First use with Omega Pro 48

[Timeclo]

Omega Pro 48 is one of the first boar brushes that I bought; unfortunately, it was left in the storage and I forgot about it for months. Once I found that brush, I was not impressed with the chrome plating. The handle was immediately covered with fingerprints and smudge and it would be a high maintenance brush in terms of the looks. So I sold it.

Months later, I see pictures of Zenith boar brushes with patina on the handle. Those have a unique beauty of their own. I realized that chrome handles doesn't have to stay squeaky clean everyday. So I went and bought another one.

Here is the Pro Omega 48.

A nice looking brush.

Since I already have an Omega 10098, which is a close cousin of the pro, I thought it would function similarly. So I went ahead and bowl / hand lathered it with couple of different soaps. First with Lather Bros Miami Mojito and then with Derby stick.

This brush lathers wonderfully. I got heaps of lather stacked on the bowl and on my hand. Starting it damp definitely helped loosen up the brush/soap. However, I can see the brush being a lather hog. If I don't load enough soap, the bristles will eat up every bit of the soap.

As for the feel of the brush, it feels a bit rough. It's a fresh boar so I understand but my Omega 10098 felt pretty soft from the beginning. It seems like I have to break in this Pro a bit more than the usual. Regardless, I'm excited to use this for my shave tomorrow. I'll have to go easy on the lathering as it can scratch up my face but with the longer loft, I think it'll do its job well. And here's a lather shot for the enthusiasts!

 

[Your Majesty]

Does it feel big and floppy on the face like a mop? I've always been curious about those bigger omega brushes. The small omega boars I have feel just nice.

 

[Tony1961]

It's a great brush to use with soaps especially triple milled soaps. I have a 48 in my collection and i specifically use it when i have a 3 to 5 days growth because this brush really gets in between the hairs and it gives a great massage whilst lathering...i's one of my favorite all time brushes

 

[sugardaddy]

Does it feel big and floppy on the face like a mop? I've always been curious about those bigger omega brushes. The small omega boars I have feel just nice.

Mine is floppy. Lots of lag when moving it around.

Doesn't load well in some soap containers due to the long bristles. Sometimes tips just stay in center.

Shelved it after a few uses.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk

 

[BigJ]

Excellent review!! Thanks!

 

[beer nuts]

I have the same brush, great once broken in. My question ... does the crome wear off the plastic?

 

[rreynoso]

I bought mine mainly for the price and because it is a classic model. Nowadays I use it mainly for bowl lathering on my biggest bowl to make tons and tons of lather. For face lathering it isn´t my first choice, I have some Semogues that work fantastic for that, but I find that using the method of shortening the knot grabbing it directly makes it a good face latherer. Sure you get lathered fingers but it isn´t part of the fun?

 

[Bhugo]

Great review!

I love the 48. It is a big brush. For those who want it to be stiffer, adjust your fingers down to the base of the hairs and pinch them. You can make it super scrubby if you wish. The only thing mine doesn’t like is a small soap container or mug when loading. It never breaks in like a Semogue brush. It stays stiffer.

 

[TioFabi]

Does it feel big and floppy on the face like a mop? I've always been curious about those bigger omega brushes. The small omega boars I have feel just nice.

Mine feels like a floppy paintbrush

 

[Timeclo]

Does it feel big and floppy on the face like a mop? I've always been curious about those bigger omega brushes. The small omega boars I have feel just nice.

It doesn't feel floppy but rather big and controlled. I'm sure when this brush breaks in, it'll get more floppy. However, the initial feel of this brush is large controlled splay with bits of prickly sensation.

 

[Timeclo]

It's a great brush to use with soaps especially triple milled soaps. I have a 48 in my collection and i specifically use it when i have a 3 to 5 days growth because this brush really gets in between the hairs and it gives a great massage whilst lathering...i's one of my favorite all time brushes

It gave me a great massage today. I used a Derby shave stick with it and it exploded into lather. The handle is a bit awkward at first but gripping it with my fist did the trick.

 

[Timeclo]

Mine is floppy. Lots of lag when moving it around.

Doesn't load well in some soap containers due to the long bristles. Sometimes tips just stay in center.

Shelved it after a few uses.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk

Omegas tend to maintain the shape and they feel controlled rather than floppy. Zenith on the other hand have very little backbone and lean towards floppy. Semogues are in the middle between control and floppy for me.

 

[Timeclo]

I have the same brush, great once broken in. My question ... does the crome wear off the plastic?

I think with enough use, the chrome will wear off but it's also the owner's discretion as well. If you take a good care of the brush, it'll last a lot longer than when you throw it around everywhere.

 

[Timeclo]

I bought mine mainly for the price and because it is a classic model. Nowadays I use it mainly for bowl lathering on my biggest bowl to make tons and tons of lather. For face lathering it isn´t my first choice, I have some Semogues that work fantastic for that, but I find that using the method of shortening the knot grabbing it directly makes it a good face latherer. Sure you get lathered fingers but it isn´t part of the fun?

It's definitely more of a bowl lather brush than face lather. But I only face lather so I use it for that purpose. It felt pretty good today but I think as it breaks in and gets softer, it'll be more of a pleasure to use.

 

[Your Majesty]

Mine feels like a floppy paintbrush

It doesn't feel floppy but rather big and controlled. I'm sure when this brush breaks in, it'll get more floppy. However, the initial feel of this brush is large controlled splay with bits of prickly sensation.

The size is the reason I've not gotten one so far. But if I do it's going to be the proraso or 10104 since these two seem to have more reasonable loft height. The 48 looks insanely large.

 

[nemo]

The size is the reason I've not gotten one so far. But if I do it's going to be the proraso or 10104 since these two seem to have more reasonable loft height. The 48 looks insanely large.

It's is huge, but some guys like that. I had one and ended up piffing it as it was too big and floppy for me, I want a smaller brush with more precision.

I see those barber videos where the guy is all choked up on the knot and I can understand why!

 

[mawashi]

The size is the reason I've not gotten one so far. But if I do it's going to be the proraso or 10104 since these two seem to have more reasonable loft height. The 48 looks insanely large.

I have a 10104 I could let you try just pm me your address.

 

[Timeclo]

Something that I'm noticing about the Omega Pro 48 is that the bristles seem untreated. They are a lot darker than Semogue's and Zenith's. I think the Semogue/Zeniths are treated and maybe bleached? to take away the pig smell and start off a bit softer than Omegas. The Smell on this Pro 48 is still present after multiple lathering and shaving with it. That's what you get for an untreated/lightly treated boar but it also feels natural that way.

 

[Your Majesty]

I have a 10104 I could let you try just pm me your address.

Hey, thanks for the offer. But I think I might pick one up myself in the near future.

 

[mawashi]

Hey, thanks for the offer. But I think I might pick one up myself in the near future.

Meaning u can have it since its just collecting dust lol.

You helped me save some $ n time from getting a 10051 from the UK.