ylekot
On the lookout for a purse
That is a beautiful brush! I will be following this thread with interest.
Boar, Badger, Synthetic - oh my!
- Thread starter SunShave
- Start date
No matter how many wikis and threads one reads, it seems like there's still a mountain of information to be missed.
I know I read about brushes as I ventured into wet shaving. Still completely missed the parts about breaking in the brush.
I have three brushes: one boar and two synthetics. None are expensive. So far the synthetics have both been preferable to the boar. But I'm breaking in the boar with this and we'll see. It's drying now and will receive the lather treatment soon.
As for the brushes:
If it does I've got three brushes to choose from. But it also opens the door to trying out all kinds of other brushes. I'm not in the market now. Still waiting for the other soaps and balms to arrive. I doubt I'll even look at another brush until maybe Tuesday.
I know I read about brushes as I ventured into wet shaving. Still completely missed the parts about breaking in the brush.
I have three brushes: one boar and two synthetics. None are expensive. So far the synthetics have both been preferable to the boar. But I'm breaking in the boar with this and we'll see. It's drying now and will receive the lather treatment soon.
As for the brushes:
- The Boar: Van Der Hagen Shave Kit found at Bed, Bath and Beyond. $15 for the set (bowl, brush, soap, stand) so I wasn't expecting much from the brush.
- Omega Syntetico: My newest brush. I've used it for 3 or 4 shaves now. I like it. The bristles are quite wavy which was a surprise. Still new enough that I don't know if that is a feature or an issue. It does the job. It's soft and builds up a great lather while feeling gentle on my face. It cost about $7 on Ebay.
- Jequil & Corenveo synthetic: Bought this one as part of a kit on Amazon. ($19.99 currently on Amazon.) Came with a small bowl, a stand, and the brush. It's the softest of the two brushes. I have to work a little harder for a lather with it than the other synthethic but not by much. Not mad about the purchase at all.
If it does I've got three brushes to choose from. But it also opens the door to trying out all kinds of other brushes. I'm not in the market now. Still waiting for the other soaps and balms to arrive. I doubt I'll even look at another brush until maybe Tuesday.
- Thread starter
- #23
I’m a big proponent of the difference even small improvements can make, when if that difference is consistently applied - assuming those improvements don’t lie beyond a point of diminishing returns, of course.
I was a decently competitive runner in my late teens/early 20s, for example. When you’re starting out, small adjustments in diet, the shoes you wear, consistency in training, each account for huge leaps in performance. But eventually you get to a point where you need to work a lot harder even just to make small improvements on your personal bests. I’m not sure any of us are pushing this hobby to that point where we need to make sure we’re doing and trying every little thing to make our shaving rituals marginally better. I do suspect though a little bit of break in on a cheaper brush could fall into the former category of efficient improvement.
Maybe this is all just splitting hairs, but hey, when you’re breaking in a brush that’s the name of the game!
- Thread starter
- #24
I know have two $10 brushes, one synthetic and one pure badger, coming in on Tuesday, along with two new soaps to try them with. Looking forward to taking some of this discussion and putting my money where my mouth is…and more importantly, start to get a better idea of my preferences before I approach the good Mr Rudy Vey
Badger brushes are for Toggle worshippers. They are outdated technology championed by those who think rarety and exclusivity define the shave. I've yet to use one that is usable, never mind enjoyable.
Boar is the exact opposite of badger. My best boar is my cheapest. Less is deffo more with them. A broken in boar is as fine a brush as you will ever use.
Synthetic is a compromise of utility vs usability. Indestructible to a degree, utterly consistent and a good mimic of boar but does not quite have the softness and lightness of touch of boar.
To;dr?
Badger = Vane folly.
Boar = Just the facts, 'mam.
Synthetic = Cyberpunk.
Boar is the exact opposite of badger. My best boar is my cheapest. Less is deffo more with them. A broken in boar is as fine a brush as you will ever use.
Synthetic is a compromise of utility vs usability. Indestructible to a degree, utterly consistent and a good mimic of boar but does not quite have the softness and lightness of touch of boar.
To;dr?
Badger = Vane folly.
Boar = Just the facts, 'mam.
Synthetic = Cyberpunk.
- Thread starter
- #26
I'm betting I'll likely agree with this. I'm excited to test out my 'budget brushes" head to head (though I know the higher-end stuff definitely produces wider degrees of variance)
Oh you'll want to break that brush in for sure. But it's only 1/2 boar so the number of wet dry cycles will be lessened. Simply stated, this is a wonderful knot. I started with the Torga Mistura in C3 for travel, then quickly fitted myself with one in all 3 handles (4 if you count the Spanish Limited).
I started my journey with a Adam Grooming's kitted pure badger (Mühle Rytmo) which to this day is one of my top 3.
It is effortless - has the perfect amount of scritch, splay, and flow. Replacement cost would be sub $50 so I'll more than likely always have at least one on hand.
Soon after, I jumped into a few Simpson's Best Badgers, Silvertips from Kent and Plisson, Yaqi 2-bands, an Omega Super. Maybe I'm fortunate that I have yet to run into issues with shedding, beyond the typical onesie-twosie during the break-in process. I was in heaven with my badgers...
Until @dmshaver introduced me to an Omega 10077 Badger. Excellent little budget brush, I mean a really great performer. I keep this in my workdesk along with an Omega Pro49. Came across a VDH boar that was probably added to top off shipping - mine was the worst brush ever. I swear it would drop a bristle if you so much as sneezed at it. Of course from here, led to a Zenith B34, Omega Jade and ultimately into the realm of the Mistura.
I have dabbled with the Trafalgar T2 and T3 and have synths from RazoRock and Stirling that have yet to be used. I'm trying to show the Synths love, but to me there is just something lacking. I can get them to work well enough, but there is something that just draws you back into an automatic kind of luxe experience.
We'll see - in another 5 days I'll change up S/W for SOTM, perhaps I'll venture into Sept with Synth in hand.
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Glad the Omega 10077 boar is working out for you. The more you use it, the better it will get. Enjoy!
Had my first shave with the Semogue SOC Mistura tonight. Out of the box this brush felt STIFF and not soft at all. I soaked it in warm water while I showered and it completely transformed it!
It does have a lot more backbone and scrub than my synths but it still felt soft and really nice in a different way. I look forward to seeing how it breaks in.
It does have a lot more backbone and scrub than my synths but it still felt soft and really nice in a different way. I look forward to seeing how it breaks in.
- Thread starter
- #30
I’m about two weeks in with my boar bristle and I swear, even after spending the first couple days putting it through the paces, the tips keep getting softer, all without losing the backbone that helps churn out a good lather.
Excited to hear how it compares with your other brushes once it softens up a bit! Tuesday is mail day for my brushes and soaps, and I have a couple pieces of razorock hardware coming in about the same time. I’m starting to think I have no choice but to grab an Era to add into the comparison as well…it’s about to get fun over here!
Excited to hear how it compares with your other brushes once it softens up a bit! Tuesday is mail day for my brushes and soaps, and I have a couple pieces of razorock hardware coming in about the same time. I’m starting to think I have no choice but to grab an Era to add into the comparison as well…it’s about to get fun over here!
Put my boar brush through the first round of this. It feels much better on my face already. Haven't lathered with it yet post-operation though. Going to do one more round and then give it a go.
I predict that will be come a favorite for you. It's a fantastic knot!
Those comments about badger brushes reek of reverse snobbery. Seriously, isn't this whole hobby a vane folly? We start doing it to "save money', and then:
Then before you know it there's stuff everywhere! It's insane!
I've got five brushes. I have a "pure badger" that was my first brush. Seemed like it was part of the tuition for wet shaving and I needed a brush to start. It's OK but I don't use it much now.
I have a PAA Beehive synth. Thing's a lather mop but again, OK.
My travel brush is a Wilkinson Sword boar. First boar.
My usual daily is an Omega 10005 boar. It just keeps truckin'.
I also have a Semogue Owner's Club boar -- probably put it in rotation again just to use it.
I've discovered I really like boar brushes. Breakin is simple; just use the brush for a year.
O.H.
I have a PAA Beehive synth. Thing's a lather mop but again, OK.
My travel brush is a Wilkinson Sword boar. First boar.
My usual daily is an Omega 10005 boar. It just keeps truckin'.
I also have a Semogue Owner's Club boar -- probably put it in rotation again just to use it.
I've discovered I really like boar brushes. Breakin is simple; just use the brush for a year.
O.H.
Just a year huh?! Ha
I don't know, I think synthetic brushes are for bait fishermen while boar and badger brushes are for dry fly fisherman. Synthetics seem to be all the rage with younger guys and some lazy older guys. 
I just received a Simpson's Trafalgar T2 synthetic and really don't care for it at all in spite of the fact it can lather soap. But the face feel? Nope.
I would take a $10 Omega boar brush anyday of the week if budget were my biggest concern (and I have a $10 Omega, a $20 Omega made for Proraso, and a $7 VdH (which to my amazement seems to be attached to its bristles) as well as a Semogue SOC Taj coming from Portugal directly. However, a nice silvertip badger or four is a pleasure to use. I have a couple of Kents, a T&H (Rooney), Edwin Jagger, and Vulfix mixed boar/badger (for those who can't decide). But if were a new shaver? A $10 Omega boar and done for at least a few months assuming you can get the brush dry before the next shave. Otherwise, buy two of them and alternate.
I just received a Simpson's Trafalgar T2 synthetic and really don't care for it at all in spite of the fact it can lather soap. But the face feel? Nope.I would take a $10 Omega boar brush anyday of the week if budget were my biggest concern (and I have a $10 Omega, a $20 Omega made for Proraso, and a $7 VdH (which to my amazement seems to be attached to its bristles) as well as a Semogue SOC Taj coming from Portugal directly. However, a nice silvertip badger or four is a pleasure to use. I have a couple of Kents, a T&H (Rooney), Edwin Jagger, and Vulfix mixed boar/badger (for those who can't decide). But if were a new shaver? A $10 Omega boar and done for at least a few months assuming you can get the brush dry before the next shave. Otherwise, buy two of them and alternate.
My VdH boar is a survivor. A solid performing brush for cheap with zero break-in needed. Been trying to destroy it for months with zero luck, so I could justify buying a more expensive brush.
The Mistura is a very good brush. I have one in butterscotch. I bought that cherry handle today with a boar, getting ready for Decemboar this year, and also threw in a Zenith unbleached boar for $7. Looking forward to using them both.
Other than your being completely wrong about badger, I agree with some of what you said.
In my experience, the anglers choosing to fish bait are typically older and more experienced - to me equating to boar and Badger brushes.I don't know, I think synthetic brushes are for bait fishermen while boar and badger brushes are for dry fly fisherman. Synthetics seem to be all the rage with younger guys and some lazy older guys.
I would take a $10 Omega boar brush anyday of the week if budget were my biggest concern (and I have a $10 Omega, a $20 Omega made for Proraso, and a $7 VdH (which to my amazement seems to be attached to its bristles) as well as a Semogue SOC Taj coming from Portugal directly. However, a nice silvertip badger or four is a pleasure to use. I have a couple of Kents, a T&H (Rooney), Edwin Jagger, and Vulfix mixed boar/badger (for those who can't decide). But if were a new shaver? A $10 Omega boar and done for at least a few months assuming you can get the brush dry before the next shave. Otherwise, buy two of them and alternate.
The newer or younger crowd typically reach for the shiny jigs and lures before even having left the dock.
Me - well I fish whatever the conditions suggest...
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