Increased Product Usage with Boar Brushes?

I've been giving boar brushes another shot lately. Got the current B&B and an older one off BST as well as the mixed badger/boar Omega brush.

Interesting results so far. I don't necessarily feel the lather is better, but my shaves are just as good. I realize many people say boar brushes need to break-in and all that, but I'm wondering if people that use boar and badger brushes regularly feel like they use more product with boar brushes than with badger. Maybe it's in my head, but I feel like I really have to load the brush more with my boars to achieve a decent quality lather.

I definitely have to load my boars more than my badgers, particularly as a boar is breaking-in.

I think it's more from just getting used to a certain brush. In my experience boars "scrub" the soap more, loading up faster than a badger. But as in everything else YMMV..

my boar eats up soap faster than my badgers but I still think I use less soap with by boar. Boar hair doesn't hold as much water as badger hair so I load up less soap so my lather isn't too dry. I make get less overall lather but the quality of the lather is better.

I just bought a boar (Omega 48) and went through the break-in procedure tonight. I noticed right away that when I went to bowl lather the brush just ate up any lather I produced and I had to load up a second time. After that, though, it built up a nice amount of good lather.

I did a similar test with my new Plinth (synthetic) and I think I used about half the soap for just as much, if not more, lather.

Maybe it will get better after breaking in.

I'm all-boar, and my soaps and creams seem to last forever. I wouldn't sweat it.

My overgeneralized analysis goes like this: boars have more backbone; brushes with more backbone dig out/use up soap faster; boars use up soap faster. I like that boars eat up soap because I feel better about buying new ones.

Yes boars require more product. Got a synthetic so pruducts will never end!

I've been using a boar exclusively now for over 4 months, and absolutely love it! I still plan on picking up one good silver tip badger soon, but I have not noticed anything like my soaps disappearing faster using a boar.

This depends on how dense the badger is - it tends to hog lather...unless you are prepared to squeeze the lather out from the brush before shaving...
My floppy vulfix pure badger is too 'soft' to overload. My FS Finest uses more product. WD even more (loft set even lower).
So I use "less" product with boar since it leaves most of the whipped up lather on the face (I am a face latherer)

OldGrowth said:

Maybe it's in my head, but I feel like I really have to load the brush more with my boars to achieve a decent quality lather.

Click to expand...

I don't currently have any boars but I don't recall using more product with the boars that I had. My badgers were just easier to load IMO.

A boar doesn't have to use more product even if it has more backbone. One can always control how much is loaded regardless of the type of bristles.

I use more product in the SOC boar just because sometimes it eats the lather. I don't think I sue any more with a B&B Essential boar than I do with a TGN Finest.

I think there is room in everyone's den for boars and badgers (and horses and synths)

I also find that boar brushes require more product.

Not in my personal experience.

Wow, I have enjoyed reading this thread. As with just about everything else related to wet shaving, it seems this varries from person to person. I appreciate all the input so far.

A crummy boar definitely uses more soap. My VDH boar needs 60 seconds of loading to make the same amount of lather as my silvertip with 30 seconds of loading. As a result, a puck of soap lasts 3-5 weeks instead of 6-8 weeks.

But my VDH has no split tips and no splay - and boars are notorious for using more product UNTIL they are broken in. However, my VDH has the equivalent of 3 months of daily shaves on it, so I don't think it's going to get better. Hence my comment about crummy boars

Interesting. This may explain the different 'views'. I only use omega and Semogue 830 boar

I'd say it's (generally) easier to pick up product more quickly with a boar, but that doesn't necessarily mean it requires more product to be used as effectively as a badger. It depends on your technique and preferences for lathering.