It's soaked in warm water for 30 seconds to a minute or so. There was a post here that measured the weight differences to see how much water was retained during different intervals. If I recall correctly, there really wasn't much difference between 30 seconds and up to 5 minutes.

Could be the brush gets softer after soaking for a bit, but I like the scritch so I soak about half way up the brush.

 

[Ron R]

I soak mine after I have a shower. It's soaked in warm water for 30 seconds to a minute or so. There was a post here that measured the weight differences to see how much water was retained during different intervals. If I recall correctly, there really wasn't much difference between 30 seconds and up to 5 minutes.

Could be the brush gets softer after soaking for a bit, but I like the scritch so I soak about half way up the brush.

Maybe it was my brush heat retention experiment I did a while back because this topic comes up every once in a while so I was curious to find out. All four brushes where sitting in tub of warm water and after one flick and started to measure temperatures with a temperature gun at different time periods.)
Old archived photo's of heat retention of shave brushes.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Goblin]

There was a post here that measured the weight differences to see how much water was retained during different intervals. If I recall correctly, there really wasn't much difference between 30 seconds and up to 5 minutes.

That's very interesting, although I wonder how the test was done? I would have thought that variations in the amount of water trapped BETWEEN bristles would hugely outweigh any variation from the amount of water absorbed INTO the bristles - you would have to make sure the brushes were shaken out absolutely completely between each measurement.

It's a good idea though. Being a huge nerd, I might try and replicate this experiment myself for my own entertainment!

 

[TAM340R]

@Goblin , what do you mean by a « killed » brush , became shorter ?or ?

thanks

tamas

 

[Goblin]

@Goblin , what do you mean by a « killed » brush , became shorter ?or ?

thanks

tamas

For me, a brush was "done" when one of the following happened:

- green / black mould in the base of the knot
- becoming a lather eater
- the backbone just goes completely
- starts losing lots of hairs long after the initial break in is done

I think the brushes never getting a proper chance to dry out and perhaps not getting rinsed enough between uses was the main culprit. People suggest various methods to try and revive a brush with different washing treatments, but to be honest I never had much luck with then.

Boars are cheap, so I never worried too much about it, although now I try to look after all my brushes much better, regardless of what they cost.

 

[Spy Car]

Maybe it was my brush heat retention experiment I did a while back because this topic comes up every once in a while so I was curious to find out. All four brushes where sitting in tub of warm water and after one flick and started to measure temperatures with a temperature gun at different time periods.)
Old archived photo's of heat retention of shave brushes.
View attachment 1741032 View attachment 1741033
Have some great shaves!

Interesting. Your experiment seems to undermine the premise that badger holds heat better than boar.

Bill

 

[Ron R]

Interesting. Your experiment seems to undermine the premise that badger holds heat better than boar.

Bill

There was not a whole lot difference in temperatures of the different brushes from my heat retention test, I live up in Northern Alberta and it gets cold up here in the middle of winter and I like to heat up my bowl and brush for some warm lather.
Lots of folks have mentioned badger brushes hold more heat and they do, but not a lot( a few degrees), it is not a perfect test but it was enough for my general shaving knowledge I wanted to know.
So I just keep enjoying my warm lather shaves with all my different brushes. I do enjoy badger , synthetics and of course my boar brushes and there is no really preferred type of brush I have concluded because they all have slightly different face feels that I enjoy in those Zen moments of brush lathering .

 

[Quaznoid]

The first paragraph of the OP is the way I have treated my brushes for 50 years. And they seem to hold up well. I use a $4 VDH boar brush 3 or 4 times a week. I throw it in the sink as it fills, shake it 3 times, use it, rinse it out and hang it to dry. What else would I do with it? After 15 years, it is in fine condition.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Dip, load, lather. No prep.

I don't want to wait around for a brush to soak, and I don't shave after a bath/shower, as my skin can be overhydrated if I do that.