I have enjoyed all the different types of brushes I have used, though some more than others. I have a question though, for those of you that prefer boar over badger, does it make you sad that the Muhle and H.I.S. brushes try to mimic badger hair rather than boar hair, could this be suggesting that they think badger is better than boar?...Sorry if this topic was brought up already.
Badger is better than boar
- Thread starter Blondie
- Start date
Badger is just more accepted than boar. One of the most celebrated boar brushes even tries to mimic badger in looks (and performance to some extent). Notice this Semogue 1305 dyed to look like it is three band even though there is no such thing as a three band boar.
Notice no source of three band below
Nice examples!
P.S. LOL big time
P.S. LOL big time
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I love the feel of different brushes and I face lather with 12 different brushes, Badger, boar, synthetic, and horse. None of those brushes makes diddly-squat difference in the quality of my shaves.
Gus/BOTOC/Arkolyte.
when i first started wetshaving, my 'mentor' at the time (using the term loosely, mind you - thoguh I'm grateful he got me away from gel and cartridge shaving) told me repeatedly to avoid boar and stick to badger, preferably the higher quality. Now I realize he was just passing on his personal preference/prejudice.
So, I'm happy to say I've got my first boar brush en route - a Semogogue SOC (it was between that and an 1800, and I liked the color of the SOC handle, if I like the Boar I'll get another - either a 1800 or 1305)
also have a Simpson Rover 2b coming - to add to my handful of badgers
but I also want to try horse - not for any ethical reasons so much as to try it... and synthetics too
(telling self, in time in time.. there is no rush, grasshopper)
So, I'm happy to say I've got my first boar brush en route - a Semogogue SOC (it was between that and an 1800, and I liked the color of the SOC handle, if I like the Boar I'll get another - either a 1800 or 1305)
also have a Simpson Rover 2b coming - to add to my handful of badgers
but I also want to try horse - not for any ethical reasons so much as to try it... and synthetics too
(telling self, in time in time.. there is no rush, grasshopper)
I love my Semogue 830 and use it exclusively. It is great with hard soaps. It is great with creams also. It is surprisingly soft, but has great backbone and is nicely packed with quality boar hair. It has not shed a single hair yet.
I used to use a Simpsons Duke 3, which wasn't a cheap brush by any means. Just for kicks, and because I was new to using a DE and brush I also checked out some Semogue boar brushes. After breaking in the Semogues I was getting equally good lathers, (currently rotate between a 1305 and an 830) with the boars, which together cost less than half of what the Duke 3 cost, so I sold the Duke. Plus, the boars are not lather hogs like the Duke was. I do have a cheap Tweezerman badger brush that I keep as a backup, and although it's a great brush, it's noticeably scratchy compared to both of my badgers, which are not itchy/scratchy at all to me.
I have three boar brushes that cost around $12 each (Omegas). I have two badger brushes that cost around $35 each. By far the boars are the best performers and the most comfortable. You'd have to pay close to $100 to get a badger that matches a $12 boar.
no.
Most $35 badgers are of poor quality. However, for $50 you can easily get many excellent badgers if you dont mind getting a TGN knot and handle and setting it yourself. Again please use your boars if your happy, just dont think that the badgers you tried are representative of the best badger brushes have to offer.
That said, I'm falling in love with a $20 synthetic monster....
No to trolls? Badger? Boars? Elitists? Snobs?
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i have not used a boar brush i have liked.
i have not used a badger brush that i did not like. IMO, badger beats boar hands down.
i have not used a badger brush that i did not like. IMO, badger beats boar hands down.
- Thread starter
- #232
I know I said I was not going to post in this thread any more, but I thought I should let every one know that I switched soaps to L'Occitane Cade and got three passes out of the Semogue 620. The third pass was usable, but still a touch thin. But I did get three. Maybe I should have had a qualifier in this thread that you can only load once. At any rate, I have seen a few more threads in which owners of boar brushes are FINALLY admitting that they have to go back to the puck in order to get the best shave with the number of passes they want with a boar.
That's odd. I get all the lather I can use with one loading out of my SOC, my 830, my 1305 and my Omega Scarlatti. My 620 isn't quite broken in yet but it's getting close. I do three full passes and always end up rinsing a bunch of lather down the sink with all but the not fully broken in 620.
I think this is a good point. You can get a very high quality knot from TGN for $20-30 and either set a knot yourself in one of their handles or contact a brush maker and have them put together an awesome custom brush for a very reasonable price.
On the other hand, you can still get a really nice boar brush for half the price, so that is a big advantage for boar. But if you are willing to invest $50-75 in a good badger brush, I think you would be very happy with your investment.
I use both badger and boar brushes. I have a very high quality Thater 49125, a custom brush with a TGN Finest 2-band and a Semogue 620. All have their own unique qualities and I love all of them. I would have a hard time picking if I had to choose only one brush. Luckily I don't have to, that is why I just ordered a new Simpson Duke
Therein lies the rub.
Simpson has some good <$100 badgers, even a couple around $50. Rooney does too (though I prefer simpson). You can probably pick up a cheapish M&F for around $100. But outside of that really small group of exceptions, you're looking at the best recommendation for badgers in a price even close to competitive with boar brushes being "make your own". Not a real exciting prospect for someone trying something for the first time and wanting a recommendation.
On the other hand, while I find boars on the whole inferior (once you filter out the crappy brushes in both camps)... being able to say "Get a Semogue boar" and know they're getting a brush that while not the best in my eyes, is definitely not bad, is an easy thing to do. Especially when you look at brushes like the 1470 and realize, the damn thing is $10-15. I've paid more than that for a lunch at Quizno's (Until Subways $5 campaign forced them to lower their prices, Quizno's was STUPIDLY overpriced around here. A VEGETABLE 10" with a 1oz bag of chips and small drink was almost $13 like six years ago. And I'm NOT in a big city. Eating out here is usually relatively cheap. I could get a nice sit down lunch with a beer for around $13 before tip. But I digress.)
That said... bowl lather being closer (but still a win for badgers), there is a STARK difference in lather quality for me when I face lather with a badger versus a boar. Trouble is, I suspect 99% of users use badgers that are inferior to even affordable (1470) boars, and are content with them and with their lather. It's hard to tell someone that Brush Y makes better lather than Brush X when they aren't even achieving the performance brush X is capable of. Case in point. I remember someone making a thread awhile back about how great Dove (or Ivory or something) was for lathering. They had some pictures of a large amount of the worst lather you can imagine... and several people ooo'ed and ahhh'ed and "I'm going to the store right now'ed!" I guess it's the price you pay for not having people typically know what real lather is because very few get the chance to have a professional wet-shave these days (and worse still, many people providing them know less about the service they provide than their customers do)
Simpson has some good <$100 badgers, even a couple around $50. Rooney does too (though I prefer simpson). You can probably pick up a cheapish M&F for around $100. But outside of that really small group of exceptions, you're looking at the best recommendation for badgers in a price even close to competitive with boar brushes being "make your own". Not a real exciting prospect for someone trying something for the first time and wanting a recommendation.
On the other hand, while I find boars on the whole inferior (once you filter out the crappy brushes in both camps)... being able to say "Get a Semogue boar" and know they're getting a brush that while not the best in my eyes, is definitely not bad, is an easy thing to do. Especially when you look at brushes like the 1470 and realize, the damn thing is $10-15. I've paid more than that for a lunch at Quizno's (Until Subways $5 campaign forced them to lower their prices, Quizno's was STUPIDLY overpriced around here. A VEGETABLE 10" with a 1oz bag of chips and small drink was almost $13 like six years ago. And I'm NOT in a big city. Eating out here is usually relatively cheap. I could get a nice sit down lunch with a beer for around $13 before tip. But I digress.)
That said... bowl lather being closer (but still a win for badgers), there is a STARK difference in lather quality for me when I face lather with a badger versus a boar. Trouble is, I suspect 99% of users use badgers that are inferior to even affordable (1470) boars, and are content with them and with their lather. It's hard to tell someone that Brush Y makes better lather than Brush X when they aren't even achieving the performance brush X is capable of. Case in point. I remember someone making a thread awhile back about how great Dove (or Ivory or something) was for lathering. They had some pictures of a large amount of the worst lather you can imagine... and several people ooo'ed and ahhh'ed and "I'm going to the store right now'ed!" I guess it's the price you pay for not having people typically know what real lather is because very few get the chance to have a professional wet-shave these days (and worse still, many people providing them know less about the service they provide than their customers do)
- Thread starter
- #236
Quiznos are proud of their sandwiches! I'm doing the Which Wich now.
This thread has been comical. Some people are soo opinionated it's hilarious. Others will just beat a dead horse to get their own point across. Either way, I figure I've used up at least 36 min of my precious life reading this thread and I thank you all for that.
Blondie - those saw's are pretty awesome.
Blondie - those saw's are pretty awesome.
Are you face lathering? I face lather with an Omega boar 10290 and get an easy 4 passes with Arko and other hard soaps.
I have to try another badger, my experience with the tweeserman has been terrible. I don't like the feeling of it on my face at all. So i would say that for me boar has been better. Not like the boar brush I have is that great either. But it feels better on my face and performs better than the tweeserman as well.
- Thread starter
- #240
Sorry for the delayed response, have not been on in a while. Yes, I am face lathering. I can get four passes with my omega professional, the one with the really big loft. I think that is why I believe the number of passes a boar can give when face lathering is much more related to loft than it is with a badger. My Semogue 620 has a loft similar to my badgers, but I have yet to get a four pass shave with it without going back to the puck.
