Tips On How To Clean And Revive A Vintage Boar Brush Requested

[Alum Ladd]

It looks like a nice brush Simon. What I do with all my used/second hand brushes is give them a lather/soak in dishwashing liquid. I use warm water not hot. I then give them a lather/soak in medicated hand soap. To finish off I will then give them a lather/soak in either hair shampoo or a shaving soap. After three washes they seem fine for me to use. I have never used vinegar to wash my brushes, but I have used a proper shaving brush cleaner before. It appeared to work okay but when I ran out of it I didn’t bother replacing it.

Andrew, do you do the entire process three times, or only the last?

A very nice looking brush Simon. I would soak it in cold water for twenty minutes to ensure the bristles are totally hydrated. I would then use a clarifying hair shampoo and clean the bristles to remove any soap residue. I would then palm lather it and then a light towelling. Let it dry out and it should be good to go. Ready to give you a good lathering experience. Always pre soak your boars for a minimum of five minutes gently squeeze out the water and fully load a damp brush. I use boars exclusively and love them.

Appreciated John as always. Your method and Andrews' above seems to differ slightly. Are they mutually exclusive or can a hybrid of both methods be used?

It looks like you both agree on an intial soak, although water temp is different in the advice. After that it deviates somewhat.

I will start to revive it this evening. It's nearly 2am here UK time so I'm going to crash after a quick beer.

Again, thanks to all for your help!

 

[Lane101]

@Alum Ladd , nice looking brush!

Looks like you've great advice on how to rejuvenate this brush. Don't worry about the knot falling apart. If it does, since this is a boar, replacement knots are relatively inexpensive. Maggard's has a 22 mm boar replacement knot for around $15 U.S. Another option would be buy an inexpensive boar with a basic handle and cannibalize the knot for your brush.

I've found it nice to occasionally rotate from my synthetic brushes to my boar for a different lathering experience and hope you will enjoy the same. One advantage of boars is they make shorter work of lathering really hard soap pucks.

 

[DesertIguana]

L>its of great info here worth the time to read & learn.

 

[JoWolf]

Andrew, do you do the entire process three times, or only the last?

Appreciated John as always. Your method and Andrews' above seems to differ slightly. Are they mutually exclusive or can a hybrid of both methods be used?

It looks like you both agree on an intial soak, although water temp is different in the advice. After that it deviates somewhat.

I will start to revive it this evening. It's nearly 2am here UK time so I'm going to crash after a quick beer.

Again, thanks to all for your help!

On a vintage brush I would be nervous using warm water. Cold water is fine for pre soaking and lathering. I use three different boars in rotation now and use cold water exclusively. The knot glue on a vintage may weaken with warm water. The worst that could happen is it gets loose. No problem you could reset the knot. My comment was in trying to maintain the vintage condition. Most likely it was always used with cold water.

For pre conditioning a light shampoo followed by a palm lathering should be more than effective in bringing the boar bristles to good condition for use. You will know for certain with a palm lathering as it will reveal and demonstrate the knots performance. My comments are based on the photo of your very nice brush which looks to have been well cared for.

 

[ajkel64]

@Alum Ladd, I always wash/rinse my purchased used brushes three times. Just a habit that I got into. I believe that after three washes and rinses and one being in medicated hand soap there cannot be anything left of the previous owner. Many may think it is overkill but it works for me.

 

[lasta]

I'd put in a saucepot with a tablespoon of Crisco. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 8 hours.

The handle looks like it will do fine. If the hair survives, it'll be good as new.

You can save the stock for jellied eels.

 

[Alum Ladd]

It all went very well Gentlemen. I greatly appreciate the invaluable advice of Andrew @ajkel64 and John @JoWolf on this little project!

Before

After

Being extremely cautious, I used a cold water soak for 20 minutes, then applied a gentle shampoo and palm lathered it in, then rinsed. Afterwards I added some shaving stick soap and got a good palm lather going. The feel on the knot on skin is excellent. The brush as suspected and noted by visual observations, was very well used and very well cared for.

I then towel dryed the brush using sweeping strokes, and it just came to life! In the entire process it shed 3 bristles.

As I was towel drying it the handle suddenly became loose. Bugger, quoth I, the business is undone. But no.

The red handle bottom unscrews! I have never seen or heard of this before. A heavy solid plastic plug is built into the handle bottom. Is it to replace the knot? remarkable.

Anyway, I now have a period correct late 1940's English travel razor set which will be ideal for hotel stays or guest stays. Too elaborate and vulnerable for camping, but I have a seperate kit for that anyway.

A stick of shaving soap fits perfectly into the chromium tube and the brush goes into the other. Paired with the No.48 Aristocrat Junior they can continue after maybe 7 decades to shave together again.

Hopefully I can keep the old No.4 brush working for a good few years to come.

Thanks for all your help and encouraging comments as always Gentlemen!

 

[rockviper]

Well done and congratulations!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'm pretty late to the party.

I always use Ship-Shape which was designed for the purpose. I buy it at a beauty supply store or on Amazon. A small box lasts forever. I use the exact amount the directions specify. Usually I use a one gallon pail which I purchased for I believe a dollar at Auto Zone, and soak a bunch of brushes for a little while, messing with them just enough to stir things us and not overdoing the soaking time.

Here are a bunch of boars drying after being Ship-Shaped.

From your photo I kinda think your boar has not been very much used. I don't see a whole lot of split ends.

It looks like a very cool and interesting brush.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[LJS]

The red handle bottom unscrews!

That sort of looks like a block of alum in the handle - is it? The handle looks more like a plastic than ceramic to me for some reason?

 

[EclipseRedRing]

The red handle bottom unscrews! I have never seen or heard of this before. A heavy solid plastic plug is built into the handle bottom. Is it to replace the knot? remarkable.

I have seen quite a few brushes for sale with a similar removable base, where the cavity was described as a storage area for a small piece of soap, perhaps the nub of a soap stick. I do not know for sure if that was the intended purpose or simply an idea after the base fell off.

 

[Alum Ladd]

That sort of looks like a block of alum in the handle - is it? The handle looks more like a plastic than ceramic to me for some reason?

It's alum!

It's a small circular block of a white crystilline substance. It's not plastic.

Brilliant observation @LJS

The handle is definitely some kind of very heavy dense plastic, with a very similar feel to a ceramic.

A brush with an alum insert? Genius.

 

[KW Driver]

You got a winner there. On the whole thing. The alum plug is a bit of genius design.

I personally prefer boars and will break out a badger for cold days, as I’m not a fan of them. I’ve found that a cold/cool soak gives a boar a bit more backbone than a tap warm/hot soak. So you can play with that too if it matters.

And there’s a lot of really good £10 boars new if you pick up the itch.

Enjoy it.

 

[Phil Harmonica]

It's alum!
View attachment 1974595

It's a small circular block of a white crystilline substance. It's not plastic.

Brilliant observation @LJS

The handle is definitely some kind of very heavy dense plastic, with a very similar feel to a ceramic.

A brush with an alum insert? Genius.

I believe your brush was made by Culmak in England around 1950. They are still available on the big auction site. The previous owner placed alum in the handle. A shave stick would be my choice.

Cheers

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I believe your brush was made by Culmak in England around 1950. They are still available on the big auction site. The previous owner placed alum in the handle. A shave stick would be my choice.

Cheers

It looks very similar but every Culmak brush I have seen of that two colour design, such as the Spartan or the Junior, has Culmak clearly engraved on the base, which this example does not. Likewise the Culmak brushes I have seen have not had text engraved onto the handle. It could have been made by Culmak for another brand of course.

 

[Alum Ladd]

I believe your brush was made by Culmak in England around 1950.

Thanks for the shot at identification Phil. I would concur with the 1950 date, as it appears contemporary with the razor and other items.

Unfortunately it's unbranded. The bottom plate legend does not clarify things either

It looks very similar but every Culmak brush I have seen of that two colour design, such as the Spartan or the Junior, has Culmak clearly engraved on the base, which this example does not. Likewise the Culmak brushes I have seen have not had text engraved onto the handle. It could have been made by Culmak for another brand of course.

Thanks Richard for your input. I have been checking the various Culmark travel brushes offered on a certain site and there appear to be no unbranded types described as made by Culmark in descriptions. The body of mine appears a little 'squarer' if you will also.

It's certainly of the era and of the contemporary British travel brush style. Culmark made some nice brushes. I believe they are still extant as a company?

 

[creamgravy]

Boots sold a smaller version, I think they're white lable Culmaks.

 

[rockviper]

Inspired by @Alum Ladd 's success, I dug out two old boars from my box'o'stuff in the basement to see about joining the ol'piggy revival show!

Here they are after sitting to dry for a few hours following a 20 minute soak and gentle lathering with some liquid hand soap. Only one bristle was lost, and that from the brush on the right.

Any help in identification would be welcome.
Left: painted wooden handle with octagonal facets
Right: very light weight plastic handle with octagonal facets, no writing except for sticker

My guesses:
Left: Semogue
Right: Plisson

 

[rockviper]

Found this via Google Image Search...

and it could be this sticker, but the "2" really looks like a "2" and not an "E" like in this other one I found online.