I'm still a newbie , I've been shaving with a str8 for almost 5 months now . I also started with a boar brush I got at Wallgreen's . I got good lather with it but the bristles were constantly falling out , which is a pain in the ass when I'm trying to shave and I have too pick stray bristles out of the lather on my face . I also got a Vulfix 2234 about 4 months ago , and I am VERY pleased with it . You don't say what brand of soap you use but it's normal to need to re-lather during the shave . I use Van Der Hagen shaving soap I get at Wallgreen's . I get a great lather from it and it doesn't dry out , too fast . I hold my brush under running water until it's soaking wet . Then I swirl it around on the soap until I see lather forming on the soap . Then I make the lather on my (already wet) face with the brush , using a circular motion . I get a ton of lather this way . You probably already know this but , it's also very important to thouroghly rinse the soap out of your brush , and shake it dry when you're finished using it . BTW , I also had to finish my first few shaves with a shick disposeable . Take you're time and progress at you're own speed , and ALWAYS pay close attention to what you're doing with the razor , mistakes can be messy .