Officially done with the 620

joeyboy said:

Actually, I normally only do two passes. I has to do two additional due to the poor lather quality. No issues on the reshave.

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Y'know, I look back now at some of my early shaves with the 620 and I was a little disgruntled because I was getting only a thin amount of lather for the third pass. It did develop quickly, though, and became my favorite -- until I recently got a Savile Row 3824!

The 620 remains in regular use, though it's been shedding a bit more than I'd like lately. Nothing alarming, but it's still losing hairs here and there.

Everything about our hobby is a YMMV thing. My personal recommendation. Don't use the brush for shaving for awhile. I would recommend doing nightly lathers and rinsing it out. Do it for a week or two. And then try shaving with it. You already have some decent usage in it. If after that time, it doesn't work out, then sell/give away the brush.

And then go search for one that works for you. Part of searching for the right equipment that works for you is the fun in this hobby.
I had similar issues with my Semogue 1800 where it just wouldn't hold enough lather. I didn't have the same issue with my Omega or my Semogue SOC (much denser brush). I moved on to badgers and haven't looked back.

I wouldn't take things too seriously around here. Some folks are just passionate about things. We come here for advice and comradery. It's like a car lover preferring a BMW over a Benz for whatever reasons and the person can go on and on and on and on.
Good luck with your decision and let us know how it goes.

Interesting, my comment got deleted. Nice.

This is just another perfect example of "YMMV." Different strokes for different folks ! It's all good.

For me and my face, the Semogue 610 is a wonderful brush, working great for face lathering with both Cella and Haslinger soaps. I soak the brush for a few minutes in hot water, load up on the soap for about half a minute, and then get a terrific face lather. I re-load on the soap for another ten seconds or so before my second and third passes. This "technique" is perfect for me, and helps achieve a mighty fine shave. Now,
I also am very happy with my badgers (Simpson's Colonel X2L & Special Best) and my synthetics (RazoRock Plissoft & Plissoft Silvertip) -----
I seem to have a nice rotation !

Let's all just relax and remember that this is a marvelous community of fine gentlemen who use these forums to further enjoy and enhance our appreciation of this fantastic wet shaving hobby. Stay cool gents, and happy shaving !

If you can convince yourself to stick with it a little longer, the 620 may get better.

I sound like a broken record on this board —I've posted many times about my love/hate relationship with my 620. Mine took at least three months to break in. But when it did, on most days when it dries, it's as soft as my EJ Best Badger or my Simpson Special S1. I rinse it, and brush it on a towel.

And for some silly reason, it has become my go-to brush. I use it every 2-3 days. (Never a problem with the lather ability.)

I don't know of anyone who's had their 620 broken in after 15 shaves… mine was more like 50. It was worth the wait.

The 620 is my go-to brush as well. Maybe I was lucky, but it seemed to break in quickly, and since then delivers a wonderful combination of softness and backbone that it ideal for a die-hard face latherer for me. Holds plenty for three passes and touch-ups.

I can't add anything to the other advice on the thread: it just seems sad to give up when you know it isn't broken in, but if you've come to the conclusion it's not for you, so be it.

Unabashed boar fan here. I will tell you that the 620 is my least favorite. Mine is broken in and makes lather but in my opinion is just to small for boar. but that's my opinion. For someone with diffeeent lather preferences, a smaller face and a thinner beard or who only does two passes im sure the 620 could be great. We are not talking about $300 and $400 badger brushes here. They are inexpensive enough that I would not feel bad putting it up on the bst for a few bucks or even giving it away. Do what works. After all the goal is for a good shave.

Sorry!

The issue may be that you still need to finish breaking in the brush, boars simply take awhile. I have had a few boars over the years, but for me it is badgers (mostly). The main thing is to enjoy trying different things until you find what suits you best.

Komboloi said:

I like my 620 a lot and get great lathers. But if it's not for you, you're wise to just let it go. Shaving equipment is all very much a YMMV sort of thing. And as @BSAGuy and @bberg100 say, life is short.

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ALL shaving equipment is a YMMV sort of thing and that is a fact! I am sure everyone has tried gear that was highly recommended only to be like, " this sucks"!!!!!!

I have a couple of SOC brushes, but have never used and have no opinion on your brush.

But one of the things I do (did - it's been a while) with a new brush is to shave with one of my old faithfuls and use the left over lather to palm lather the new brush. I think it helps with a boar if you let them dry completely between lathers. I also have a couple tubes of cream I no longer use that are good for non-shaving, new brush lathers. That way I don't have to actually use the new brush until it's considerably longer into the break-in period.

The SOC is pretty good new, and better in a couple of weeks - but I think it really takes about 6-8 weeks to hit it's stride.

Hi Joey, I have 15 shaves with my 620 and it is going great. Break in process below.

1. Lather with Dawn dish soap 5 or 6 times to remove the boar oils that can smell and affect lather quality. (My lathers were awful before I did this step)

2. Load with your fave soap and let it dry for 24 hours, then repeat.

3. Soak with hot water on the bristles for 5 minutes before use, and towel off after use. This allows mine to fully dry in 24 hours for the next use.

It is quite soft already and good lathers. I do load it with what seems like 3x more product than my synthetic, but I get a great lather, great backbone and a very precise brush. It yeilds enough for 2 passes plus touch up, but not much more.

Hope that helps.

Certainly if you do not like it and don't want to wait for it to break in, get something else!

I have an Ace Shaving knot in a home-made handle that sounds quite similar. It is not broken in yet in spite of nearly daily use (I've been using a cheap badger for Williams recently). Ends are not split yet. Been using it for about two months.

Try lathering it up and letting it sit overnight with the lather in it, then rinse out the next day. Also a treatment with conditioner might help to soften up the bristles a bit and encourage splitting.

Mine is quite stiff and holds water wrong (it doesn't mix into the lather), but I expect it to eventually work better. My cheapo Van Der Hagen was breaking in nicely when the knot fell apart, so I know what a good badger should look and feel like. Brush was great, glue in the knot wasn't.

It can take quite a while to break a boar brush in, months in some cases. And in the end it may never suit you.

I'm fine with a cheap badger knot in a home made handle, AAA pure badger from Penn State Industries, cost me $12. A bit prickly, but works great. Has only shed a few hairs so far, will probably last me forever.

Peter

"I was a little disgruntled because I was getting only a thin amount of lather for the third pass."

Not meaning to toss a spanner in the works, but sometimes the soap/cream can contribute to the issue.....

Acmemfg said:

"I was a little disgruntled because I was getting only a thin amount of lather for the third pass."

Not meaning to toss a spanner in the works, but sometimes the soap/cream can contribute to the issue.....

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This can also happen when the boar oils are messing with your cream or soap. So if you have not degreased your new brush, get all that boar oils out of there with some Dawn dish soap and repeatedly latherings with it.

I gave away a Semogue 1305 for the same reason. After trying 20 or 30 times. It's new owner is a one pass kinda guy. He's happy. I'll stick with my Omega S brush or one of my Plissons.

I'm with joeyboy on the 620. I had one and used it for a number of months before I quit....I did the soak and towel and everything else I could think of but it just wasn't my brush.
I just couldn't get it to work as I wanted it to so I passed it along to someone else.
To each is own, said the old lady as she kissed the cow....

I'd stick with it for a little longer. Or try a 1305 for more lather and plushness.

I gave up on my last boar brush too and it was well worn and broken in.

I just like badger brushes better.

I do think having hard water makes really loving a boar brush more difficult for me. I used drug store brushes for years before getting a DE razor and finding nicer brushes on the internet. My first cheap badger brush was much more enjoyable to me than my fanciest boar brush ever was.

Life's too short to not enjoy the time you have. For whatever reason. I wouldn't spend the time again breaking in a new boar brush knowing my preferences now.

All the proselytizing in the world won't change my mind either.

I just got the 620 and was pleasantly surprised. My experience; however, doesn't really help you.

Personally, I think I have a contrarian view. If your experience is poor enough for you to post and share with the forum, I would chalk it up as a loss and throw it on the b/s/t.

It could be worse ... Better to lose around $10 than to post about how an expensive brush is giving you issues.

Just got a 620 for xmas based on all the great reviews. Been hand lathering like once or twice a day since then to break it in, since I knew it takes a while. Still not broken in yet, I'm just hoping for the best. A contrast to my silvertip though, it is soft and lathers well but hogs all the lather. The 620 has more backbone, lathers not as well, but gives the lather up. We'll see how it evolves, I am optimistic.