Did you use cold water OR room temp water to break in a boar brush ?

Discussion in 'General Shaving Talk' started by Shoebooty, Jul 28, 2019.

  1. Shoebooty

    Shoebooty Member

    I was just curious as to seeing video on breaking in a boar by soaking the brush in cold water in the refrigerator for a few days. how does the cold water break in the hair any different then if you left it in room temperature water. I would think that the warm or room temp water would let the brush absorb the water in to the hair to split the hairs better & break in better then cold would, especially if the brush was left in the room temp water for a day or 2,,,,, like they say to leave in the fridge for that length of time.

    SO has any one tried to break in their boar brush with ROOM TEMP WATER and left it on the counter instead of in the fridge for a few days before ????
     
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  2. stingraysrock

    stingraysrock PIF'd away his custom title

    No help to you here, I just use them out of the box.

    I have seen others post about the cold water soak, and the shampoo and conditioner route.
     
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  3. brit

    brit in a box

    shampoo and american crew conditioner soak first time out..less of a lather hog..but thats it..great results..
     
  4. RyX

    RyX DoH!

    Same, here. I like the scritchy scrubby feel of a new Omega. As a Newbie I read about and tried a diluted vinegar rinse. I didn't like how soft it made my fairly new boar brushes feel.
     
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  5. Shoebooty

    Shoebooty Member

    OK Thank you for all the replies back !
     
  6. BlueShaver

    BlueShaver Premature Latheration Sufferer

    Probably:

    1. Man on youtube (Italian Barber bloke) says "soak brush in water for 3 days" probably meaning to just dunk it in tap water and bugger off for a while.
    2. Man on forum reads this and posts a FYI
    3. During the ensuing discussion, forummer A asks if this method better with hot water or cold.
    4. Forummer B replies "I just used Cold ..."
    5. Forummer C comments that hot water soaking would be both a ridiculous effort and damaging to the brush.
    6. Forummer Z comments that following on from forummer C, Cold water does work.
    7. Forummer AZ2 reads Forummer Z's comments and an announces on Forum B that cold water is the key.
    8. Forummer Bx7 misreads forummer AZ2' comment as "cold water is best"
    9. Forummer DG9 reads forummers BX7 comment as "the colder the better" and stuffs his brush in the fridge.
    10. Forummer DG9 spreads the word that refrigeration of brush will speed up break in.
    11. Forum voodoo ensues.
    12. ??????
    13. Brush Armageddon.
     
  7. david of central florida

    david of central florida Rhubarb Rubber

    I just used mine. I would make lathers with it, while i used other brushes on my face. I would do this daily til the stink was gone.
    i think whipped dog sends oxiclean packets with theirs.
     
  8. Joewa

    Joewa Well-Known Member

    Everyone declares boars are too much effort and uses synthetics or badgers .
     
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  9. John Beeman

    John Beeman Little chicken in hot water

    Love a new boar.
     
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  10. jimjo1031

    jimjo1031 never bloomed myself

    I've never soaked mine, just use it as it is. I do cold water shaves and boars are my favorites.
     
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  11. RyX

    RyX DoH!

    Exceptions to the rule. I've currently got 15 brushes. Even split between boar, badger, & synth. Badgers about last choice and usually with very soft soaps or creams. Admittedly they aren't top of the line badgers but they're just floppy. Synthetics are soft as badgers but sort of have the backbone to load easily. Plenty substance that don't just paint on lather but soft so I can't feel them. Boars impress me the most, load hard soaps which are generally my choice, and give that exfoliating scrub I expect from a brush.
    I do give other than synth a short bit of a soak prior to loading. Nearly always in cool tap water & make lather with the same. It's contributed to my reduction in irritation.
     
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  12. BigD

    BigD Well-Known Member

    I experimented with soaking a new brush in water for three days. I didn't use a fridge or anything, just room temperature bottled water. It does help get the brush to become a bit more usable faster. I wouldn't say it was dramatic, but it helped.
     

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