HolyRollah posted a tip some time ago about how to 're-shape' your boar brush if you felt it was blooming too wide for you (backbone felt lacking and/or hard to control when face lathering). I tested out his tip this past week...and it works great! My SOC Boar Brush is quite wide now that is is coming into itself: After my latest shave I shook up excess water, dried it with some strokes on my towel...and plopped it into a tissue roll: A day and a half later I took it out.... It's been a few days and it has kept that shape (haven't used it yet). So....for anyone who wants to 'reshape' their brush a bit - for whatever reason - with little to no cost and effort this may be an alternative.
True, but my Omegas are a bit floppier & moppier than the Semos, which tend to be a bit stiffer. When splayed, they lose some of their effectiveness—at least in my uses. The nice part about 'tubing' a splayed brush is not only is it cheap, one can do it as often or as little as necessary. Sort of a brush 'tune up.'
It is what it is, isn't it? After you get it wet (again) doesn't it go back to the way it was? I've done a fair amount of playing around experimenting with boar knots, both Semogue and Omega. Cut the metal ring off a Semogue 2000 and set it to SOC loft and you'll have a different feeling brush than either the 2000 or SOC. The crimp on the Semogue spreads the knot, the plastic ring on the Omega doesn't. My favorite boar is a Omega 20248 knot with the loft shortened about 15mm. I also have a 2000 that was relofted to a SOC height and it is very nice but I'd like to drop it a bit lower, I just haven't got around to it yet. I'm certainly no expert, I just like to mess around. The important thing is to enjoy your shaving tools. Semogue 2000 relofted. This is a wet brush and the different shape of the knot is apparent. Current favorite, Omega 20248, relofted and rehandled.
Someone on another board uses a small O-ring at the base of the hairs for the same purpose. But, your idea is cost free.
Why not try a bestshave #6 horse(?) hair brush...Developes a nice full, but not unwieldy bloom, has real good back bone without being scritchy or scratchy...Mine is over 2 years old and still going strong...For $5 shipped it's worth giving it a try I.M.O.
All credit goes to HolyRollah. Actually it's not just cosmetic - when I shaved with it there was a very distinct different feel - it was much more 'stiff' and compact. Only lasted one shave though so if you want to repeat that experience maybe use this on a regular basis I also like the idea of using a scrungie/rubber band to achieve the same effect and allowing some air to dry out the brush at the same time.
I do something similar, but slightly fancier, for travel. I take a paper towel tube, so I have a little more length to work with. Cut off a bit so the tube is about 2.5" longer than the brush. Fold in about an inch at one end to form a base that the brush can't fall through (doesn't need to be perfect or even close to it by any means). Then I drop in the brush and fold in an inch at the top. Makes a self-contained little travel tube that's closed enough at both ends to keep the brush in, but plenty of space among the folded ends to allow some airflow.
