Boars not playing the game

Drubbing

Drubbing

110% Smiley-Free
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Location
Perth, WA
Any of the regulars here know my sad affliction for the boar. But I've been having a few issues lately, and some of the love is leaving the room.

I have 4 Semogues - 1460, 620, 830 and 1305. The ones I'm having issues with are the last two, because these are my weekly go to's. In fact the 830 is favoured over the 1305 for the following reason. It's like they've regressed to break in mode. I struggle to get 2 good passes out of these. The 830 isn't too bad, it stats to woos out for a 3rd pass, but the 1305 is becoming a recalcitrant pig.

I've followed all the advice I've given others about loading wetter, longer, tried drier too, and it's just not happening. It just goes to show - no matter how much experience you get at this, you can still get stumped. No matter what technique I employ, they're left wanting. I tell you, it's driving me to the Berkeley again and again, and I'm eyeing a Chubby 1 as the GAME OVER brush. But I love the feel of the boar and want to keep them in the game.

I used the 620 on hols all last week with Proraso cream and it performed fine, and I always had enough lather, unless I skimped on the cream. TBH I didn't get much quiet bathroom time so my buddhist-like routine was all over the shop.

So with the 830 and 1305 it could simply be a matter of following suit, and using them with creams instead, but I like my soaps and use those 90% of the time.

Any ideas?
 
Drubbing said:
I used the 620 on hols all last week with Proraso cream and it performed fine, and I always had enough lather, unless I skimped on the cream. TBH I didn't get much quiet bathroom time so my buddhist-like routine was all over the shop.

So with the 830 and 1305 it could simply be a matter of following suit, and using them with creams instead, but I like my soaps and use those 90% of the time.

Any ideas?
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I am seeing the same with my 830. Becoming unusable.

Have tried every trick in the book, but from what I can find they are wanting to be really loaded up with product. I have to nearly DOUBLE the amount of cream I use compared to the 730HD, and I am finding soaps to be totally unusable. As soon as I lather for a second pass the lather just dies on me. Seems to ONLY be with the 830, the Kent VS80 does just fine. Havent been using the Omega 29 much of late.

Tried running a couple of different shampoos through them to remove soap scum buildup, alternating MWF with various creams, and then trying normal bath soap. In the end I have just been soaking it every day, lathering up the brush after my shower, rinsing well and trying to give it even more use without having it hit my face.

Moving to Sydney in 3 weeks, the water out here is hard and I am hopeful that the move will see softer water and better lather.
 
Using my 830 and I have only one issue with cream - moisture - I need to add some water to the mix after each pass.

Using soap is another matter - I put this down to my inexperience using soap.

I am using TOBS soap and Col Conk Bay Rum on weekends - maybe I should use one brush for cream and one for soap..?
 
My friends:
soak your brushes in a solution of vinegar and water (or borax) to cleanse them.When a lot of foam residue builds up in the boar bristles,these turn out like if they never have been fully "break in",specially if youre dealing with hard or very hard water.
Once you have soaked the brushes (15 minutes would be more than enough) go and make lather with them,like 5 or 6 times and dont worry if wont make any lather the first 3 or 4 times,since the brush will turn out like "new",but would only need like 5 times making lather with it to make it shine again.
Im afraid that Semogue boar premium hair and 90% tops are really "sensitive" to hard water and the soap scum residue,while 75% are,most of the time,fine with that.
Hope this trick works for you,gents.
Im now involved in the new badger hair line and also the boar/badger line that Semogue would be launching pretty soon (hopefully). I can tell you that the "bodger" its gonna be a hit,being 50% finest badger and 50%, 90% tops boar hair.
 
Another thing I forgot to mention:if you wanna use the 830 or the 1035 with hard soaps,DONT soak them in hot water for over a minute,since that would make their bristle really "flaccid"(if you let me use that term).I soak them for 40 seconds in hot water and thats more than enough once theyre fully broke in.By doing this you would avoid that flaccidity that wont allow their bristles to pick up enough soap.
 
Teiste said:
Another thing I forgot to mention:if you wanna use the 830 or the 1035 with hard soaps,DONT soak them in hot water for over a minute,since that would make their bristle really "flaccid"(if you let me use that term).I soak them for 40 seconds in hot water and thats more than enough once theyre fully broke in.By doing this you would avoid that flaccidity that wont allow their bristles to pick up enough soap.
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Thanks mate, really appreciate this.

I am going ot give them a decent wash. While they're only a few months old, they've not hard a proper clean and soak in. I don't know if my water is hard, but it does stuff up my taps easily.

I also have soaked them well, usually whilst in the shower. I'll try this instead.
 
Teiste said:
Im now involved in the new badger hair line and also the boar/badger line that Semogue would be launching pretty soon (hopefully). I can tell you that the "bodger" its gonna be a hit,being 50% finest badger and 50%, 90% tops boar hair.
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Sounds freaking amazing! We'd love to get our hands on a early sample to review. Drubbing is your brush guy.

Great feedback regarding the boars... I am going to dump mine in some vinegar, no borax here at the moment. What sort of vinegar-to-water ratio do you suggest? 50:50 vinegar to hot water? The 40-second soak seems like a really good idea - I find that the 830 seems a bit soft to me. Maybe that's where Drubbing was finding the other boars too soft - soaking for too long!

I have very hard water here so I have been using a cleansing shampoo (no silicone/dimethicone) to try and clean it out. It appears that I failed with that.
 
Razormonsta said:
Drubbing is your brush guy.
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Doesn't sound that way from this thread! I've tried creams with the 1305 and I have no problems. I can feel the love returning. I think the quicker soak and a good clean is great idea. I simply didn't think my brsuhes would need a good clean after 2-3 moths use, but maybe they do.

I'll report back...
 
Razormonsta said:
Sounds freaking amazing! We'd love to get our hands on a early sample to review. Drubbing is your brush guy.

Great feedback regarding the boars... I am going to dump mine in some vinegar, no borax here at the moment. What sort of vinegar-to-water ratio do you suggest? 50:50 vinegar to hot water? The 40-second soak seems like a really good idea - I find that the 830 seems a bit soft to me. Maybe that's where Drubbing was finding the other boars too soft - soaking for too long!

I have very hard water here so I have been using a cleansing shampoo (no silicone/dimethicone) to try and clean it out. It appears that I failed with that.
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Shampoo by itself wont clean the soap scum of your brush,so you need something to disolve it,like vinegar. 50% of water and 50% of vinegar sounds good to me,but I usually go for 80% of vinegar,which could leave a really funky strong smell in the brush.

Drubbing said:
Doesn't sound that way from this thread! I've tried creams with the 1305 and I have no problems. I can feel the love returning. I think the quicker soak and a good clean is great idea. I simply didn't think my brsuhes would need a good clean after 2-3 moths use, but maybe they do.

I'll report back...
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Yes,with that kind of boar hair,you need to clean the brush and get rid of all the soap scum every 3 months or so (this is done when your waater its hard,if not, should be done every year,at least)

Let us know if your brushes experiment an improvement with those tricks.
 
Razormonsta said:
Shuddup. I am trying to get you a free 'bodger'. :laugh:
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Sorry:cool:. I'm up for it. Interesting idea. I'd Love to bodge up Australia. I've run the gamut of Semogue grades (LE excepted) so I've got a good familiarity with them.

I probably shifted half the 1305 and 830s on B&B. :p
 
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Drubbing said:
I probably shifted half the 1305 and 830s on B&B. :p
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I agree with this claim. :laugh:

Teiste said:
Another thing I forgot to mention:if you wanna use the 830 or the 1035 with hard soaps,DONT soak them in hot water for over a minute,since that would make their bristle really "flaccid"(if you let me use that term).I soak them for 40 seconds in hot water and thats more than enough once theyre fully broke in.By doing this you would avoid that flaccidity that wont allow their bristles to pick up enough soap.
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Thanks for the tip. I always soak my brushes for whatever time I am in the shower for.
Just then I tried a boar and didn't soak it for very long at all, maybe 30sec.
I got way more lather in my brush than I normally get.
I used to think soaking the brush didn't soften it that much, but it seems it does.
Although had to add more water to my lather which made it a little trickier than normal.
 
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I dip the bristles in hot water about two seconds before hitting my face with them. I can assure you a boar brush will turn soft within 10 seconds of face lathering. I can feel it softening on my face. It makes no difference whatsoever to any badger I've used so far including pure badger. I think the whole soaking thing is just another conventional wet shaving myth. Up there with brush stands.
 
Pjotr said:
I dip the bristles in hot water about two seconds before hitting my face with them. I can assure you a boar brush will turn soft within 10 seconds of face lathering. I can feel it softening on my face. It makes no difference whatsoever to any badger I've used so far including pure badger. I think the whole soaking thing is just another conventional wet shaving myth. Up there with brush stands.
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For too long myths have been spread in the wet shaving community like "badger better than boar","straight razors shaves better than DE or multiblades" "you need a stand for your brush and hang your brush upside down" and so on.
I only soak the boar brush,any boar brush (once its fully break in) for a minute or even less.
 
So no stand is required for your brush?

I've only got a stand because, well, you gotta put your brush somewhere...a stand is just so my brush doesn't get buried on the bathroom bench.

What is the myth of the brush stand?
 
I reckoned I'd done my bit to bust the 'Badger better than boar' myth. So I thought. But my recent woes were frustrating, and I never believed a brush can just go bad, so quickly. But that was actually suggested, when I posted a similar thread on B&B, someone said Zach (the boar guy) reckoned boars don't last as long. Yes, maybe, but I think he was talking in years. Badgerism lives. Not that I'm boarist, I do have a couple of badgers and one incoming.

OK, I cleaned 3 of them up and they do feel a lot better.

I throw up a thread after I've done some testing - brush maintenance is something worth getting out there. Thanks again.
 
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JugV2 said:
So no stand is required for your brush?

I've only got a stand because, well, you gotta put your brush somewhere...a stand is just so my brush doesn't get buried on the bathroom bench.

What is the myth of the brush stand?
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The myth is that if you dont hang up the brush upside down after using it the moisture would ruin your brush,since it wont be able to dry out properly.
My grandpa had a boar brush that lasted him over 10 years (it was a present from me) which used almost everyday, and didnt have a single stand to hang it upside down.
 
The other myth is that it dries quicker bristles up. Neither myths are proven, and up or down makes no diff to drying time.

I think it started with retailers who sold brush stands. Still happens.

FWIW Gary Young of the Simpson family advocates using the built in stand on the bottom of every brush. It's personal preference really. Stands can look nice and some people like them, but that's all they do.
 
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I got my stand simply because it looks nice.

Personally I don't care if it does/doesn't extend the life of the brush, I already have two brushes and after four months of DE shaving, I am probably due for a new one.

Drubbing, if you want to sell a brush maybe I should have a look at what you have?

I'm in Perth for starters..
 
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