Looking to get a boar brush for a gift...I have had a boar brush for 4 months and still smells like a wet dog....What brand do I get ? Thanks
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Looking to get a boar brush for a gift...I have had a boar brush for 4 months and still smells like a wet dog....What brand do I get ? Thanks
I have had good luck with the Omega boar brushes.
I had boar brushes from both Omega and Semogue and I remember all of them to stink. Some more than others but I never got a new boar that wouldn't stink. Maybe I am just unlucky.
Never had a stink issue with the Omegas I have.
Bob
Maybe my olfactory senses and Bob’s aren’t tuned into boar bristle odours. I have never experienced the “stink” of a boar brush.
What brand do you have that still smells after four months of use?Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
All brushes derived from natural hair (badger, horse, boar) have a funky odor when new. Some manufacturers do a better job than other of the cleaning process, but none of them get rid of all the odor. I find that I can get rid of that odor in a few days by following this procedure.
1. Shampoo the brush with a product that is fairly well scented. The rinse thoroughly and repeat.
2. Lather the brush with a highly scented shave soap or cream. I find that TOBS sandalwood is ideal for this purpose. Do not rinse out the brush for 24 hours. If you can still smell the funky odor, repeat the lathering process once again.
3. Normally, I find that the funky odor is just about gone and I can use the brush without finding the odor objectional.
4. If you normally use an unscented or lightly scented shave soap or cream, it could well take a while before the "wet dog" smell is gone.
5. If the odor of natural hair brushes offends your nose, you can always try a synthetic brush. Modern synthetics have been designed to simulate the feel and performance of badger, horse hair, and boar brushes. Synthetic brushes are normally priced in the same range a boar brushes, although a synthetic brush with a custom handle can be more expensive.
Attachment 299643This Omega Big Knotted BoarQuote:
Originally Posted by Brontosaurus
Yup...did all that too !Quote:
Originally Posted by RayClem
That's probably it. I have only had one badger brush that smelt a bit skanky to me. All the other badger brushes were just fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by DZEC
Bob
Well, it may have to do with the size of the knot. I would say keep using it and the smell should dissipate with time. Looks like a fine brush to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
I remember mine was pretty ripe from new . Took a lot of repeats with the shampoo IIRC.Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
Anyone tried soaking in baking soda ? It's pretty good at odour removal.
That’s one of the brushes I have. I did not notice any odour at all even with the first use and I did no prep prior to using it. Maybe my smeller isn’t so good?
I have had Omegas that didn't smell at all, but certainly had one that stank for ages.
My newly acquired synthetics however did not smell at all.
I just ordered a Synthetic brush for my son .....how are they ??Quote:
Originally Posted by easyace
Was gonna mention the baking soda.Quote:
Originally Posted by onimaru55
Put a teaspoon in a coffee mug with enough water to cover bristles. Soak for a half hour, then rinse and shampoo. I've also used "SHOUT" laundry cleaner. It goes deep into the knot, loosening any gunk built up in the bristles.
I have a RazoRock and a couple of Yaqi synthetics. They are BIG brushes and were under $30 Canadian each. I really enjoy them.Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
I find they take a while to raise a good lather in a bowl or scuttle, but face lather quite well. Big advantage is that require little or no pre-soaking and clean up and dry quickly after use. IMO these synthetics are great starter brushes for a newbie and great travel brushes for anyone.
My 2 Omegas never smelled, I bought them a decade ago
then again I work daily with horses and manure, so I might not be the best judge of smell
I have a couple of synthetic brushes and they can lather anything be it a hard puck, croap or cream easily. When finished just give them a good shake and they will be dry in no time at all. There really is no point in soaking them either.Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
They will take on water but won't retain it as in it will run down over your hand. The best way I have found to use them is to skim the tips across the water, give it a shake and load the brush on the puck. Repeat the water skimming/shake and load some more repeating till you have your thick heavy proto lather in the brush. This lets the lather hold the water as the brush itself really won't. Then I face lather adding water as I go the same way as for loading the brush till I have the lather I want. That should keep any from running down over your hand. Other than modifying how you use them they are excellent brushes overall. I'm sure you will see what I mean when you first start to use it.
Bob
What Bob said^^^^^^
Back to the smell of Boar brushes...I have two Semogue boar brushes -- one large and one small. Neither ever smelled at all. Long ago when I first wet shaved. I had a great brush that came with a mug and soap set from Aramis (throwback memory).
I wanted a second brush and got a boar from the drug store. When wet, it smelled like a badger shat in the house. I moved it to my workshop and use it still to clean loose debris from rifles. :gwh:
I think the best solution to try for your brush is the baking soda soak. It works on most odors in most porous substances. Follow with a hair shampoo/conditioner combo.
I'm with Bob on both counts.
My smeller don't work so well so I have never noticed the smell of the boar and I recently bought 4 Omega brushes.
And I do enjoy the synthetic brushes too. But you have to use them differently. I find when I get enough water in them to lather it start running out of the brush so I shake it out in the sink. I loose a bit of lather but after a while you get enough lather in the brush to hold the water. The bristles will never hold water. It can be messy but its not really a problem for me.
Just learn to use a synthetic brush if your going to use one and remember its not animal hair so its going to act differently.
On those odd days that I forget to put my brush in water before I hop in the shower I grab the synthetic. No soaking needed.
I am a big fan of boar brushes and have a number of them.. Every single one of them has had at least a slight odor after getting wet for the 1st time.. I usually dunk them in a bowl of water overnight with Dawn dish soap.In the morning give them a really good rinse, shake or sqeeze excess water off. To finish the boar"s i like to use coarse cotton shop towel type hand rag and wisk the tips of brush over this for some time.... With the bristles soaked for that long lve found doing this starts the split end process right away...
Vinegar, one ounce of vinegar in a coffee cup of warm to hot water. Soak the brush about 15 minutes, up to the handle. Rinse in clear warm water.
Put quarter size dollop in your palm, work the brush to a heavy lather, rinse and repeat 2-3 times. Rinse in a clean cup of1oz vinegar and water. Then shampoo another cycle. The brush should lather up easier and fuller.
Re soak in the same vinegar water for 10-15 minutes and re- shampoo and rinse in clear water to remove the vinegar.
Dry the brush and hang. All the smell should be gone. Vinegar is the key and rinsing in Vinegar will remove all the soap from the knot. The first soak removes the smell, the second soak removes the soap.
I give my brushes a soak in Vinegar and shampoo a couple times a year, it will remove all the soap and bloom the knot fully. The brush will perform better, lather easier and the knot will dry fully bloomed.
Works for Badger and Boar brushes, and the whole process takes about 20-30 minutes after the first soak.
All boar brushes smell, Semogue boar brushes smell less, but still smell when wet. Vinegar will get it all out.
@Euclid440.... Looks like a good process for new brushes and to refresh older ones.. I will give it a try.. Agree on the Semogue's lighter odor.. My last boar i bought a few months ago.. A premium boar brush i was looking for and was recommended to a Thater.. Found out 2 things.. That it is indeed true.. A $13.00 semogue or omega boar is as good as you can get with boar bristles.. My $90.00 premium boar Thater is no better than the others.. And that said Thater was the stinkiest brush ive had to date!! No regrets buying it as it is packed full of bristles and is great to use but if you.have the urge like i did to find a better boar brush? Buy a $22.00 semogue.. Scott W
I have 2, the Atomic Rocket and the Starcraft, I was really pleasantly surprised, I would go as far as to say I found them to be excellent.Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
Lol.. I just saw in my post i said my last badger was a premium boar :).. Almost has a " coldest winter i ever spent was a summer in san fransisco) sense to it.. What a dummy! ( i am).. I have 1 synthetic that is Maagards brush.. It cost next to nothing and the bristles are as soft as silk on my face.. Unfortunately it has no back bone and it flings soaps/creams everywhere.. I do use it on occasion with proraso cream. When i use it with the proraso i will dip the brush in very hot water from sink, sqeeze the brush of almost all the water, sqeeze a tiny amount of cream on bristles, dampen one side of my face and with the hot bristles work that cream into my face and neck within seconds a great warm lather erupts!! Repeat this with just a 2 pass shave and im almost always good to go.. I read here on the forum a number of long time straight users saying good things about their synthetic brushes.. Seems guys who have been around the wet shaving block for a long time would not give them such high marks unless it was true.. Pretty certain my next brush purchase is going to be a good synthetic.. Scott W
Keep in mind with synthetic knots it depends on the type of synthetic fiber and loft used as to how they will feel and act. They certainly are not all exactly the same. One I have is soft as silk on the face with little backbone and one has soft tips, backbone and a lowered loft. The last one feels similar like a 2 band badger to me. What they have in common is that both will easily lather anything I have used.
Bob
Attachment 299778
I got this one ...synthetic..25 mm knot...23.50...for my sons Stocking Stuffer
Just curious as to what's to become of the first stinky brush in question.
It’s gonnah get the vinegar douche !Quote:
Originally Posted by Brontosaurus
You posted a screen shot of an Omega synthetic brush. Is that the brush that is getting the vinegar douche?Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
Bob
Good to hear!Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
Nope.....the boar brush I posted earlier in this threadQuote:
Originally Posted by BobH
OK, thanks for clarifying.Quote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
Bob
Nessmuck if you decide to invest in another boar brush, go Semogue Owners Club. It’s one of my favorites and can be had for under $30. Even Amazon has them: http://https://www.amazon.com/Semogu...48433943&psc=1
My only boar brush is this one. I've had it for over 3 years and it is a wonderful brush. I remember it not smelling when I got it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haroldg48
Highly recommended.
I too consider it a great brush, and mine never smelled bad either. It will whip up a lather with almost any soap.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulbuck
