Problem with boar brushes ?

So I took my first trip to Art of Shaving today and was really fascinated how soft their badger brushes were. I told the worker I was currently using a boar brush and she gave me a terrified look and said "oh no, that's not good" and she went on to explain how badgers are better because their antibacterial properties and other things. During my research when first deciding to get my first brush I never heard anything bad about boar brushes. Is there some truth to this ? Also I really wanted to buy a badger brush because of how soft it felt but figured before spending top dollar on an Art of Shaving brush I would ask all you shaving guru's what are equivalent quality badger brushes for maybe a cheaper price. Also does Shaving oil make any difference if you have a good lather ?

Thank you

Not all employees are up to date on the facts concerning the products they are selling. She probably meant well, but was passing on information told to her by another uninformed employee.

If you want to find a nice badger brush that is in your price range, then look at the forum sponsors & take a look into the "Brushmaker's Alcove", a section in this forum. Contact one of the many custom brushmakers that showcase their work in this section. Use the PM (private message) option in their profile to inquire about a brush. You will be surprised at the prices on a custom brush.

I never felt a difference with shave oils.

Shaving brushes can be made of badger hair, horsehair, boar bristles, or synthetic bristles. A few brushes are made of a combination of both badger and boar There are good brushes made from each of these materials. I have a few of each.

Badger hair is soft on the face, sometimes too soft. Unless you get a badger with a densely packed knot (at a correspondingly high price) the brush may not have sufficient backbone to do a good job with hard soaps. However, it will work great with soft creams.

Out of the box most boar brushes will be rather scritchy on the face. Some people love that, some hate it. However, once properly broken in, a boar brush can be just as soft as a premium badger, yet still retain sufficient backbone to lather hard soaps.

A horsehair brush can also be a great brush, but they are primarily made by one company, Vie Long, so they are not as prevalent as badger and boar brushes.

Some people prefer a good synthetic brush to any natural brush. They tend to be soft on the face, yet have backbone. I use a synthetic when testing any new soap or cream. It will lather anything, even low lather creams designed to be used without a brush.

Try a variety of brushes and see which works best for you. I have a collection that includes all four types of brushes and I love rotating between them. Other use a single brush for every shave. Use whatever type works best for you.

Nothing more than misinformation from an overzealous salesperson regarding the boar brushes. As for shave oil, I've found that it's quite unnecessary if you have a great lather. My barely used bottle has been collecting dust for years.

one of the reasons NOT to go to AOS. haven't heard of anyone that went there who found an employee who actually shaves with a straight in these places. plus the process are out of line. as for the oil, most don't use it after they have been shaving for a while. now as to the badger , boar question, here is nothing wrong with boar brushes, there happen to be some very high quality ones. as to antibacterial properties, they all will get funky. use the one you like and get it from somewhere else than AOS or get it there, but I like to do business with knowledgable people myself Tc

I will have to say that their AOS Lavender shave cream is fantastic for me. :shrug:

It is a bit pricey, but I kept the empty container to put coins in.

A well broken in boar can be as soft as decent grade badger, and costs a fraction of the price. It can take months to get it to that point though. I keep several boars in my rotation just for the variety.

Badger brushes are my favorite, and wholeheartedly recommend one for everybody, but strongly recommend against buying one from AOS. You simply can get much more bang for your buck elsewhere.

If you would like to dip your toes in the water so to speak, Stirling Soap sells some very decently performing finest grade brushes that can be had for $45 ish. Don't let the price fool you, these brushes compete with knots selling at twice the price.

RazoRock has some rebranded Zenith brushes which have very nice knots for that $50 ish price range.

If you want to step up into that $100 price range, Nathan Clark (Envy Shave) makes some great aluminum handled brushes which can have fantastic knots installed in them, which in my opinion, compete with some of the top names out there.

I definitely warn against "pure grade" badgers, and AOS sells a lot of them; I think because they are the cheapest of their overpriced line. Pure hair tends to be prickly and floppy, combining both of badger hair's worst characteristics into one brush. Oof.

Good luck and have fun. I love brush shopping. [emoji1]

I have both badger and boar brushes. I have cheaper badger that are scritchy and silver tips that are like lathering with a big soft white cloud. I also have boar brushes from cheap plastic handles to the expensive (relatively) Semogue Owners Club with a Cherry handle.

That being said, I have only used my badger brushes a couple times in this past year. They mostly sit and collect dust. I keep them just in case my preference changes back someday.

Preshave oil has never made much of a difference for me either although sometimes I use Palmers cocoa butter skin oil after a shave. A proper lather has always ruled out the need for pre shave oil.

You can buy plenty of brushes (badger and boar) for under $20. Try them and see what you like. I still prefer my first brush which was a $10 VDH boar.

If it doesn't shed and if it can lather up your face what more do you need? :)

Thank you everyone for the advice. I'm glad I came here before buying a brush. I was about to buy one while I was there but then I knew everyone in this great community would have the best advice. I think the employee was trying to sell me on the oil, put I've never used it before so maybe eventually I will experiment with it just to try it out myself.

Thank you PickledNorthern for the suggestions I will check those out, I'm looking in that $50-60ish range.

Are there any other great badger or even silvertip brushes around that price range?

Badger's don't have antibacterial hair. AoS was just trying to sell you the more expensive badger brush.
I use brushes made of boar, badger, horse, camel, and synthetic depending on my mood. They all feel different and they all feel good.

I used shaving oil in the beginning to give me a little bit more protection while I learned blade angle and lathering. Now I only use it
to add a little bit of luxury when I do a full on shave with steaming towels.

Wow!!!! You just saved yourself a whole lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Boar, badger, horse or synthetics are all a matter of personal preference. I prefer badger and then boar. I don't like synthetic or horse hair brushes enough to own one. All things considered, there is no brush more luxurious than a 3 band silvertip badger.

I am new to straights but have tried more brushes than I care to admit (DE shaver). It is rumored that AOS Silvertips are made by Shavemac. I have owned an AOS and Shavemac silvertips and can personally tell you that the rumors are probably true. Shavemacs are some of the best brushes at ANY price point. You can spend more but the knots won't get better.

I would recommend a Shavemac brush with out any reservations. However I would not pay AOS prices for one. Buying a new 26mm Silvertip directly from Shavemac will run you about $135 shipped to the US. You can go onto their website and pick a handle, material, color, knot size etc.. You can basically get a semi custom brush for that $135. That's not a bed deal at all.

While you are at it, pass on the AOS straight. I have one and its great, but its not worth $300. I believe they are made by Dovo and can be purchased for about $150ish.

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Originally Posted by azgabe

Wow!!!! You just saved yourself a whole lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Boar, badger, horse or synthetics are all a matter of personal preference. I prefer badger and then boar. I don't like synthetic or horse hair brushes enough to own one. All things considered, there is no brush more luxurious than a 3 band silvertip badger.

I am new to straights but have tried more brushes than I care to admit (DE shaver). It is rumored that AOS Silvertips are made by Shavemac. I have owned an AOS and Shavemac silvertips and can personally tell you that the rumors are probably true. Shavemacs are some of the best brushes at ANY price point. You can spend more but the knots won't get better.

I would recommend a Shavemac brush with out any reservations. However I would not pay AOS prices for one. Buying a new 26mm Silvertip directly from Shavemac will run you about $135 shipped to the US. You can go onto their website and pick a handle, material, color, knot size etc.. You can basically get a semi custom brush for that $135. That's not a bed deal at all.

While you are at it, pass on the AOS straight. I have one and its great, but its not worth $300. I believe they are made by Dovo and can be purchased for about $150ish.

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Good post. +1 on the Shavemac.

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Originally Posted by criswilson10

Badger's don't have antibacterial hair. AoS was just trying to sell you the more expensive badger brush.

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The top line of AOS brushes have undergone a process where a beautiful virgin wood nymph painstakingly injects colloidal silver into the base of each strand of hair before tying the knot. The silver releases itself slowly over time through the tips. This of course gives them their antibacterial qualities, explains their name, and justifies their cost.

A lot depends on how you lather, boar is generally stiffer and can whisk a lather in a cup or on you face, but as said will soften with use.

There is a world of difference between a quality Badger and a cheap Badger knot, personally I think everyone should own a quality or custom brush.

Semoque does make some great, inexpensive, Boar brushes. Any brush should be cleaned with a vinegar soak and shampoo every few months.

Really, it boils down to personal preference and if you face lather or bowl. We do have some great and knowledgeable, brush makers on this forum. And it is true you can buy a custom for less than the price of a Quality Name brand, but ether is a lifetime purchase.

Don’t use oil, tried it but I found I made my brushes weird. You will have to clean your brushes more often as they will absorb the oil.

There are lots of great brushes out there made from all kinds of materials as others have already said.

I always take things with a pinch of salt when a salesperson gives me reasons to buy their stuff over something else. If you are happy with your boar brush, then what is the issue? If it starts to funk up the place give it a shampoo. When I got my current badger brush it smelt like wet dog at first.

There are pros and cons for each bristle type and you just need to figure out what your needs are then research what's available and then get what suits your budget. What I mean is if you want to lather hard soaps you will want a brush with more backbone, but if you mainly use creams you could go for something softer for more comfort. All brushes will soften with use though.

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Originally Posted by Porl

When I got my current badger brush it smelt like wet dog at first.

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lol When I got my first Omega Boar it smelled like an open toiletpipe for a week. That is normal and will wear off completely after about two weeks. The Proraso Boar I got after that only smelled a few days.

What the OP should definately do is get a inexpensive boar just to see what they're like. I don't use badgers because they are too soft for me and therefore not worth the money. I facelather and like the rougher massage of boar bristles while lathering. I have a Muhle STF which is very soft - too soft for me. I rarely use it.

Don't worry about bacteria. Believe me, that will not be a problem, even if you use the brush every day and don't let it dry through between uses as some people proclaim to do. Just keep it out in tho open after use and it will never mould or get smelly on you. Mine always smells like the last cream I used.

Part of the fun in the beginning is trying out all the different stuff. Have fun doing so!