First Time with a Boar Brush

[Frank Shaves]

One pass is enough (for me).
I never subscribed to the concept that a single charge of the brush should last through all passes.

B.

Could not agree more! I like to keep my brush fully loaded.

 

[nav]

I discovered this thread late, but I think there is more to what you ask here than what has been addressed so far. It's not just that the brush gets softer with use. It will also get denser. This is because the bristle keep splitting still more. It takes a lot of use, but eventually your 5 € natural bristle boar will feel as dense as a 150€ two-band badger. Be patient, this won't happen overnight, but your boar brush will keep getting better, and still better. I don't know that this is true for any other kind of shaving brush but boars.

The increasing density is an aspect of break in which is most overlooked.

It really does transform a boar brush over time. I find it more apparent with Semogue boars than with omega boars.

 

[Jens]

The increasing density is an aspect of break in which is most overlooked.

It really does transform a boar brush over time. I find it more apparent with Semogue boars than with omega boars.

For me it's the other way around. In my experience the increasing density with use has been more pronounced in natural bristle than in coloured or bleached bristle knots. And nearly all my Omegas are natural bristle, whereas nearly all my Semogues are coloured or bleached.
But I admit I have more Omegas than Semogues. On the other hand, the only boar brush I have "worn out" (worn so much it was no longer worth using), was a Semogue with coloured bristle. This was the famed 620 -- a brush I love very much due to the "75% tops" design distinctive of the Semogue 620 knot. I am on my second Semogue 620 now..!

 

[Keyvan]

The only consideration with boar is that the brush goes through expensive soaps very quickly. I use boars for 3x milled soaps, but your SV puck would probably yield twice as many shaves with a badger or a synthetic. Perhaps I am a bit too cost conscious, but I just wanted you to be aware of that one issue. They are wonderful brushes in every other way and I use them more than any other type of brush.

 

[nav]

For me it's the other way around. In my experience the increasing density with use has been more pronounced in natural bristle than in coloured or bleached bristle knots. And nearly all my Omegas are natural bristle, whereas nearly all my Semogues are coloured or bleached.
But I admit I have more Omegas than Semogues. On the other hand, the only boar brush I have "worn out" (worn so much it was no longer worth using), was a Semogue with coloured bristle. This was the famed 620 -- a brush I love very much due to the "75% tops" design distinctive of the Semogue 620 knot. I am on my second Semogue 620 now..!

Yeah, I should have clarified unbleached boar breaks in nicer with higher density.
I agree with you there.

I would rank them as omega/zenith unbleached, Semogue, omega bleached.

Even though I really like the the omega unbleached breaks in, I don't enjoy the knot shape as much as Semogue boars so for me, Semogue is nicer.

Omega/zenith bleached are my least favourite.

The only consideration with boar is that the brush goes through expensive soaps very quickly. I use boars for 3x milled soaps, but your SV puck would probably yield twice as many shaves with a badger or a synthetic. Perhaps I am a bit too cost conscious, but I just wanted you to be aware of that one issue. They are wonderful brushes in every other way and I use them more than any other type of brush.

You're absolutely right!
Boars chew through soaps like no other brush!

Compared to a synth, boars will go through triple the amount of soap!

I don't mind as boars give me the nicest lather.

 

[musicman1951]

The only consideration with boar is that the brush goes through expensive soaps very quickly. I use boars for 3x milled soaps, but your SV puck would probably yield twice as many shaves with a badger or a synthetic. Perhaps I am a bit too cost conscious, but I just wanted you to be aware of that one issue. They are wonderful brushes in every other way and I use them more than any other type of brush.

I have not had this experience. A boar with considerable backbone will load faster for me, but I don't load it as long as a brush with less backbone. If I did I'd have enough lather for 7 passes.

A few years back I would routinely put a dollop of cream/soap in the scuttle and build lather from there. I didn't put more soap in for a boar brush. The SOC boar was one of my favorite brushes for the scuttle.

 

[Keyvan]

I have not had this experience. A boar with considerable backbone will load faster for me, but I don't load it as long as a brush with less backbone. If I did I'd have enough lather for 7 passes.

A few years back I would routinely put a dollop of cream/soap in the scuttle and build lather from there. I didn't put more soap in for a boar brush. The SOC boar was one of my favorite brushes for the scuttle.

It may have something to do with how long you soak the boar brush, the thickness of the bristles, the density of the bristles, or the type of brush to which you are comparing. Extremely dense chubby badger brushes also eat lather.

The issue that I notice is not that the boar loads more soap; the hair actually seems to absorb the lather. My understanding is that boar hair absorbs water, while badger and synthetic fibers hold onto the water between the fibers. The issue is more noticeable with boar hair prior to complete break-in. Nevertheless, any boar brush that I have will definitely eat more soap than a synthetic. Be glad that you have figured out a good technique to prevent that.