Of Banded Boars & Broken Bristles

[Goblin]

Greetings brushaholics!

I have recently been breaking in a new banded boar. Although I have a good handful of boars in my rotation, they are all regular bleached hair, and it must be many, many years since I last broke in a banded one (which would have been the same brand). But I don't remember this happening before...

Every shave, I will get 2 or 3 broken bristles, always at the point where the dyed and un-dyed sections of hair meet. The thing is, this isn't quite the first time. This is the second one of these brushes I have tried breaking in this year. The first one also did this, and after a few weeks I assumed I had a lemon and brought the current one to replace it. I have been using this one for a couple of months now and these breakages show no sign of slowing down. At this rate, the brush will end up with a 20mm loft in a few years time.

Is it just me, or have others encountered this phenomena? It goes without saying, none of my other boars have exhibited this behaviour.

For what it's worth, I am ensuring that the brush gets a very long soak all the way to the ring before use. I have also taken it off soap duty and am merely using it to face lather creams, so it doesn't have to handle the exertions of loading a hard soap. Nothing seems to make a difference.

 

[Goblin]

Nobody?

So either I am really unlucky and got two lemons in a row (bad) or everyone thinks this is completely normal and not worth commenting on...which means presumably it will eventually stop (good).

 

[ivan_101]

Are you not telling us what brand it is intentionally? I see a part of a Semogue handle there.
It is just a case of inferior bristles. And you probably bought a replacement of the same batch.

 

[Goblin]

It is just a case of inferior bristles. And you probably bought a replacement of the same batch.

Thanks Ivan. That was my thought too - the replacement must have come from the same batch. This one isn't quite as bad as the first one, but I gave it another lather after my shave today (when I took the photo) - the second lather today yielded 3 more broken bristles and a lost hair. After 20 odd uses I would expect that kind of behaviour to have stopped.

You guessed the brand correctly. I had an 1800 for several years back when I was a one-brush-guy and I don't remember ever having this problem with it. I think the bristles have been over-processed but I wanted to double check against other folks experiences.

 

[Ravenonrock]

I have a few banded Semogue boars and have not experienced this phenomenon.

 

[Goblin]

I have a few banded Semogue boars and have not experienced this phenomenon.

Thank you. I will persevere with it a little longer and see how it goes, but there is nothing more frustrating than starting to get split tips on your new brush, then having those tips break off.

Not to mention it gets tiresome constantly picking bits of half bristle out of your lather.

I will make it my sole brush for September and if it is still doing it after another 15-20 shaves I will consider ditching it (and possibly not replacing it this time). Every shave should be a pleasure and life's too short for shedders!

 

[shaveSymptomatic]

loosing a few bristles every shave is NOT normal.

 

[jaro 101969]

I wonder if the knot could be replaced.. I have been thinking about getting a semogue sometime and putting a different knot in one.. Maybe a synthetic would work... Now I have to go look for one that need refurbishing... I would love to find a SOC handle one day.... Good luck with your brushes BTW.....