the psychology of the boar

[Zach]

My father taught me how to shave with a superspeed and a store bought boar bristle brush in the early 80s. Likely it was an Old Spice brush, because the drugstore on the block sold these, I recall. We never had a car in the family until I got one at 18; you really don't need one in NYC, not even in Queens where we grew up, so the drugstore was 'it' for supplies. He used Ivory soap, that 99 44/100% pure bar, the same soap we used to wash our hands with, and the same soap we took baths with, and the same soap we washed our hair with. In Europe, where we came from, that's the way it was, there was only 'soap'. I think that they washed the clothes and the dishes with it back there as well, but here I recall my mother using Ivory Liquid for the dishes and Ivory snow for the laundry. Immigrants are very loyal. I digress, plus, I've already shared this before!

Anyway, we got the job done, and we were happy. But looking back, of course, the brush and the lather were not all that fabulous, I recall it being thin and bubbly. However I do not recall razor burn nor do I ever recall anything like a cut or a nick that was in any way memorable. So this was my introduction into wet shaving; basically, this is all there was, just wet shaving, and this is how it was done, with what was available to us. And since this is all that there was we did not feel in any way deficient, nor were we wanting for anything more than a neat appearance. There was no 'journey' for us, it was all about the destination.

Today, however, most people started shaving with either an electric or a multi blade razor. And when they come here, for whatever reason, the attitude and atmosphere is all about the 'journey' at least as much, if not more so, than about the destination. By that I mean that once you can get a consistent great shave via wet shaving, you begin to explore and have fun along the way. And this is the way that it should be.

With that, we speak about the badger brush, and about all the makes of badger, and of all the varieties of the badger. There are many companies that make badger, and there are many grades of hair taken from different parts of the badger. There are even some who claim that certain badgers from certain parts of the world have certain hairs on specific parts of their body that make for shaving Nirvana and anything else is deficient. There are different lofts and shapes and lengths and thicknesses and knot sizes and densities. For such a niche market, badger hair brushes certainly have every possible discerning base covered. Mathematically speaking you can have thousands of different possible brush combinations, and, in fact, you would be hard pressed to find two different badger brushes used side by side that the brush cognoscenti would judge them 'more or less the same'.

Now what about boar? What kinds of boar are used, from what parts of the world? What is the best part of the boar to pull the hair from? Is there a bulb or a fan shape to the boar brush? Can I get a scrubby boar vs. a soft boar with a denser loft in a mid length bristle set in a milk jug handle made out of hand turned resin with a 26mm knot? No, you can't. And why? Because people don't care about the boar brush. They don't care to know anything about it past the point that one should recommend you 'trade up' your best boar brush for a 'starter' badger brush as soon as possible. Why is that? This is the psychology of the boar that I speak of.

How many grades of boar hair are there?
Oh, well, it's all just 'boar', isn't it? It's all the same, and it's all sub-badger. Look at how they put a fake stripe in it, to make it look more like badger; they're shameless, why don't they just get a starter badger like that Tweezerman or the EJ $35 brush? People who use a boar hair brush don't know what they are missing, and they would be so much happier with, and also get a better shave from any badger hair brush.
Right?
I mean it must be, because I read these kinds of statements all the time here.
But it is not right.

The truth is, that if you go to the drugstore TODAY and buy a $5 boar brush, let's say a Burma Shave brush, or a Van Der Hagen brush, or a no-name Chinese brush, yes, you will be disappointed. Because today, you won't find a brush in use in 1 out of 20 households in America, and the fact is that you won't find any quality in a product that costs $5 to produce, package, distribute and market to this tiny market of brush users. So, if you scoff at the boar brush based on your experience with one of the above, it's all very understandable why you rave about the shave with your $15 Tweezerman.

But if you have used a quality boar bristle brush with a quality soap, you will have no reason to switch to badger. You will not make better lather, you will not get a better tactile response, and you will not get a better shave. You might make lather faster, but not better. And that faster lather probably will not be as good.

As a matter of fact, I argue that a boar brush makes a better lather for most people, in that it is more goof proof, and I believe that we should always recommend boar as the starter brush, but not the $5 boar. I will explain.

We know that you can't take water away from your lather but that you can always add water. We know that too much air in the lather, a lather that looks like a meringue, is not as protective as a thicker lather that goes on more like a spackle than like a foam. And many of us know that a slightly dryer lather gives you a better shave than a moister lather.
The boar does all of the above, without even trying; it's the BADGER that must be tempered to accomplish any of the above; it's that badger that holds too much water that you have to be carefully aware of, and the measure varies greatly from badger to badger, so invariably you have to know more and work harder to get a perfect lather unless you have only one badger brush. Whereas, with any good quality boar brush, it can only hold more or less the right amount of water to make a perfect lather, every single time. A soak and a shake and you're done, and you're perfect every single time. As bristly as the boar hair feels when it’s dry, don’t worry, when it gets wet, a good bristle is as soft as my Shavemacs and softer than my Rooney brushes.

So, the next time you're looking for something new to try, try something old and simple and tested and efficient and inexpensive. I will put my Omega 31064 brush up against any other brush I own, and I own dozens.
And when I gift a kit, it will always has a 31064 in it. And when someone asks me what kind of a brush to use, I say start off with one of the Omega professional brushes, like a 48, a 49, or a 20106. Try it, you'll like it, and you will not be left wanting!

thanks for reading,

Zach

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Boar can do more!®
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[TBoner]

Zach, I don't have much to add except hearty agreement. My Omega 49 is a fantastic latherer and, as you said, it makes the same lather more consistently than do my badger brushes. It does lack sex appeal, so to speak, and as you imply, this is a self-perpetuating problem: why make a high-end boar brush with a resin handle? No one will buy it. I do wonder if an additional factor in the lack of boar variety is the fact that boar seems to work best with a certain loft type. I have only used a handful of boar brushes, but those that have worked well have all had fairly large knots and long lofts. A couple of horrid brushes were bad partly because the short loft and small knot created difficulty in holding onto water and lather. I don't know that more variety in knot and loft is not possible with boar, and it's probably an area worth exploring.
The real problem with boar is that most guys have used the $5 boar before they come here, and so they don't even ask about boar brushes, instead leaping directly to badger. I agree that pointing them to a good boar brush might make for easier lathering and more consistent results early on, but it's a tough crowd to convince.
Nonetheless, as I said, I agree with your post generally and I think these boar recommendations need to be made more frequently.

Regards,

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Tim

He shaved evenly and with care, in silence, seriously. - James Joyce

What is possessed is devalued by what is coveted. - John Updike

[crunchy]

Zach and TBoner:

I will add my hearty agreement as well. I use a basic boar that I got from Old Dominion, and I LOVE it! It is my dependable, day-in-day-out brush. The lather is consistent from day to day, and it feels wonderful on my face.

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Southern Gentleman with 6 kids, and loving every minute of it!

[Zach]

[Janus]

I have brushes in boar and various grades of badger and they all serve me well. What I use depends on my mood. I agree that you don't have to buy an expensive brush to get good lather. In fact, people who are having difficulties lathering MWF for example, might do well to try a good boar brush. I'm not saying they are fool proof but certainly worth trying, not to mention inexpensive.

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Janus

If you can't laugh at yourself, someone else probably will.

[napoleon]

The problem with boar, for me is that it's too stiff and prickly. I'd really like to buy a boar brush, but, there is no (as you said) "silvertip" boar
What would your opinion be, what is the softest boar brush you tried?

[Zach]

Agreed, Janus, if Williams or MWF is giving you a problem, unleash the boar on it. Agreed as well that nothing is fool proof, although for me the boar seems to be, but let's say 99% of the time. If you're going to use a brush, boar is as close to fool proof as possible. We all have had the experience of too wet a lather with a brush, and we make up for it on the second pass by loading up the brush with more product. When that happens to me, it's always with a big, dense badger that I didn't shake out well enough, likely because I have too many brushes and a Rooney is not a Kent is not a Simpson.
A boar is not better than a badger when using a soap stick; however it does do a fine job.
While I'm not going to sell off the aforementioned brushes, they only see occasional use in my rotation.
And I thought that perhaps some brush aficionados would enjoy reading a change of pace thread every once in a while.

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Boar can do more!®
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[Zach]

Some less expensive boar is prickly, Napoleon, no doubt; but the 31064 pictured really is as soft as the Shavemac next to it, I was not exaggerating. And the Shavemac is one soft brush.
Like all brushes, the 31064 is a lot softer after a month's use than when it is new. But it was never prickly, and I always face lather.
The Ever Ready pictured IS somewhat prickly, but it's also exfoliating and it does a great job as well. Kent boar (I did not picture it) is also soft and tender on the skin. The feel or a dry boar brush and a wet brush loaded with soap is night and day.
The statement 'boar is prickly' is not accurate; some boar can be, just as some badger is prickly and irritating.

Get an Omega better boar brush and if you're not happy with it, I will buy it from you, Napoleon, shipping to me as well.

Oh, and welcome to SMF!

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Boar can do more!®
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[napoleon]

The problem is most ppl start out with these cheap brushes and, after they try a badger, they never go back.
I tried 2-3 boar brushes (all cheap) and didn't like them, too stiff and prickly. Than I tried a pure badger- too prickly.
Than I try a silvertip- excellent!
Now who would go back to that prickly boar. That's what most ppl think.
But if you say that the omega is soft... Looks like I'll need another brush

[AZShaver]

I used a cheap VDH brush for 20 years, got good shaves. I swallowed the Kool-aid and bought a C-E BBB a couple of months ago. The major difference is not in the shave, but in the amount of water the badger instantly picks up.
I am still afan of all VDH products.

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Jim

[napoleon]

What do you guys say about that proraso/omega boar brush? Softness wise?

[Zach]

[Zach]

[paperpundit]

If you can find them, I love the Burma Shave brush...mine gave up the ghost a couple of years ago (after 10 years of solid duty and a horrible accident abroad). I have bought numerous badger and boar brushes since, but I haven't been able to find one that I like nearly as much as that scratchy little bastard from Burma Shave.

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Jack

"All you need is love, love...love is all you need."

[Zach]

[paperpundit]

Yeah, but I'm old school...I like buying stuff in person. But I might have to give in

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Jack

"All you need is love, love...love is all you need."

[JimR]

I don't know why, but Boar brushes just appeal to me. Maybe it's my populist nature, but to me, quality outweighs luxury every time. The fact that I can get a quality, professional level brush for 20 some dollars just sounds right.

I can't wait to get my hands on my Omega!

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Boar strokes on the face
Arising mountains of snow
Blade dances smoothly

My Shaving Blog: Eastern Smooth

What's on your Master List?

[CMur12]

I'm delighted to see this thread. Like Jim, I like the fact that a high-quality boar brush can be had for minimal cost. This is the brush within the reach of virtually every man, and the shave he can get with it is the same as that obtained from a badger latherer.

- Murray

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Give me Soap or give me death!

[bernards66]

Zach, I loved your piece, but I can't agree; anymore than I would agree that Ivory ( or VDH ) soap is 'really' just as good as Trumpers. I used a boar brush daily for eight years, I bought it in the earlier '80s and it was expensive for a boar brush. So, I'm not talking about something you'd get for $5 today. None the less, when I got my first badger brush after that period, a basic Vulfix best badger for $45, it was the single biggest jump in lather quality and comfortability I've ever experianced, going from one grade of brush to another. I just don't think boar brushes are as good, and I decided that on my own, before Charles Roberts, before these shave forums, and all the rest. Clearly, you don't agree and that's fine, but that is my opinion.
Regards,
Gordon

[GA Russell]

On his website, Giovanni says that the #1 brush among barbers (used professionally) in Italy is the Omega 48, a $16 boar. Surely the barbers of Italy would spend the money on a badger if they (or their customers) felt that the boar was substandard.

I've got a birthday coming up, and I have my eye on three boars, assuming that somebody loves me and gives me a check!

Six weeks ago I owed a friend a favor and sent him a starter kit of DE wetshaving products, including an Omega 49. He promised that he would give it a try, but he hasn't gotten back to me. I'll have to follow up without nagging, to see what he thinks.

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Rainbow
Cella
Koh-I-Noor SC68 boar
1948-50 Gilette Superspeed