Thread: my boar brush doesn't hold lather anymore!

I have a Semogue 1305 boar brush which is only about 8 months old. Until a month ago, it was my favourite brush, it lathered great, it had great backbone (scritchy but not too scritchy), and it felt great against my face. But then suddenly it stopped holding lather. I've cleaned it a couple of times since then, but nothing has changed.

It will still build a lather nicely, but the lather will disappear very quickly from the brush after the first application. If I'm bowl lathering, the brush and lather will be all wet, but if I'm face lathering, the brush will be all dry.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what's happening? My other brushes are still great, sometimes I think they're getting better. But this Semogue is a real problem.

Thanks!

Brushes don't wear out like that and yours is too new anyway. Usually when that happens it's caused by something in the brush coating it keeping it from doing it's job. Guys who use preshave oils have that problem.

I would try a really thorough cleaning with vinegar and baking soda letting it soak for an hour or so and repeat.

Are you using the same soaps? Are your other brushes boar or badger?

Originally Posted by BeJay

Are you using the same soaps? Are your other brushes boar or badger?

I have a silvertip and a horsehair for my others (that I use).

I have introduced a few new soaps in the last couple of months - a couple or Razorock soaps, a TFS, and Henri et Victoria.

P.S. I'm still loving the Friodur!

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Brushes don't wear out like that and yours is too new anyway. Usually when that happens it's caused by something in the brush coating it keeping it from doing it's job. Guys who use preshave oils have that problem.

I would try a really thorough cleaning with vinegar and baking soda letting it soak for an hour or so and repeat.

Interesting. I will try a more thorough cleaning this weekend, hopefully that will do the trick.

could be your just not loading enough soap in it and water, Tc

Originally Posted by joelkerr

I have a silvertip and a horsehair for my others (that I use).

I have introduced a few new soaps in the last couple of months - a couple or Razorock soaps, a TFS, and Henri et Victoria.

P.S. I'm still loving the Friodur!

Awesome! That was a sweet blade.

Generally speaking, badger will hold more lather then boar(not sure about horse). Some soaps seem to work great with badger and so so with boar. I will sometimes load a little more soap on a boar brush between passes if needed. Could it be that your new soaps just don't work as well with a badger brush? Do you still get diminished results with the older soaps that you were using before?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Brushes don't wear out like that and yours is too new anyway. Usually when that happens it's caused by something in the brush coating it keeping it from doing it's job. Guys who use preshave oils have that problem.

I would try a really thorough cleaning with vinegar and baking soda letting it soak for an hour or so and repeat.

The Almighty Sagamore is right, seems your furry pal is contaminated with some sort of oily thing or another substance that can inhibit the lather formation. I do not use shaving oil anymore because of that. If your brush made contact with alum this can also occur, since alum inhibits lather formation. Wash the hell out of with with the Sagamore's recipe and LOTS of good water. Bristles are hollow, and oils and salts can penetrate the thin channels.

If the vinegar and soda do not work, try Borax.

Dawn dish soap is a great degreaser. They use Dawn to clean oil off birds. Strong stuff.

Originally Posted by BeJay

Could it be that your new soaps just don't work as well with a badger brush? Do you still get diminished results with the older soaps that you were using before?

I can't get a lather with the older soaps either with this brush.