For me I have learned the lathering process of boars because I can't afford a high end badger brush. But, I have purchased used high end boars. I really don't know any better I guess. Yes, by boars perform well for me (I have Semogue and 1 Omega) I have only used boar for the last couple years so.......I make them work and I enjoy them. BTW I also wear $20 jeans.
Semogue Boar...I don't get it??
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I have a Silvertip from Whippeddog and recently purchased the 620. The first time I lathered with it I only had enough for 2 passes, but then altered things a bit and now have 3 passes without a problem. I love the backbone on the 620 for face lathering, but it's definitely an YMMV thing. I also like to use it for superlather in the bowl.
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- #43
See, now we're talking. feel, experience, challenge, excitement....all valid payoffs
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- #44
Don't worry, I know I'm crazy
I have a SOC (about 50 uses) and a 1305 (new, only 5 uses), and what I really like is the feel of the boar bristles. The SOC took some breaking in, but after a good soak it feels the way no other kind of brush feels - the tips are very soft, and the brush is very firm. It takes more soap/cream than a good badger does (and I love nice badger brushes too), but that doesn't bother me - the stuff is cheap enough. And I find I can quite easily get enough lather in the SOC for 3 passes - I load it from the soap quite firmly, or I squirt cream quite deeply into the brush.
And the 1305 is starting to feel pretty good even after only 5 uses.
And the 1305 is starting to feel pretty good even after only 5 uses.
I had a 1305 and I tried to like it, I really did. I read all the great reviews about it, I tried several things to get it to work, I finally gave up. After it was a shelf filler for over a year , I just recently gave it away with a straight I sold on the bst. I decided my morning shave time is better spent with things that will work for me.
I have a 1305, and have found new love for it. I haven't used it recently due to using a tobs super badger brush. I picked up my semogue and some tobs shaving shop cream and went to work in my ej shave mug. The lather exploded after about 30 seconds of working it, adding more water and pumping it into the mug. The lather was some of the best I have ever got from a boar brush. I'm gonna do the same tomorrow morning but this time try some figaro and see how that does
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- #48
I have to admit. I used my 620 with my Palmolive stick today and she worked just fine. I have read that the 620 has a stronger backbone than the 610, but I don't find that at all. My 610 is much stiffer than the 620.
I know, but...
You pretty much hit the nail on the head with the "Just recently I've been reading the religious fervor" part of your post.
Look around the polls and you will find one where people are asked what they use most, where each member can only vote once... You will see a huge swing to the badger side of the brush debate.
There are a small, but very zealous group of boar lovers, and when you look at a thread that talks about boar, you will see the same 1 or 2 dozen ardent supports of the boar brush in those boar threads. The badgers lovers may read a thread, but won't go dissing the boar brushes (at least brushes above a $5 VDH or other shoddy, shedding brush.) I'm not trying to diss the the boar lovers here either, but the simple facts of life are that *most* people prefer the lather and feel of badger brushes over that given by a boar brush. Not only most, but most by a very wide margin.
It all comes down to personal preference, which is why I generally see badger lovers leaving boar brush threads alone. (We aren't talking the "what's the best brush for a beginner" threads, I'm talking about those threads where you probably saw a lot of the "religious fervor" for a particular boar brush, started by a boar lover about a new purchase.)
In the "newbie needs a brush thread" boar brushes often get a lot of mention by those who love boar, because they think you can't find a decent badger brush for less than $80 to $100 (not true) and these people who are talking up the boar brushes genuinely DO love their boar brushes, and genuinely do feel that the brush is a better brush for them than a badger brush.
All that said, I've got a Semogue boar brush, rarely use it, but do on occasion. It's far, far better than my original burmashave boar I started with 19 years ago (which I dropped in the trash DURING lathering up with my first badger brush... I stroked the badger across my face, and before my face was even completely lathered up, I dropped the Burmashave brush into the trash can... No, unfortunately I didn't retrieve the brush, wish I had, just for the memories.)
I've also broken in a few Omega brushes, and can say without a doubt that I prefer my Semogue brush by a wide margin over any of the 3 or 4 models of Omega that I've broken in for other people.
I'd suggest keeping the Semogue around, you might be like me and find that you actually get an urge to use the thing 4 or 5 times a year. You might even become a convert at some point in the future. Otherwise, put it up on BST and get part of your money back.
I actually used by boar brush yesterday... to clean out the last remnants of some shave soap from a bowl that I wanted to put a new sample of soap into... I scrubbed it out with my boar, then used it to lather up my palm and washed my hands and arms with the resulting lather. It was pleasant.
Look around the polls and you will find one where people are asked what they use most, where each member can only vote once... You will see a huge swing to the badger side of the brush debate.
There are a small, but very zealous group of boar lovers, and when you look at a thread that talks about boar, you will see the same 1 or 2 dozen ardent supports of the boar brush in those boar threads. The badgers lovers may read a thread, but won't go dissing the boar brushes (at least brushes above a $5 VDH or other shoddy, shedding brush.) I'm not trying to diss the the boar lovers here either, but the simple facts of life are that *most* people prefer the lather and feel of badger brushes over that given by a boar brush. Not only most, but most by a very wide margin.
It all comes down to personal preference, which is why I generally see badger lovers leaving boar brush threads alone. (We aren't talking the "what's the best brush for a beginner" threads, I'm talking about those threads where you probably saw a lot of the "religious fervor" for a particular boar brush, started by a boar lover about a new purchase.)
In the "newbie needs a brush thread" boar brushes often get a lot of mention by those who love boar, because they think you can't find a decent badger brush for less than $80 to $100 (not true) and these people who are talking up the boar brushes genuinely DO love their boar brushes, and genuinely do feel that the brush is a better brush for them than a badger brush.
All that said, I've got a Semogue boar brush, rarely use it, but do on occasion. It's far, far better than my original burmashave boar I started with 19 years ago (which I dropped in the trash DURING lathering up with my first badger brush... I stroked the badger across my face, and before my face was even completely lathered up, I dropped the Burmashave brush into the trash can... No, unfortunately I didn't retrieve the brush, wish I had, just for the memories.)
I've also broken in a few Omega brushes, and can say without a doubt that I prefer my Semogue brush by a wide margin over any of the 3 or 4 models of Omega that I've broken in for other people.
I'd suggest keeping the Semogue around, you might be like me and find that you actually get an urge to use the thing 4 or 5 times a year. You might even become a convert at some point in the future. Otherwise, put it up on BST and get part of your money back.
I actually used by boar brush yesterday... to clean out the last remnants of some shave soap from a bowl that I wanted to put a new sample of soap into... I scrubbed it out with my boar, then used it to lather up my palm and washed my hands and arms with the resulting lather. It was pleasant.
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- #51
Now it's all starting to make sense, I thought I must be crazy....love the last statement
ha...please don't take my amateurish videos as a tutorial for lathering
....when i made these videos, i was strictly "bowl lathering". that said, i've been face lathering lately using the same method with QCS and the last couple of days with MdC and have yet to have a problem doing a 3 pass shave and have not had to reapply any product for lack of lather.
i even have left over for touch ups and for washing my face etc.
if you find the lather not making it all the way to the bottom of the brush, you could also do what many do, lather it upside down. so hold the brush upright, and lather like you are paining the ceiling, then the lather will make it's way down the brush.
i rotate my brushes, so will use Boar, Badger, Boar Badger. i have 2 semogues, and 2 badgers (thater and TGN) and they all perform great, just have different feels to them etc.
whatever works.
I have wanted to like boar for a long time. I wanted to like my omega pro and the semogue 1305 (bought twice) and the SOC. i broke them in diligently, waiting for the day when i'd finally make lather that would show me what everyone was raving about, and i'm still waiting. I wish I could have the kind of boar experience that others have reported, but I just can't get there. I kinda envy those who have...after all, who wouldn't want to find shaving nirvana in a $20 brush?
recently got a 620 and like it very much. love the handle and the knot. not broken in by a long shot (maybe 10 lathers total so far) but lathers well and fast. does not hold enough for 3 passes but imagine it will get there. love the backbone and scrubbiness. Ironically, either due to my newbie technique or lack of break it, it bowl lathers better than face lathers, even though I got it for the latter purposes. Imagine that might change in time. Here is the weird thing however, I have a hard time lathering Tabac at all with it (though I have never had a problem doing so with a badger brush) but I have but an easier time lathering TOBS and even Williams than I have ever had with my badger.
Hmm, this is the exact reason I like the boar experience more than the badger so far.... the boar knot doesn't spread as much so when you compress or flex it the tightness of the bristles springing back into shape ejects your chosen product outward to the tips of the bristles, rather than hiding it in the base of the knot or letting it froth out all over the sides of the brush. The essential difference I feel between boar and badger is that badger makes lather first, then you spread it on your face afterward, where boar picks up product, then makes the actual lather on your face as you move the brush around.
All differences aside (and almost every parameter is different between the two fibers) all six of the brushes I own (three boars, one mix, one pure badger and one best badger) can make decent lather either on my face or in the bowl...and without excessive use of product I can get three plus passes out of any of them, although how the soap is delivered is very different.
Whoa, I'm glad I don't have your tap water! I get three plus passes with 1/2 to 2/3 the soap and my tube Proraso process is just to rub it on my face and then pick it up with the first lathering pass (Omega 10066), total elapsed time 45 seconds including the 30 seconds for wetting the brush.
I guess those of us with lather friendly water should count our blessings!
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- #58
Interesting, and makes sense. I think that's one of the reasons I'll have trouble getting 2-3 passes with the boar. With my badger, I just set the brush down, re-wet my face and lather my face again with the brush. The boar is always WAY too dry to do that. Maybe it has enough product, but not enough water. Tomorrow I'll try adding some water to the brush for a second pass.
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- #59
This is a picture of my 610 making some lather. I stretched out the lather on purpose so you can see how thick and sticky it is:
No one could ever say that this lather is too thin and wet. That looks amazing.
Thanks, it wasn't me it was the brush! It really gave me the best lather I have ever made. I use the semogue as often as I can (allowing it to dry). The hairs are really really nice. I can see a huge visual difference between this and a basic omega!
as a disclaimer, I have not used any "high end" badgers - the priciest being a simpson commodore and simpson case.
The badgers definitely make quicker foamy lather but this boar makes the thickest, creamiest lathers
as a disclaimer, I have not used any "high end" badgers - the priciest being a simpson commodore and simpson case.
The badgers definitely make quicker foamy lather but this boar makes the thickest, creamiest lathers
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