“Although the boar brush you find in the local drugstore will probably not amount to much, a well-made boar brush, once broken in, has a pleasant feel and makes a superb lather.”
Not knowing a thing about shave brushes, and having not done any research at the time, I wound up purchasing an inexpensive boar shave brush from a big box retailer. I wanted to start using a shave brush and for the price I thought it was too good to pass up.
It broke during the third use.
Thought it should've lasted more than 2 shaves :( |
Photo is a little overexposed, but shows how light the brush is. |
Boar bristles tend to be stiffer and require up to a few weeks of use to break in compared to badger hair (or horsehair, or synthetic). The bristle ends will split and will soften as a result. Though, it is still boar bristle – so I wouldn’t expect it to soften to the point where it feels like Badger hair. Because of the stiffness of boar bristles, some prefer using a boar shave brush rather than a badger shave brush with shave soap. Personally, I like using the Avenger on the harder pucks of soap. But, as with most things, it’s a matter of preference.
Dreadnought Avenger: ends splitting on some of the bristles resulting in a softer feel. |
Soaking the brush while on the road. |
So, if you’re considering giving a shave brush as a gift and not sure if it will wind up as a keyboard cleaner; or if you may be on a budget but want to shift from the canned aerosol to a soap or cream, then maybe a boar bristle brush, like the Dreadnought Avenger, may be the way to go. Boar brushes tend to cost less than badger, horsehair, or even some synthetic brushes.
The Dreadnought Avenger after many months of use (on left). |
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