Disregarding the handle material, how do the two brushes compare?
Badger & Blade Omega Boar vs Semogue Owner's Club Boar
- Thread starter coryforsenate
- Start date
I've had both and much preferred the knot in the Omega. I'm a face latherer and the SOC knot, as great as it is, was just to "wild" for me, getting lather in my ears and whatnot. The B&B Omega provided much better control and the tips were starting to split right out of the gate.
Psst. I hear there's a pink one being auctioned as well.
Psst. I hear there's a pink one being auctioned as well.
First off...I am a big Omega fan. I own more of their products (4 boars and 2 synthetics) than those by any other manufacturer in my quiver. That being said:
They both are decent brushes. The SOC has taken on somewhat of a "Legendary, Holy Grail, Excalibur, etc." reputation which I just don't see. It's a good brush but hardly the be all-end all which some seem to present it as. Far superior value is to be had with the B&B I think. The domestic purchase price of an SOC is nearly twice the price of that charged by overseas vendors. If you are not in a hurry, offshore is the way to go. $20+shipping for the B&B at WCS, but availability can be a tad limited. The shape and ergonomics on the SOC is for me a better fit than the B&B (I have large hands) but that isn't saying the B&B is not a proper handle...just that the SOC has more surface area to grab. The knots are a Ford/Chevy thing. I prefer a larger knot, hence the SOC wins. The Omega knot is much better out of the box and requires minimal break in. You'll work at it for a while with the Semogue. Truth be told, I think the 1305 is just as good a brush. For less that $50, why not just get both if it's in your budget?
They both are decent brushes. The SOC has taken on somewhat of a "Legendary, Holy Grail, Excalibur, etc." reputation which I just don't see. It's a good brush but hardly the be all-end all which some seem to present it as. Far superior value is to be had with the B&B I think. The domestic purchase price of an SOC is nearly twice the price of that charged by overseas vendors. If you are not in a hurry, offshore is the way to go. $20+shipping for the B&B at WCS, but availability can be a tad limited. The shape and ergonomics on the SOC is for me a better fit than the B&B (I have large hands) but that isn't saying the B&B is not a proper handle...just that the SOC has more surface area to grab. The knots are a Ford/Chevy thing. I prefer a larger knot, hence the SOC wins. The Omega knot is much better out of the box and requires minimal break in. You'll work at it for a while with the Semogue. Truth be told, I think the 1305 is just as good a brush. For less that $50, why not just get both if it's in your budget?
Last edited:
I have all 3 of those brushes. The B&B brush has a much smaller knot than the other two, but it gets the job done. Once it blooms, the SOC has the biggest and softest knot. The 1305 is in between, but close to the SOC. To tell you the truth, I like the 1305 best. Good backbone, yet soft tips. But they're all good brushes, and I use each of them more often than my badger brushes.
I'm with rockviper...I much prefer the B&B Essential, as a nearly exclusive face-latherer. To my face (and hands), the B&B has better backbone, more control, better flow through and a more ergonomic handle (I do not have large hands). The SOC does have softer tips (once broken in), IMO, and obviously has a significantly larger knot.
I think the deal-breaker with the SOC is the decay of backbone as you break it in. For me, it started out very solid, but around the ~30 shave mark it seemed to really soften up...almost to the point of being detrimental. The knot became a little "moppy" after I soaked it and it lacked the control/precision of lather application that the B&B really shines with.
I think the deal-breaker with the SOC is the decay of backbone as you break it in. For me, it started out very solid, but around the ~30 shave mark it seemed to really soften up...almost to the point of being detrimental. The knot became a little "moppy" after I soaked it and it lacked the control/precision of lather application that the B&B really shines with.
- Thread starter
- #6
Thank y'all for the replies. I've got a WCS cart full of stuff and will place an order when my willpower drops below the threshold. I've currently got a pure badger brush, but want to try a good boar (so much cheaper), a best, and eventually a silvertip.
The B&B is too floppy for me, so I prefer the SOC.
I own both. Face lathering - B&B. The knot diameter right for me @ 22mm (I'm a face lather guy). I find this handle shape the most comfortable for grip wise, I also prefer the plastic handle. Didn't splay very much once broken in. The SOC has a larger diameter and a high loft. The SOC bristles are softer at first comparatively to the B&B. The SOC I think is better suited to bowl lathering but I have been using mine exclusively for face lathering. Please see chart below listing the brush size dimensions and costs. Feel free to ask any questions!
The B&B dimensions seem to fit my needs best so far. My next boar brush purchase (besides the bambino for travel) will be a Semogue in the closet size to the B&B. Need to look at the models.....
| Mfn. | Model | Handle | Bristle | Diameter mm | Loft mm | Handle mm | Total mm | Cost |
| Omega | 10049 | Red Plastic | Boar | 25 | 63 | 63 | 126 | $ 9.00 |
| Omega | B&B Essential | Yellow Plastic | Boar | 22 | 54 | 51 | 105 | $ 20.00 |
| Semgue | Owners Club | Ash | Boar | 24 | 57 | 59 | 116 | $ 27.00 |
The B&B dimensions seem to fit my needs best so far. My next boar brush purchase (besides the bambino for travel) will be a Semogue in the closet size to the B&B. Need to look at the models.....
Last edited:
Got my SOC from vintagescent for $27 and B&B for $20+ shipping so fairly similar for price. I find the SOC to be very powerful which is bad for control as mentioned above, but man does it power through soaps in such a good way. I had the B&B originally and thought it couldnt get much better, then with the arrival of the SOC, I am smitten. Seriously though, couldnt go wrong with either and if it is WCS, I would go with the B&B which is the better value on that site.
Max
Max
Similar threads
