A question for those who use a boar brush

After hearing great things about boar brushes I bought myself a boar hair knot from The Golden Nib. I fitted it into a handle and eagerly awaited the first opportunity to use it. It was very stiff and not a bit scratchy. I loved the feel of the boar hair on my face. It was like a face massage.

The only problem I have with this brush is that it seems to eat the lather. It didn't lather anywhere near as well as a badger brush, but it lathered adequately. Then for the second pass there was bearly enough lather for a full pass and for the third pass I had to use more cream.

So the question is, do all boar brushes eat lather? Do they get better after a number of uses?

I know there is nothing wrong with this knot as I have the up most confidence in the knots that Tony sells at The Golden Nib.

From what I've heard, boars hair is thicker than badger hair so it tends to soak up more water than badgers hair, thereby drying your lather out.

I think its just one of those things..! :-)

That sounds perfectly normal for the first run with a brush. not only are you trying to get the hang of it, it still has to break in. It will undoubdtedly get better over time.

What size of knot did you get?

Good luck.

I got the 24mm boar bristle knot. I really love this brush, but I just wish I could get it to lather as well as my badger brushes.

My understanding is that boar bristles are hollow (unlike badger hair), so it's important to make sure the brush has soaked for several minutes in water to full saturation before using it to lather up. Otherwise, it does suck water out of the lather (probably soap, too, which you don't want caught inside the bristles).

How long do you soak your brush for? Remember this is a new brush. You cannot compare it to your other brush(s) until you have masterred this brush. They are all a little different.

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Originally Posted by ndw76

So the question is, do all boar brushes eat lather? Do they get better after a number of uses?

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I have some experience with boar brushes. They do need to break in. The theory is that with use the bristles split at the ends, in effect doubling or tripling their effective number. This would lead them to generate lather better (more and easier). If that "scientific" explanation is true or not, I don't know but I do know that my Omega took (I think) about two weeks to reach its full potential.

Give it time and practice and I' sure it will come good.

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Originally Posted by ndw76

It was very stiff and not a bit scratchy. I loved the feel of the boar hair on my face. It was like a face massage.

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I haven't tried a boar yet. I had thought they would be prickly or scratchy and that is a quality that I like in a brush. Any boar users out there find a brand of boar brush that is prickly or are they all typically as described above, stiff but not scratchy ?

I have heard that some boar brushes are clipped on the business ends of the bristles. This apparently stops the ends from splitting ( breaking in ) and as a result of that they remain scratchy. I am not sure which brands they are.


I know that Omega, Vulfix, Semogue, Koh-I-Noor make very good boar brushes using good quality bristle.

Boar bristle brushes are in a league of their own. The do require more water to work up lather. I know, I own an Omega model 20106 this big boy has a 27mm knot. When using it, I add water a little at a time to the mix until I get a merengue-like consistency in my lather. IMHO, boar will exfoliate the beard better than badger hair.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I haven't tried a boar yet. I had thought they would be prickly or scratchy and that is a quality that I like in a brush. Any boar users out there find a brand of boar brush that is prickly or are they all typically as described above, stiff but not scratchy ?

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No way my skin could take it, but if scratchy is what you're after, carefully trimming the tips of any boar brush should do it.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I haven't tried a boar yet. I had thought they would be prickly or scratchy ...?

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I haven't tried a badger hair brush yet. But, my cheap Walmart boar's hair brush is not prickly and scratchy by any measure. I have felt badger hair brushes, and it definitely isn't as silky smooth. But, the boar hair brush is nonetheless reasonably soft and smooth.

Also, there was never any problem with the brush soaking up lather. Don't know what to say there.

I use a Golden Nib 24 mm boar which was a lather sponge at first but now lathers up very well. Bowl lathering definitely helps.

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Originally Posted by Fozz7769

How long do you soak your brush for? Remember this is a new brush. You cannot compare it to your other brush(s) until you have masterred this brush. They are all a little different.

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I wet it in the shower and then only soak it in the basin while I get all my stuff ready. Sounds like I might have to take a shaving mug with me when I go shave at the gym so I can soak the brush while I have a shower.

Boars like it wet and sloppy!
In my experience it benefits from soaking more than badger, and takes a few runs before the ends split, the smell goes away, and you learn what ratios it likes. Once I figured that out my boar is pretty hard to beat. It keeps evolving too, gets slightly better each time.
I would also advise against boiling the brush or using boiling hot water. Use water your hands or face can handle, no hotter. In my experience this helps keep the boar bristles more youthful, more spring in their backbone.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I haven't tried a boar yet. I had thought they would be prickly or scratchy and that is a quality that I like in a brush. Any boar users out there find a brand of boar brush that is prickly or are they all typically as described above, stiff but not scratchy ?

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I just tried an Omega boar brush, just to mix it up after using badger for 38 years (!!!). I think by any objective standard of comfort, water holding ability, etc., the badger is better, but the boar is OK. It isn't prickly or scratchy, but there's more sensation than with badger. I also tried an Omega synthetic in the same order (they are both relatively cheap, i.e., <$20.00) and can't say that the synthetic is all that. The boar is different than badger, but not really subjectively a worse experience for me; the synthetic is worse. They are good choices only if you have moral qualms about using animal products, I guess.