What's new

Better boar brushes?

I've never been a boar fan myself, having tried a few Omegas and whatnot. Recently I've tried a Zenith boar and my opinion changed - it's no badger ofcourse but it for me it feels more luxurious than boar I've ever tried.
Also, there are also bleached "gelly" boars now of which I've tried one offered by Heritage brushes. I still prefer my Zenith but those gelly boar knots are something else.
 
Perhaps not in the way you mean but there are premium boars.

Handles don't count here in boar world particularly not as much as the knots.

I'll tell you about a few boars I think are better than many. This is not meant to be comprehensive.


Connaught's Jade Omega ➡
is perhaps the best boar.

Large knot. Lowish loft. Very stiff. Soft and scrubby when finally broken in.

Great handle.

Currently sold without the medallion.​

View attachment 1182289
View attachment 1182291
⬅ These Mondial boars have excellent knots. Very minimal break in required. Lovely soft scrub.

The white plastic handle is surprisingly good quality for plastic.​
All my Zenith boars are very very good. I prefer lofts of 57 mm or lower in Zenith boars, but in unbleached boars ➡
I don't think higher lofts detract.

Everyone should break in an unbleached Zenith boar.

YourShaving has 'em. Their cheap plastic handled unbleached brush has a good knot and okay handle.​

View attachment 1182292
View attachment 1182294
Semogue boars aren't my favorites. The SOC is okay.

The butterscotch Mistura, a badger/boar mix, is a great knot.

The SOC handle is great.​



Boars are available in a range of handles from very cheap on up, but the top of the handle range is lower than the handle range for badgers in my experience.



View attachment 1182310
Italian Flag
Proraso Pro​


Omega's Italian Flag has a cool handle, but a less useful and more floppy knot than many boars. I will only keep boars with backbone and scrub. In those departments I find the Italian Flag barely marginal, but I like backbone and scrub. All I'm saying here is do your homework. Not all boars are the same. There are bad boars. High price doesn't mean high quality. There is subjectivity. Knots can vary from batch to batch.

Prices are all over the place. For instance the Proraso Pro (made by Omega) has a very good knot with a good but cheap handle; shop around for price on it as price varies enormously on the PP. The very inexpensive cheap plastic handled unbleached Zenith mentioned earlier is an excellent brush.



Even though the Jade knot is large in diameter the brush is overall not very large, but large and small in brushes is subjective.

Almost everyone would agree the Omega Mighty Midget is a very small boar. Also that it is a very good little brush. It takes a while to break in.

Homework is helpful, but most boars by the companies I've mentioned will be at least okay.​
View attachment 1182313


Bleached Zeniths and my Mondials need no break in time if that matters. Other boars, like the Jade, the PP, and the unbleached Zeniths take a very long time to break in (but are worth it).

In my experience few boar knots are beautifully formed, but the lopsided knot (not shown in the photo) in the wooden handled unbleached Zenith is uniquely ugly. Still, it's a very great performing brush.

Happy shaves,

Jim

GREAT WRITE UP! :a29:

This should be added to the WiKi IMO.
 
I've never been a boar fan myself, having tried a few Omegas and whatnot. Recently I've tried a Zenith boar and my opinion changed - it's no badger ofcourse but it for me it feels more luxurious than boar I've ever tried.
Also, there are also bleached "gelly" boars now of which I've tried one offered by Heritage brushes. I still prefer my Zenith but those gelly boar knots are something else.
Which Zenith? I've got my eye on a B17 S&S
 
I have the 502 resin handle with a 27 mm knot. Not sure if it's the same as the S&S. By the looks of it, I'd say mine has a higher loft than the S&S.
I believe the b17 is a 24/48mm. I like 21mm brushes but since Zeniths tend to not bloom excessively I think I'll get away with it
 
Yeah, well, most people would consider a boar to be a budget brush, not a luxurious brush. In terms of softness, theres no comparison between a silvertip badger and a boar.
Thats not to say that boars are bad, far from it actually. I actually own several boars and theyre wonderful brushes. Theyre just a bit harsher and less luxirous feeling than my Omega Silvertip is and thats OK. Softness isnt everything but in terms of luxury, theres a reason why you wont find many boar brushes that are over $100 but can easily spend $300 on a high quality silvertip badger.

Sir, I don't find my $300 Simpsons Manchurian softer than my $5 Omega. It's a different feeling and experience, but much more because of the density and type of hair than pure softness.

If your boar brushes are harsh, I may suggest you make sure they are fully broken in and let them soak a little longer prior to shaving. Or if you ever have the chance visit an Italian or Turkish barber and check if their brushes feel harsh.

Regarding prices, the world kills much more pigs for food production than badgers (which is basically only available from China). It's a matter of supply and demand to a much greater extent than softness on the faces of wet shavers.
 
Zenith Short and Scrubby is my go to Boar
Have not tried the Connaught Jade, but I hear it's good and it'd likely be my next boar if I ever buy another.

Other than those, Most of Semogue's line are excellent, it's just about finding your preference...
My favorite was the BC LE Boar (~$35 iirc), followed by the ~$10 1470.

The B&B Omega brushes are on par with the 1470, but seem slightly bigger and softer out the gate to me with a very different handle (Other Omegas I've tried seemed to have inferior hair and almost all of them shed, had several B&B's, hair seems better and they don't shed). The only other Omega I could recommend would be the pro49, and only if you want a huge, slightly moppy brush. I've owned LOOOOOOTS of Omega's and if not all of them (excepting 4-5 B&B's and one pro49), very nearly all of them were shedders.
 
Last edited:
Boar brushes are wonderful. You can find 3 or 4 models that cover all the spectrum. If you give time using them, these boar will give a nice shaving experience.

I have omega and Mondial brushes. All lovely. A Proraso and a Mondial complement each other perfectly.

If you add a synthetic or a 2band badger one, then you will ask yourself why are you spending more than 30usd for a badger brush? To each its own. This is just my experience.
 
Top Bottom