Printable View
I keep reading about how stiff the bristles of a boar brush are, so my question is: exactly how stiff are they? I realize this can be difficult to answer, but if you guys can compare it to something I might be able to figure it out. I have heard lots of great things about boar brushes so if you guys could also give your favorite/recommended boar brush I would really appreciate it.
I don't use boar much but have read how a lot of guys love em. They soften up as you break them in I know that. Out of the 3 or 4 vintage brushes I have they all feel different. Your going to have to get your hands on 1 to find out yourself how hard hard is :<0) What do you use now ?
Right now I have a Franks silver tip brush. Just wanted to try a boar brush.
I use them almost exclusively. The thing to remember with a boar brush, unlike badger hair, the bristles absorb water and soften. I soak mine for a few minutes before I use them. it is a matter of trying them out, I would recommend going with Omega or Semogue.
Around here they have new boar at the drug stores. It is definitely the other end of the spectrum from what your using. The good thing that includes price wise if your going with another Frank's. I will say I pull mine out when I feel like my face needs a little more scrubbing. Another good choice IMO is black badger. They both pick up a lot a lather off a puck right away. Those that use boar will chime in I am sure. You can buy real nice boar and that makes a big difference. If you going to go that way wait for good advice :<0)
As one beats me to the post button .....
Length and grade of bristles will effect stiffness, as it does with badger brushes. Boar brushes generally are not very expensive, so it's a pretty cheap experiment if nothing else; you should totally try one. I think most people would agree that Omega or Semogue are the best place to start. I personally have a couple of Semogues, and I like them a lot. The 1305 came highly recommended to me, but instead I have an Owners' Club (one of their largest brushes) and a 610 (one of their smallest). I often think that I would like to have one in between and that I should have listened to my friend's advice; the 1305 will be my next brush- I really am just holding out to find an excuse to buy something else with it so that I make the best use of the shipping cost. Both brands are pretty widely available on the popular shaving gear sites. Give it a try! :beer1:
I would just order one.
As stated, they are not that stiff starting out, and are not "scritchy" like a pure/black badger and will soften up nicely as you break them in.
I have the Omega 10066 in my Den and use it in the rotation. It is a $9 brush. What is there to lose?
FYI-The paint on the Semogue 1305 will chip off pretty quickly. You might look at a lucite or resin handle if you try a Semogue.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps59b34347.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps38ed9b0e.jpg
I agree with Lince's advise. Buy one. Good quality boar hair brushes are usually a lot cheaper than their badger hair counterparts.
I own several brands of boar brushes--two Omegas, one Vie-Long and a Semogue w/ Lucite handle that provide me with great lather. After a short break-in period, I have found almost no real marked difference between how they feel on my face and my badger hair brushes. Of course, that is just my personal opinion.
+1 to the comments above (Lince, MBR1965, easyace)
The tips soften after break-in and you then have a brush with more backbone which many users find helpful.
I use the Semogue 1800 as my everyday brush for almost two years with great results.
Fortunately I have not been stricken with BAD, but take small comfort thar if it hits me, I will be looking for Boar, and the price point never gets to more than a fraction of that of the Badgers...
In my experience, badger bristles absorb much more water than boar bristles.Quote:
Originally Posted by easyace
My Black Badgers absorb more water than my Boars and are more scratchy than them.
Thanks for all the info guys. I think I'll try out a Semogue brush. Just one more possibly dumb question: what do the numbers mean in the brush info. Ex) 610, 1520,1800
The way it was explained to me is badger doesn't absorb water it holds the water within the knot of bristles while boar actually absorbs the water within each hair. Old barbers tales or not? I don't know.
Owen,
The Semogue numbers are just model #s, but the 830 is the softest bristles, the 610 is he middle, and the 620 the firmest. All are great brushes, as are their wood handled ones ( 1305 being the softest, 1250/1470 being the middle and 1438 being the stiffest). The owners club is a whole other beast than any other boar brush, and takes a long time to break in, but is a heck of a brush once you do.
I like all the Semogue boar brushes, but I tend to like the medium stiffness bristle the best, I think.
I'm a fan of Boar. I find a nicely different performance than badger and its great to have/use both. I prefer boar for hard soaps and badger for creams. I'll echo soaking your brush in warm water for a few minutes before shaving. I've yet to find a soap that is a problem with a boar brush and when I haven't shaved for a day or two the extra bristle strength comes in handy.
Let us know how you like one when buy/shave with them.
Boar for face, ham and eggs for breakfast, pork chops for supper...what's not to like?
My first brush was a boar's hair, the cheap one you can get at pharmacies and Walmart with the green handle. I opened at least 10 boxes before I found one that was kind of soft. I think I used it for about a year before getting a nice badger from whippeddog. I can't complain about it, I turned down a custom cedar handle for it and it was nice to start with. I think I paid about $5.00 for it.
Its hard to explain. boar brushes are pretty inexpensive. Better off buying one
I'm LOVIN my Semogue 1520 :)
Mike
A boar brush is akin to walking into McDonalds and ordering a basic hamburger. It's cheap and filling and does the trick and folks expect it to be cheap. It's probably a loss leader but that's what it is.
Owen-Keep us posted. Enjoy!
I have a few (830, SOC, Amici) Semogue brushes and they all work fine. Truth be told, I prefer Omega brushes but that is really a
"Ford-Chevy" type of debate.
This is a chart I found elsewhere which pretty much explains the differences among Semogue brushes. I found it helpful and interesting.
Brush
Bristle Type
Material
Loft
Handle
Diameter
830 Premium 90% Tops - Dyed Acrylic 55 44 22
1305 Premium 90% Tops - Dyed Painted Wood 55 53 22
1800 Extra 75% Tops + Premium
90% Tops - Dyed Wood 55 53 22
610 Best 90% Tops Acrylic 50 43 21
820 Best 90% Tops Acrylic 55 45 22
1250 Best 90% Tops Wood 55 53 22
1460 Best 90% Tops Painted Wood 50 48 21
1470 Best 90% Tops Wood 50 48 21
2030B Best 90% Tops Metal 57 56 22
620 Extra 75% Tops - Dyed Acrylic 50 43 21
1438 Extra 75% Tops - Dyed Painted Wood 50 45 21
1520 Extra 75% Tops - Dyed Painted Wood 50 48 21
2000 Super 70% Tops Wood 60 52 25
SOC Special Grade Boar Wood 55 57 24
1438 Extra 75% Tops - Dyed Painted Wood 50 45 21
1520 Extra 75% Tops - Dyed Painted Wood 50 48 21
2000 Super 70% Tops Wood 60 52 25
SOC Special Grade Boar Wood 55 57 24
Boars are a really nice way to get into the whole wetshaving discipline. Not expensive really and they do a good job without a bunch of fanfare
With Boar brushes the tips break in and split making it softer over time. I have a few Boar and the ones that I use most rival the silver tips I have. You just have to break them in. Look for a little heavier handle as it will feel better in hand. That's just my opinion.
i'm another boar fan, i have a few nice brushes. my badger brush just collects dust in my cabinet.
At this point I couldn't say which I prefer in terms of performance, badger or boar. Both have their merits. When you factor in price, the choice seems clearer.
But I still adore my badgers.
I especially like a boar brush for soaps but, whatever. Each brush ultimately works with any soap or cream.
If badger is silk, a Semogue 1305 is lightly starched cotton and an Omega 10049 Professional is extra-starch polyester. For me a Semogue 1305 is perfect for most soaps and an Omega Pro, also good for harder soaps, includes an exfoliating facial mssage along with lathering - it produces a pleasant feeling similar to being tattooed on a non sensitive area after a few drinks too many. Hope this helps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MisterMoo
Well said Sir. Your brush/laundry analogy is sheer brilliance :chapeau
Also-while being tattooed, avoid the nipples. Trust me on this.
Not sure about brilliance but, in the end, I am a textile- and technical fibers guy. I try to put things in terms I understand. As to tats, I am inkless and was guessing.Quote:
Originally Posted by entropy1049
I am not anywhere near an expert on the subject. But I hated my boar brush...at first. But after several months of gritting my teeth a miracle happened. The damn thing broke in and became this joyous little puff ball that lathers anything and is stiff enough to lift and scrub under a 6 day growth but at the same time its soft enough to be pleasant on the face.
I do hope to have a nice badger someday but for now I'm more than content with my boar.
I use a VDH boar brush, and as others have stated, they do soften with use. It's very comfortable. I haven't splurged for a badger yet; probably will, but if a badger is softer than this boar, then they must be very, very soft. The VDH boar brush is down at the lower end of the spectrum, but it is very soft, holds water and soap, doesn't immediately lather, and doesn't loose bristles.
Got my boar brush in the mail today... first thing I did was just soak for about 20 minutes, then shook it out just cause I felt like it was the right thing to do. Then I soaked it in my scuttle while i showered. I really enjoyed the feel of it, the only problem I had was I loaded up the brush good with soap and 4 drops of glycerin in the scuttle, but I didn't get a lot of lather even after adding quite a bit of water. So I washed off the brush and loaded it again and this time I got a good amount of lather (probably has more to do with my lathering skill than the brush)(don't mean to change the subject of this thread but if I did something wrong with my lathering or if rinsing and reloading is common practice then let me know). It felt good for a first impression, I'll probably alternate between my silver tip and the boar for awhile till I get a good feel for both of them, but I am very happy with the brush.
My go to brush brush is a Boar I own a few Badger and they work good with cream but no matter what I use cream or soap I usually use a boar this just my preference. They are cheaper so get one and give it a try if you don't like it then try a badger you can find some that are not to costly mostly I think it's a personal prefence this is just my 2 cents I like to spend my money on razors so I use boar. get one of each then you will know for sure witch you like.
Owen,
Might of been too much Glycerin or too much water. Either way you'll find the balance just by playing with it, that's the fun of this face scraping madness! Experiment with more water and then less water, different soaps respond differently. Also glycerin soaps and tallow based soaps lather differently. Have fun and enjoy your boar brush, it will work better real soon.
Enjoy your Boar brush !Quote:
Originally Posted by owen88
:D
Be patience till the break-in period passes,then you will see the results
Don't expect from the first day to see something great.
De-funk your brush,break it slowly to start bloom and then you will judge better.