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- #41
It's breaking in very nice!!
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First boar brush recommendation?
- Thread starter mousecop
- Start date
Having read quite a bit about Omega boars I decided to get 2 of them the 10049 and 10104.
I only bowl lather so I'm hoping I made the right choice.
I don't know enough about the right height knot ratio of Omega boars but the 98 n 48 seem too big n might be too mop like, the better wood handle brushes only have smaller knots 24mm. The chrome/plastic brushes don't impress me as I rather have real wood or metal handles.
The 011842 is certainly interesting but at £25 I could easily get 3 cheaper brushes and transplant the knot if I really like it.
Cheers,
Mawashi
I only bowl lather so I'm hoping I made the right choice.
I don't know enough about the right height knot ratio of Omega boars but the 98 n 48 seem too big n might be too mop like, the better wood handle brushes only have smaller knots 24mm. The chrome/plastic brushes don't impress me as I rather have real wood or metal handles.
The 011842 is certainly interesting but at £25 I could easily get 3 cheaper brushes and transplant the knot if I really like it.
Cheers,
Mawashi
Good choices. I prefer the 24x55mm knots (but i face lather), but the 10049 is an especially tested brush and produces lather very easily in a bowl. Big Omegas work very easily in a bowl. You won't be disappointed. Just remember to soak them before use (but not above the knot ring).
Hi boar fighter,
Looks like I'll need a stand too as I just leave my brush sitting on its bottom after the shave.
I know the 49 and 48 gets lots of love but less so some of the smaller brushes which is why I didn't get the 11126 or the other 1000 series.
Perhaps I should have gotten a 49 n a 11126 instead.
I'm wondering if the premium boar bristles are that much better? Perhaps I'll consider these brushes in my next order a semogue 2000, a proraso, the 011842 and the 11126
Cheers,
Mawashi
Great looking brush. Looks massive. How big is it?
I’ve not heard of this company(Zenith )before. The bristles look similar to Omega boars. Same company?
I’ve not heard of this company(Zenith )before. The bristles look similar to Omega boars. Same company?
I think most people start wetshaving bowl lathering and also think "bigger is better" or "i get more for my money", so they opt for the big Omegas. Another reason is "the barber uses it, so it must be the best". So i started with big Omega too and bowl lathering. However, once you pass to face lathering, they become too clumsy IMHO. At any rate, it becomes a matter of preference.
Omega has 2 brush stands that i know of.
This one, which i have and it can host any Omega brush between 22mm and 27mm
And this one, which is described as being suitable for 27mm knots too.
The Omega premium bristle, is a bit softer. It flexes more (less backbone). Whether this is desirable or knot, depends on the knot characteristics and personal taste. I have one banded boar with premium bristles. The problem is, the loft is IMHO too tall so it gives you a floppyish impression. On a shorter loft, it would have been better. Overall, i prefer the 24mm banded Omegas. The bristle is supposed to be a bit more soft than the more mundane "greyish" bristle of the more ordinary models and it doesn't stink for weeks. I have a greyish Omega, that i have washed, lathered, put away for months, took again out for putting it in the rotation and it still stinks... The 24mm banded Omegas, after 2 lathers don't smell anything.
Hi Boar Fighter,
Many thanks for your detailed info.
So in your opinion the 1000 series might be a great series of brushes. For the semogue 2000 would trimming the loft to 55mm be a good idea?
Cheers n many thx,
Mawashi
Of the three options you list, I would go with the SOC (another vote for that great brush)!
I agree with the above fine gentlemen. The SOC with cherry handle works wonderfully for me, and has received a heck of a lot of use. I have never found it floppy - for me it hits the sweet spot between backbone and softness/splay.
Something like the 11126 will be better for facelathering and with a bit of luck, the bristles will be a biiiit softer than the 49. But it's not guaranteed, as Omega doesn't keep constant quality of bristle. But on paper it should be a liiiitle softer. In bowl lathering, the 49 is going to work more quickly than the 11126.
I don't have the Semogue 2000. Going by the specs alone, it's 25x62mm with premium bristles. That's a bowl lathering brush for sure. Just by guessing, i would suspect that it will be somewhat floppy, because the Semogue premium bristle is a very soft one (as soft as i 've ever seen in a boar) and the loft at 62mm must make it very soft. Trimming the loft is never a good idea, because once you trim the tips, the bristles can't split anymore and you will be stuck with a scratchy brush.
At the end, it all depends on what you want from a brush. Big, long lofted brushes, are more suitable for bowl lathering. Trimming boars is always a recipe for scratchy results.
- Thread starter
- #50
No, different companies also made in Italy. Bought it from a well known US eBay seller who carries these brushes. It's a 28mm boar with a loft of 57mm. Free loft is about 52ish. It is dense, has great backbone but splays easily enough. It has really soft tips already, most of the hairs have split twice already and I know it's only going to get softer. ALMOST no scritch. It's my first boar, coming from synthetics,and I really really like it so far!
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Thx so much Boar Fighter,
I'll try out the 49 n 10104 that's on their way but which semogue or Omega would you recommend for me next that is more versatile?
Cheers,
Mawashi
Semogue 1800. My first and only boar. My favorite brush.
Sounds good. Looks like you’ve picked a winner. Enjoy your shaves.
I missed finding out about Zenith shucks, the fact it's aluminium and not chrome over plastic is great.
I'll put them on my list for my next purchases.
Cheers
I am not a great believer in "versatility" when it comes to brushes, but logically thinking, those of medium size. In Omega, the medium size are those that are 24x55mm (like the 80266, 10666, 11126, etc). In Semogue...the knots of the 1xxx models are fairly small, so i guess the SOC... I don't have the SOC, but just guessing based on knot size. For instance, bowl lathering with a 1250 or a 1800, is of course feasible, but the knots compared to something like the 10049, are tiny. In a bowl, the 49 will whip up a ton of lather much faster.
+1. I have been using the same 10049 daily for 9 years. Nothing beats it - not even Williams.
The big omega knots are beasts in bowl lathering. One of the reasons that i stopped bowl lathering, was that my hand was getting tired, trying to whip up the "perfect lather". I imagine elderly barbers would also not enjoy having to whip up lather with tiny brushes, for multiple clients. So a gigantic brush, spares them the arthritis pain and spares them the time too. And that's where the big Omegas excel for good reason.
If it can be lathered, a big boar will lather it. I use Williams a couple of times each month, as a point of reverence I expect, and have no difficulty making a proper lather of it. This morning I gave a synthetic brush a shot at it and it was a very dismal failure. No matter how long or how hard I worked, brush was simply unable to produce a sustainable lather.
No doubt about that! I don't think it's a coincidence that Proraso chose a big Omega with shorter loft (attempt to make it more friendly for home user) as its standard brush, which by all effects, it's the entry brush in wetshaving in Italy nowdays. It's because almost every new shaver and i see this often in Amazon reviews where youngsters post opinions, starts with bowl lathering and Proraso soap. So Proraso thought wisely, to procure the young wetshaver with a big brush, that would work well in a bowl, while keeping a bit shorter loft compared to the classic 48 barber brush. The Proraso brush is the most common and often only brush, that you can find in supermarkets or small stores that sell wetshaving products.
About the synthetic, i don't know which one you have, but have you tried with soaking it first, then fling it to remove most water and add water slowly later? I have tremendous success with synthetics (except for the s-brush).
It’s a Razorock and then there is another quality - don’t remember the brand. They work fine with easily lathered soaps but I still don’t care for the feel. Don’t like badger either. Bottom line is that if it won’t quickly lather Williams, it ain’t worth having; if it lathers Williams well, it will lather anything. I’ve used the same 10049 daily for nearly ten years with a couple of short adulterous flings but always returned to my first love - a big ole boar. I use basically four soaps, Haslinger Schafmilch, MWF, Tabac and, on occasion, Williams Mug Soap.
