Thread: Italian Shaving Experience

Just got back from a trip to Italy, and thought I'd share a couple interesting shaving experiences. I wasn't able to take the straight with me (carry on bags only), but I picked up a Cinghiale (boar hair) brush and some Proraso cream to use with my DE (picked up blades once I got there). I had always heard that badger was the best type of brush, and had only ever used super badger, but "when in Rome", right?

I was in Italy for a wedding, and the groom took a few of us to get a shave from an old Italian barber. I was excited for my first shave from a barber, and assumed he would use a straight razor. He ended up using a shavette, and seemed to do a few things differently than I would have expected. There were no hot towels, and the prep seemed fairly abbreviated. He used a boar hair brush and a cream (not Proraso, but a similar type of tube). The shave was fairly good, but he only did one pass, and I felt that I could have gotten closer on my own. The experience was intersting, but I'm still thirsting for a proper barber shop shave.

I've been using my new boar hair brush, and seem to actually get quite good results with it. It isn't quite as soft as my badger brushes, but it is nice and stiff, and works up a great lather. Once downside is that it doesn't smell great, but I'm hoping this will subside with a bit more use.

Any thoughts on the merits of boar vs badger?

They might have used a Shavette because of sanitation laws. They're banned from using anything that's "reusable" over here in CA.

I have both Badger and Boar Brushes. Nothing wrong with Boar, indeed it's easier to get a lather with some of the harder soaps. The smell does go after a few uses, a good wash with Shampoo helps.

I have told my opinion about this several times.
Boar brushes are superior to badger by any means. Boars are gold medal for me. Silver medal to the horses and bronze to the badgers.

The smell of a new boar is usually very bad. I treat every new boar brush from 3 days to a week for eliminating the stink. I create rich lather every day with a different soap and I keep the brush in a container full of water for 24 hours. Every day I change the lather and then I put again the brush into the container. Usually in 3-4 days the smell has gone. Sometimes it might take a week.

Remember that a boar brush improves with the use, giving its best after months of daily use; while the badger brush gives its best at once and with the time and use it becomes worse.

Notice that my opinion is considered heretic in the shaving forums, and most people consider badgers as the top quality of shaving brushes.

Some others say that the boar brushes are the best for soaps and the badger brushes are the best for the creams. For me the truth is that regarding soaps, the badgers are pathetic indeed, and considering creams, the badgers can handle them, but the boars are superior again.

Another heretic opinion of mine is that the hot towel you were expecting the barber to use, is a useless and folkloristic part of preparation, and does not add anything substantial to the preparation.

Have fun

Originally Posted by Slur

Another heretic opinion of mine is that the hot towel you were expecting the barber to use, is a useless and folkloristic part of preparation, and does not add anything substantial to the preparation.

Have fun

I agree, couple of minutes working the lather into the beard does the trick, for me everything else is superflous.

Originally Posted by Slur

Another heretic opinion of mine is that the hot towel you were expecting the barber to use, is a useless and folkloristic part of preparation, and does not add anything substantial to the preparation.

Have fun

I think whats being missed here is that perhaps a hot towel is a pleasant relaxing thing to have done? it's not all about practicality, it's about the pleasure of the experience. If i wanted practicality i'd go back to goo in a can and a mach 3 or whatever is the current multiblade shaver

Empirical evidence for either side of the hot towel debate please? I think the supposition of a damp hot towel (my barber uses one) softening hair through the action of heat and moisture is perfectly reasonable. also my barber massages my face with the towel on which could well give a cleaning/oil removing effect.

I dont see that it's heretical and i doubt many of anyone here would say so, I've found the forum to be very accepting of "if it works for you".

Originally Posted by tekbow

... I've found the forum to be very accepting of "if it works for you".

No doubt about this.
Fact is that I am thinking in another language and then I translate in English in my head and then I write it in the keyboard.
By using the word “heretic” I wanted to say that most people do not agree with what I am going to say.
Sorry.

If I dont use a hot towel for a couple of minutes, my shave isnt as good. I have to use a body wash, then put a hot wet towel over it to get a good shave, but thats just me.

Originally Posted by Slur

No doubt about this.
Fact is that I am thinking in another language and then I translate in English in my head and then I write it in the keyboard.
By using the word “heretic” I wanted to say that most people do not agree with what I am going to say.
Sorry.

It's OK, Slur. I still think you're a heretic, and I agree with you about the towel thing. The boar bristle stuff... that is crazy talk.

Originally Posted by Slur

No doubt about this.
Fact is that I am thinking in another language and then I translate in English in my head and then I write it in the keyboard.
By using the word “heretic” I wanted to say that most people do not agree with what I am going to say.
Sorry.

No need to say sorry just remember the 4 magic letters "YMMV". by the way, i never use a hot towel at home, i have a shave out of the shower, but i find it therapeutic in the barbers as part of the experience. As for boar bristle vs badger, i have both, and i like both, i'm one of the boar for bristle, badger for cream camp. i have a pure, the lowext grade of badger i believe, and i have no great desire to get a silvertip etc as i like the stiffness of the pure.