old italian barber says only pig brushes

[Marco]

Boar brushes belong to the Italian Master Barbers' tradition since time immemorial. And there's no doubt that a quality boar does the job perfectly.

That being said I still prefer badgers, especially the great British brands.

 

[emwolf]

I was astonished he was using a shavette, not a straight.

 

[MrSmith83]

I was astonished he was using a shavette, not a straight.

You'll go a long way to find a barber using a straight in the 21st century. They're not a great product for home use imo, but some barbers are so skilled with them they get excellent results.

 

[naughtilus]

You sure you didn't get horse brushes instead lol?

I find boars comparable but no way any of my boars will ever be softer than my Silvertips.

My boars are like German shepard fur and my Silvertips like that of a samoyed.

Are you referring to the tips or the whole knot? Silvertip will be more plushy as a whole, but the tips on a well broken in boar are spectacular. Badger tips don't split, only way to come close is to have the tips bleached until they curl from damage to the protein. AKA gel tips.

 

[Bakker1964]

I was astonished he was using a shavette, not a straight.

Many jurisdictions now forbid the use of straight razors for sanitary reasons. Only shavettes are permitted. Frankly, I am surprised that more shops don't just use cartridge razors out of a sense of brevity. Most clients would not recognize a quality difference

 

[mata_66]

Italian barbers use boars brushes for two reasons. Tradition and cost.
Southern Europe including Turkey: boar
Northern Europe: black/pure badger
I believe "best", "finest", "super/silvertip" badgers were used, at least until a few decades ago, only in Great Britain.

Professionals see the brush as a utilitarian tool, we enthusiast like a collectible piece in our den, the nicer the better.
Professionals often "shave" (pun intended) costs wherever they can and they can buy a dozen of great Omega boars at under $5 per piece. Also, in Italy there's a strong rejection for anything made in China. Customers would never accept their barber to use a Chinese synthetic Vs. an Italian boar brush.

 

[naughtilus]

Customers would never accept their barber to use a Chinese synthetic Vs. an Italian boar brush.

Isn't boar bristle mostly imported from China too? The shavette from Pakistan? The blades from Russia/Turkey/India?

 

[TioFabi]

I love my Omega 10048, there always will be a boar brush in my collection

 

[mata_66]

Many jurisdictions now forbid the use of straight razors for sanitary reasons. Only shavettes are permitted. Frankly, I am surprised that more shops don't just use cartridge razors out of a sense of brevity. Most clients would not recognize a quality difference

Japanese barbers are one step ahead

 

[mata_66]

Isn't boar bristle mostly imported from China too? The shavette from Pakistan? The blades from Russia/Turkey/India?

Tell me about it...Italians have some perverted mentality

 

[SliceOfLife]

Italian barbers use boars brushes for two reasons. Tradition and cost.
Southern Europe including Turkey: boar

I'd add a third reason. Their usage. Were I a barber, I'd never use a badger, with the exception maybe of one of these modern two band brushes with loads of backbone and soft tips (this hair doesn't appear to have existed in the past, and I still suspect is created by some process which softens the tips of what would be very prickly hair otherwise chemically... and even if it did exist, without modern sorting would have been insanely expensive). Why? Well black badger is the only badger that I think would hold up to bowl lathering and whipping aggressively for dozens of customers a day for more than a few months. Badger hair is fine and soft, it just wont survive that abuse. It's prickly, at least until very worn, which would cost you customers. Boar hair, while I don't find it as durable as black badger, is more durable than a fine/soft badger, and much cheaper. It also quickly softens up (especially for a barber who's just applying lather from a bowl, not face lathering and as such doesn't need perfectly soft tips like a soft badger offers)... and even though it'll probably only last a year or two with a barber's level of usage... that's longer than a soft badger would, and at a fraction of the cost (as you mentioned)... and with the style of brushes they used (the bundle of hairs not cut to any special shape)... it'll be serviceable and appear in good shape for most of its life... whereas the Badger would quickly start looking quite ragged from breaks deforming the bulb shape even well before it was unusable.

 

[TioFabi]

Isn't boar bristle mostly imported from China too? The shavette from Pakistan? The blades from Russia/Turkey/India?

Hahaha, yes but i think that "Made in Italy" means "assembled in Italy" but the raw materials can come from all over the world

 

[Razorcan]

BBS only last's a few hours anyway. You are asking for irritation if you chase it daily.

Clayton

Sent from my LM-V350 using Tapatalk

I have been doing a daily BBS since 1980 and I never got even the slightest irritation,my skin at 55 is still smooth like a baby's.

It's a definite YMMV thing ,some skin types can take it,some don't.

If I don't do a BBS with my skin and stubble (typical south Mediterranean dark skin and beard) I look unshaved.

So BBS is the only way for me and my daily 5 minute,4 pass shaving ritual makes sure I get it.

 

[mawashi]

I have been doing a daily BBS since 1980 and I never got even the slightest irritation,my skin at 55 is still smooth like a baby's.

It's a definite YMMV thing ,some skin types can take it,some don't.

If I don't do a BBS with my skin and stubble (typical south Mediterranean dark skin and beard) I look unshaved.

So BBS is the only way for me and my daily 5 minute,4 pass shaving ritual makes sure I get it.

Same here every day is BBS for me. 5 mins including drying the razor, blades and packing up. Sometimes my shaves are done in 2 mins if just palm lather.

 

[Roy]

Are there any boar brushes equivalent to Simpson's Chubby 2 or 3 range as regards size ?

 

[mawashi]

Are there any boar brushes equivalent to Simpson's Chubby 2 or 3 range as regards size ?

A chubby 2 is 27/50mm a 3 is 30/52mm

The only brush that has a knot like that is the 011842 but the handle is much bigger
OMEGA 011842 Premium Pure Bristle Shaving Brush

Happy shaves,

Mawashi

 

[SliceOfLife]

The semogue 2000 is bigger on the face than a Chubby 2 certainly. Maybe bigger than a 3. The Omega 21762 is up there as well (but I thought it was a pretty garbage brush, to be honest... this isn't my post, but it might as well be... I literally had the EXACT same experience with this brush: Omega 21762 Italian Flag- anyone.). And then there's this:

Giant Omega “Barber Pole” shaving brush 1003 for display – Extra long bristles | eBay


Where you'll struggle is finding a boar as big as a chubby but with similar backbone. Something like what was posted above is probably your best bet.

 

[zoidberg]

I'd add a third reason. Their usage. Were I a barber, I'd never use a badger, with the exception maybe of one of these modern two band brushes with loads of backbone and soft tips (this hair doesn't appear to have existed in the past, and I still suspect is created by some process which softens the tips of what would be very prickly hair otherwise chemically... and even if it did exist, without modern sorting would have been insanely expensive). Why? Well black badger is the only badger that I think would hold up to bowl lathering and whipping aggressively for dozens of customers a day for more than a few months. Badger hair is fine and soft, it just wont survive that abuse. It's prickly, at least until very worn, which would cost you customers. Boar hair, while I don't find it as durable as black badger, is more durable than a fine/soft badger, and much cheaper. It also quickly softens up (especially for a barber who's just applying lather from a bowl, not face lathering and as such doesn't need perfectly soft tips like a soft badger offers)... and even though it'll probably only last a year or two with a barber's level of usage... that's longer than a soft badger would, and at a fraction of the cost (as you mentioned)... and with the style of brushes they used (the bundle of hairs not cut to any special shape)... it'll be serviceable and appear in good shape for most of its life... whereas the Badger would quickly start looking quite ragged from breaks deforming the bulb shape even well before it was unusable.

This post makes a lot of sense.

I had a few barber shaves in India, and speaking to my cousin who lives he said most barbers use boar brushes. The ones I came across in India face lathered creams, no bowl lathering.

I imagine boar brushes are popular there down to cost, how they perform is probably a bonus.

 

[RayClem]

Are there any boar brushes equivalent to Simpson's Chubby 2 or 3 range as regards size ?

I have an Omega 10098 Professional. It is a 27mm dia and 65 mm height. The diameter is similar to the Chubby 2. The Chubby 3 is larger in knot diameter, but the Omega has greater loft, so the face contact will be similar.

 

[Clay S]

I agree with him, but it depends on what you want in a brush. Some people will prefer boars, some badgers, some synthetics, some horse, and some will enjoy some or all of them.