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- #21
I should have mine by Saturday. I'm psyched. Can't wait.
H.L. Thater Premium Boar Brushes
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It’s decent out of the box, but it will take a few weeks of breaking in. I love that about boars, I like how they slowly evolve into better brushes over time. Some people get impatient with the process. If you are patient you will be rewarded.
By the way, I also got the black beehive. The quality is typical of Thater, excellent. I have a SOC boar, and this brush is easily worth the$30 premium over a SOC.
I have fewer than 10 shaves on mine. It has a lot of volume, kind of like Thäter's 2-band badgers. It's breaking in quickly, but still has some stubborn skritch that had better go away soon. When the skritch vanishes this will be a good one because otherwise it's becoming very soft and luxurious.
I have a well broken in SOC that is much softer but lacks the volume of the Thäter. I feel like the latter has more potential.
I have an Omega Italian Flag with a larger knot and finer, whiter hair. It's softer than either of them but it's just a completely different brush. A good Thäter could replace an SOC, but not an Italian Flag. You'd have to buy both.
I have a well broken in SOC that is much softer but lacks the volume of the Thäter. I feel like the latter has more potential.
I have an Omega Italian Flag with a larger knot and finer, whiter hair. It's softer than either of them but it's just a completely different brush. A good Thäter could replace an SOC, but not an Italian Flag. You'd have to buy both.
The bristle in the Thäter seems similar to that in the SOC, although it does seem to be breaking in faster. I think the difference may be in the knot construction. The knot is 26 mm vs the 24 mm of the SOC, and the Thäter has more of a hybrid bulb shape versus the pure fan shape and shorter loft of the SOC. The Thäter has a lot of volume without being floppy.
My brush is really too new to give it an honest review. So far though, I like it.
People don’t hesitate dropping $100 for an average badger brush. I don’t see how a premium boar at $80 is out of line.
Proof is in the pudding though.
Or beehive as it may be.
Proof is in the pudding though.
Or beehive as it may be.
your point is taken but you have to take into account decades of market perception. I would compare it to McDonald's suddenly asking people to pay $20 for a burger. I also have seen zero marketing material to sell people on the price bump other than the thater brand name. But hey that seems to be enough for some.
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- #30
This bristle is hand sorted and the knots are hand tied. The cost of bulk badger hair from China is not significantly more expensive than premium boar bristle. The labor costs are the same. So this is not a lot of money for a premium boar brush. Worth every penny.
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- #31
Anyone that feels the Thater is too rich for their blood you might want to consider the B&B essential boar brush. The 10th anniversary brush. It is made with premium blonde boar hair. A soft but very dense knot. It's only $40.00 at West Coast Shaving. A very nice looking brush also.
hand sorted and tied doesn't mean anything in the shaving market but I agree with the rest of your comment. I'm just pointing out that thater is trying to do something new in the market and from a sales standpoint you need educate people as why it is a worth while proposition. On the flip side, you can argue the move just shows how overpriced badger is.
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- #33
I understand the point you are making but also hand sorted and hand tied adds greatly to the price.
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- #34
To you guys that have this brush, how long do you load the soap for? For example, 15 seconds, 20, 30.?
everything is hand sorted an tied. It's made in germany that adds to the price but that might be your point. Which brings me back to my original question. What is different about this knot other than density and made in germany.
I am thinking about the Italian flag is it really that good and worthwhile to have
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- #37
Not all brushes are hand sorted and hand tied. Some are done by machines.
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- #38
I am not familiar with the Italian flag brush. Who makes it?
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- #40
It sounds like the Omega Italian flag brush is quite the brush also for half the price. Starting to temp me.
