Better boar brushes?

[Rudy Vey]

I do not use boars at all, but I make quite a few brushes for my customers. What I see is that boars often

There is a wide range of badger brushes, from a few pounds, to more luxurious levels. I love my chubby3 badger and SV badger and wondered if there was an equivalent luxurious boar brush.

There are really not much boar knots offered, badgers come in all kind of hair grades by many makers.
For my boar brush, I used nearly exclusively Omega boar knots. They can be had from a few suppliers, or what I do, I buy Omaga brushes and harvest the knot. Removing the plastic cup lets me set these knots a shorter lofts, some of my customers really like this option. But other than this, not much variety in boars.

 

[Zhang Doe]

I think "better" may not be the way to look at it. It depends on a variety of factors, such as whether you're face lathering or bowl lathering, for example. Or whether you're using it on your head and / or face, which impacts how much lather you need.

I went from a cheapo Omega 10051, which I liked, to using almost exclusively my new Semogue Torga C3 IT, which is definitely more luxurious. But then I realized the scrubbiness of the cheap Omega is far superior to the Torga when it comes to lathering my Pre de Provence No.63. It's given me a completely new appreciation of Omega brushes ... and re-emphasizes how disappointed I am that Omega refuses to step up in handle quality to match their knots.

 

[Leverspro]

I think "better" may not be the way to look at it. It depends on a variety of factors, such as whether you're face lathering or bowl lathering, for example. Or whether you're using it on your head and / or face, which impacts how much lather you need.

I went from a cheapo Omega 10051, which I liked, to using almost exclusively my new Semogue Torga C3 IT, which is definitely more luxurious. But then I realized the scrubbiness of the cheap Omega is far superior to the Torga when it comes to lathering my Pre de Provence No.63. It's given me a completely new appreciation of Omega brushes ... and re-emphasizes how disappointed I am that Omega refuses to step up in handle quality to match their knots.

Agreed on the boar handles. Semogue and Zenith offer some nice choices. I think you could send your Omega to someone like Rudy Vey and get the knot harvested and put into the handle of your choice. Then you have a "better" boar!

 

[merovirginian]

I love my Zenith boar—it's right up there with my shavemac two-band in terms of shaving enjoyment to me. However, I am intrigued by Turn n Shave's shoat knot. Perhaps in early 2021 I might get a custom Rudy Vey handle with this knot in it. I'm happy for others to jump on this before me

 

[objectuser]

Love boar brushes. Feel good, generate tons of lather ... and so cheap!

My favorite is my Omega 48 ... or is it my SOC? IDK. Also have learned to really like the 2 Zeniths I have ...

I just bought a Simpson Chubby 2, so hopefully I'll learn to like that brush as well and a badger will finally be one of my top brushes.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

There is a wide range of badger brushes, from a few pounds, to more luxurious levels. I love my chubby3 badger and SV badger and wondered if there was an equivalent luxurious boar brush.

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.​
		⬅ 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.​
		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.

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.​

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

 

[Leverspro]

I love my Zenith boar—it's right up there with my shavemac two-band in terms of shaving enjoyment to me. However, I am intrigued by Turn n Shave's shoat knot. Perhaps in early 2021 I might get a custom Rudy Vey handle with this knot in it. I'm happy for others to jump on this before me

"Shoat" knot? What is it? The description only says that it's a boar knot (so, mot a mix) that he will treat to gel the tips if desired. It's also expensive, for a boar. What's the deal with this knot?

 

[Rudy Vey]

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

Good write up, Jim. Maybe I should try a boar soon.....

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Good write up, Jim. Maybe I should try a boar soon.....

Thank you, Rudy.

 

[Leverspro]

Is it hard to harvest a boar knot? Does that ubiquitous band around boars hold the knot in or are they glued in? I've tried to change knots in handles that have knots epoxied in, and never again. I wrecked everything including the handle. But I'll bet there are a lot of guys that have invested a year breaking in a $12 boar with a cheap plastic handle with a knot that out performs everything else on their shelf. I do. I've got an Omega that after years of part time use has become a better brush than my badgers. Does the plastic handle work? Sure. But getting those seasoned knots into a special handle would be nice. Does one simply put the plastic handle in a vice and crush it? Hmm. Need to get a vice.

 

[Atlantic59]

Is it hard to harvest a boar knot? Does that ubiquitous band around boars hold the knot in or are they glued in? I've tried to change knots in handles that have knots epoxied in, and never again. I wrecked everything including the handle. But I'll bet there a lot of guys that invested a year breaking in a $12 boar with a cheap plastic handle with a knot that out performs everything else on their shelf. I do. I've got an Omega that after years of part time use has become a better brush than my badgers. Does the plastic handle work? Sure. But getting those seasoned knows into a special handle would be nice. Does one simply put the plastic handle in a vice and crush it? Hmm. Need to get a vice.

Omega brushes are pretty easy. The knot is held by a plastic cup that can be popped out of the handle without damaging the knot. For instance, drill a hole in the bottom of the handle and pop the knot out with a wood dowel and hammer.

 

[Leverspro]

This is exactly the Omega I have.

 

[macintoshBR]

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

Excellent write up!!! For the sake of forum diversity, let me throw in a different opinion: Semogue brushes are the highest quality boars available in my opinion (handle + knot). I have the SOC, 610 and 1305 and they are all wonderful, scrubby a d soft and make tons of lather.

also, you can’t go wrong with a Omega. Really, from the cheapest to the most expensive, choose the knot and handle you prefer and you will be good. Personally, as the Italian tradition dictates, I like large and tall Omega knots such as the 48 (I have the 20106 which has the same knot and a better handle) and the Omega 49 (I own the 20102 aka “badger killer”, again same knot and better handle). The Proraso brush is also very very good. All Italian barbers use are Omegas, mostly the 48 (“il quarantotto”). They are wonderful for those weekend lavish shaves where you want a long and soft massage. Pinch the knot with 3 fingers when building the lather, lots of water, and teleport yourself into a barbershop in Italy

that’s my opinion based on my experience.Zenith and Mondial must be good too, but I have no experience with them, as I prefer the more traditional brands Omega and Semogue

 

[ClemsonTigerz]

I don't know if you could really ever consider a boar to be luxurious like a silvertip badger but Semogues, especially the Owner's Club brushes certainly look very luxurious. Semogues have a very old world, vintage look to them.
Omegas are great but they do a lot more plastic handles than Semogue does and just look and feel like more of a value brush.

On the other hand, there’s guys like me that owns 3 boars, 1 synthetic, and 1 Silvertip. I own the omega 10098, Semogue 1305, and a run of the mill Vanderhagen drug store variety boar brush.

I have a spare Semogue 1305 & Omega 10098 still brand new in the plastic as replacements. Was thinking about getting one more of each for giggles as a hedge against possible discontinuation.

I use words like “daily driver”, “work horse”, & “lather bazooka” when I describe my boars. The omega is my lather bazooka, it’s nuts, I love that thing! My Parker Silvertip doesn’t perform the way my boars do. I break out the Silvertip whenever I feel like a cream needs a proper pampering rather than myself. I love the way boars feel & to me, that’s luxurious. I’ve had it about 10 years and I bet I haven’t used it more than 30 times. Meanwhile I’m on my second VDH boar in a decade & still on my first of the omega and semogue. Synth.comes out to play when I make the conscious effort to play with it.

“Luxurious” is subjective. Those that love boar brushes are the type that know rubbing your back against something to scratch it feels good, but someone scratching your back is luxurious That backbone is what I consider to be luxurious. Those plastic handles you see are on all kinds of brushes the bulk of which have plastic handles. I saw a $300 boar brush with a yellow and silver handle and I was in disbelief.

Each to their own of course. If you find a Silvertip to be luxurious, enjoy & follow your bliss. I, like you don’t see how one type of brush could be considered luxurious- when I use a different type of bristle daily. The look of a value brush perhaps- but the feel? My Omega 10098 is a lather launcher. The Semogue 1305 is in my view what the drug store VDH brush wishes it could be but falls just a tad short but marginally. Honestly, I rotate between the 3 routinely. I think I’ve used my synthetic maybe 5 times this year and used my Silvertip maybe twice. I think it’s safe to say I perceive the feel of luxury in boars over my Silvertip. Of course - it’s subjective- and subjectively, I consider boar brushes to be quite luxurious

 

[merovirginian]

"Shoat" knot? What is it?

I don't rightly know. A search on "shoat" indicates that it's young boar hair? Perhaps a juvenile male one? I trust Milton so I'm very interested. It's probably my next brush. I do agree the price seems high for a boar knot, but, again, I trust Milton and his work. I'm not looking at full gel tips anyway. More untreated or half-gelled for me in theory.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I've gotten into boars just in the past 6 months. I've tried about 6 - 9 different Omega's & consider the Omega Jade the best, and the Proraso Pro second best.

I've tried a Mondial & loved the finer bristles, but the loft was too high so the brush splayed much too much for my tastes.

I was then steered to Zenith. I have 5 Zenith brushes & absolutely love them. They have the finer bristles like Mondial, but there is a variety of lofts you can get. For me, I went with brushes larger than 26mm knot size & loft under 52mm. That produces wonderful backbone combined with the softness of those Zenith bristles. Perfect match for me.

I haven't tried Semogue mainly because almost all of their brushes have too small of a knot for me to consider.

I still enjoy my badgers & synthetics, but when I want a luxurious boar, I pick up an Omega Jade, Pro Pro, or one of my Zentihs.

And of course, YMMV.

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

Agree with @dmshaver and @Chan Eil Whiskers on the 'boar landscape'.

Of all of my boar brushes, I reach for the Omega Jade the most followed by the Mondial.

 

[Badgerstate36]

On the other hand, there’s guys like me that owns 3 boars, 1 synthetic, and 1 Silvertip. I own the omega 10098, Semogue 1305, and a run of the mill Vanderhagen drug store variety boar brush.

I have a spare Semogue 1305 & Omega 10098 still brand new in the plastic as replacements. Was thinking about getting one more of each for giggles as a hedge against possible discontinuation.

I use words like “daily driver”, “work horse”, & “lather bazooka” when I describe my boars. The omega is my lather bazooka, it’s nuts, I love that thing! My Parker Silvertip doesn’t perform the way my boars do. I break out the Silvertip whenever I feel like a cream needs a proper pampering rather than myself. I love the way boars feel & to me, that’s luxurious. I’ve had it about 10 years and I bet I haven’t used it more than 30 times. Meanwhile I’m on my second VDH boar in a decade & still on my first of the omega and semogue. Synth.comes out to play when I make the conscious effort to play with it.

“Luxurious” is subjective. Those that love boar brushes are the type that know rubbing your back against something to scratch it feels good, but someone scratching your back is luxurious That backbone is what I consider to be luxurious. Those plastic handles you see are on all kinds of brushes the bulk of which have plastic handles. I saw a $300 boar brush with a yellow and silver handle and I was in disbelief.

Each to their own of course. If you find a Silvertip to be luxurious, enjoy & follow your bliss. I, like you don’t see how one type of brush could be considered luxurious- when I use a different type of bristle daily. The look of a value brush perhaps- but the feel? My Omega 10098 is a lather launcher. The Semogue 1305 is in my view what the drug store VDH brush wishes it could be but falls just a tad short but marginally. Honestly, I rotate between the 3 routinely. I think I’ve used my synthetic maybe 5 times this year and used my Silvertip maybe twice. I think it’s safe to say I perceive the feel of luxury in boars over my Silvertip. Of course - it’s subjective- and subjectively, I consider boar brushes to be quite luxurious

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.

 

[hcoop112]

Proraso pro is a great boar brush used one for 4 yrs and it served me well

 

[musicman1951]

I think the SOC is the bargain of luxury boars. I have a Taj SOC that was twice the price and it's my favorite boar, although it's no where near twice as nice as the regular SOC.

I also have the Thater boar that is quite nice for bowl lathering.

 

[ClemsonTigerz]

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.

Most people perceive luxury in terms of dollars but not sense, I’ll grant. If a boar brush is treating you more harshly, then you must stop misusing it. I’ve yet to spend more than $30 on a boar & more than $60 for a Silvertip. In the end, it’s the function and feel more than keeping up with the Jones’s for me- but then I’m not like most & very small issue to them. Perceive as you may- luxury, for if it’s the price tag, the world is your oyster- and people may be impressed that you brush your face with your wealth- & your experience is enhanced; if it’s the lack of harshness, it could be attributed to selection based on lack of patience or mastery. Either way, both are something money can’t buy. Then again, I shave for myself and my wife & not most people, nor the Jones’s. Happy shaves!