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Boar Brush Pass Around! Want to try some boar brushes?

All aboard!!!! The boar train is now boarding!

Want to try some boar brushes to see why so many love boar? Here’s your chance. @J-MN & myself are throwing a boar brush pass around!

I enjoy brushes 24mm & larger, so I've made all of the brushes in the pass around 24mm & larger. If you enjoy smaller knots, that's great, but this pass around may not be for you.

The Brushes:
The brushes in the pass around (as pictured l to r in photo), along with knot size & loft in mm are:

Front row:
Mondial Antica Barberia, 26 / 60
Omega Premium Jade, 27 / 52
Omega Proraso Pro, 28 / 65
Semogue Torga C5, 24 / 50
Semogue SOC, 24 / 57
Back row:
Zenith 80N, 26 / 64
Zenith 80B XSE Unbleached, 27 / 64
Zenith 506U XSE Unbleached, 27 / 56
Zenith 505, 28 / 51

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Details:
To participate, you need to have a minimum of 100 quality posts on B & B.

Please keep the brushes no more than 2 weeks.

While using the brushes, please post your thoughts on the brushes in this thread.

Please wash & thoroughly rinse all brushes you used in a mild dish soap like Dawn after you are finished.

Please allow a full 24 hours for the brushes to dry before packaging & sending the box off to the next person. Please don't use a hairdryer on the brushes. Air dry brushes by letting them sit out in an open space such as a countertop or dresser before placing them back in their tubes. Place all brushes in their tubes before mailing.

Use bubble wrap, foam peanuts, or crumpled paper to cushion & protect the contents.
Insure the box for $200. You will be spending approximately $20 in postage & insurance to mail the box. Due to the weight, it must ship USPS Priority Mail.

PM a photo to me & the next participant of the box with the shipping address & tracking number visible.

CC me on all PM’s regarding shipping & receipt of brushes to participants.

Some people are sensitive to strong scents, so please be considerate of others & use mild-scented soaps/creams.

If the box starts getting broken down, please let me know.

This pass around is CONUS only. Shipping only to street addresses, no PO Boxes or third-party mail forwarding. Sorry!

By signing up you agree to follow all of the above conditions.

How do I sign up?
2 steps to follow:

  • Copy & paste the signup sheet adding your name & state you live in.
  • Send me a PM with your name, address, email, & phone #.
I’ll arrange the order based on geographic proximity to each other in order to keep shipping costs as low as possible.
Once the pass around begins, additional eligible entries will be added to the end of the list.
 
Boar Brush Pass Around Sign Up
Copy & paste into your own new post
Name, state (example: dmshaver, Missouri)

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Very nice selection of brushes.
Thank you. I've spent a few years searching & trying boars to come up with these brushes as my favorites. All of my personal favorites are represented in this pass around. Short loft, long loft, bleached, unbleached, they're all here!

I started down the boar rabbit hole a few years ago. A special thanks to @Chan Eil Whiskers for your kindness & willingness to share your knowledge in fielding my questions is greatly appreciated. I've learned some of the nuances of boar thanks to you, sir! And the B & B community deserves a big shout-out as well. The depth of knowledge in this community & openness in sharing is unsurpassed. We learn from each other.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Thank you. I've spent a few years searching & trying boars to come up with these brushes as my favorites. All of my personal favorites are represented in this pass around. Short loft, long loft, bleached, unbleached, they're all here!

I started down the boar rabbit hole a few years ago. A special thanks to @Chan Eil Whiskers for your kindness & willingness to share your knowledge in fielding my questions is greatly appreciated. I've learned some of the nuances of boar thanks to you, sir! And the B & B community deserves a big shout-out as well. The depth of knowledge in this community & openness in sharing is unsurpassed. We learn from each other.


Thanks, David, for letting me know I was on the right track.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Okay, okay I'll sign up!

Two weeks is 4-6 shaves for me so I guess I'm going to be double-brushing!

1. Eben Stone, California
2. dnallehekaj, California
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Eben Stone

Staff member
It's a sad day as I clean and package up the boar brushes to send them off to the next recipient. Two weeks sure go by fast when you're having fun.

I would like to start off by saying thank you very much David @dmshaver for the opportunity to try out these brushes. This is a very generous pass around, and I'm really surprised at the lack of participation. It's a great opportunity to try before you buy.

Out of the 9 brushes I ended up trying 4 of them. I picked these particular brushes because they were closest to ones that I've already been interested in.

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Semogue Owner's Club Cherry

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Mondial Antica Barberia

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Zenith Unbleached White

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Zenith Bleached Black

Overall, I really enjoyed all of the brushes, and while they all performed great (and all very similar), I was able to choose a favorite. I also own a Connaught Omega Jade, so I will include that in the comparison as well.

Here is how I would score the brushes (I'll list the best 3 of each category, in order):

Making great lather. I bowl lather, and IMO they were all very similar. I used Southern Witchcrafts, 1/4 tsp with all the brushes, except the Zenith bleached I used 1/2 tsp. If I had to pick the best 3 I would go with these:

(these are all pretty close)
1. Zenith bleached
2. Connaught Omega Jade
3. Zenith unbleached

Softness/comfort of the bristles:

1. Zenith bleached (definitely my favorite)
2. Semogue
3. Zenith unbleached

Handle:

I actually thought this would be the easiest category to rate, but it turns out its the most difficult. I didn't really think about the handle when I was making lather, so I guess that's a good thing. If I didn't notice the handle then obviously they didn't get in my way or cause any problems. I didn't notice any of them being slippery or too small or too large or uncomfortable. They are all equally good. I had some concerns about the Mondial being slippery, but it wasn't slippery at all. All the brushes were grippy enough, even with wet hands, and even when getting some Southern Witchcrafts lather on the handle (and that's really saying something).

Overall:

My favorite is the Zenith bleached. Probably because its huge, the bristles have enough backbone to make good lather, and the tips are soft and comfortable. It's possible my opinion is biased because this brush might be more broken in than the others, maybe that's unfair, but I think its clear that I prefer the larger boar knots.

If you're considering acquiring a boar brush and haven't already made up your mind which one to get, I highly suggest you participate in this pass around. It was a great opportunity for me to try some brushes and learn what my preferences are before buying.
 
I'm comparing these pass-around brushes to my current boar, a Zenith B33. Each round will compare the B33 and two pass-around brushes. If something really stands out, I might have a GRAND FINAL or something.

I love my Zenith B33. It is here, defending its title as "Resident Boar Brush" against all comers. I pretend like I have a zero-sum shave den, so if I buy a brush, it is to replace a brush. This pass-around is a cool chance to see what else the world of boar hair has to offer, and perhaps make me a liar about the zero-sum thing ;)

All rounds will be face-lathered using Canada Shave Soap.

Round 1

Contenders:

IMG_20221114_181103657_HDR.jpg IMG_20221114_181113906_HDR.jpg

Left: Zenith B33, 27.5 / 57
Center: Semogue SOC, 24 / 57
Right: Omega Premium Jade, 27 / 52

Handles:
I doubt this will be a conclusive category. All three handles are very different, but none feels like a runaway victor. I like the weight of the B33, because it's what I'm used to. I also like patina's copper, so that's another point for B33, but I don't really think those qualities are BETTER than the other brush handles. None of them felt slippery, all of them feel comfortable in my hand. I like the lightness of the Omega Jade and Semogue SOC, but I prefer my heavier copper handle.

Lather:
Guess what? They all produce lather! B33 and SOC were more resource-heavy. The Omega Jade didn't need to load as much soap, and needed less water between passes.

Face Feel:
B33 feels the most dense and softest of the bunch. It has plenty of backbone, but still feels luxuriously soft on my skin.
SOC has similar bristles to B33, but a less dense knot. They both have pretty fine bristles, but SoC has less backbone. It is very soft on my skin.
Omega Jade has noticeably thicker bristles, the least backbone, and was the floppiest of the bunch. It still feels soft, but the other two just feel better.

Final Thoughts:
I was impressed with the Omega Jade's quick load time. It made great lather in less time using less soap than the other two. I'm guessing knot density has a lot to do with it. I like how very different it is than my B33.

Semogue SOC brings similar qualities to the table as my B33, but the B33 does it all better for me. So far, the B33 was a lucky pick for my first boar brush! I picked it because I like copper. Turns out, it has a bunch of other things I like too :)

Winner:
Zenith B33
 
Round 2

Contenders:
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Left: Zenith B33, 27.5 / 57
Center: Zenith 506U XSE Unbleached, 27 / 56
Right: Zenith 80N, 26 / 64

Handles:
They're all comfortable, and none are slippery. I like the fat handle paired with the fat knot on the 80N, and the smaller handle paired with a lighter knot on the 506U. I still prefer the B33, but it's because I'm the most used to it. Each handle suits its knot.

Lather:
They all work well for face lathering. The 80N uses more soap, but builds and spreads lather the fastest. It covers about 2/3 of my neck at a time, so that makes sense!

Face Feel:
I still love my B33, and all brushes will be judged by the bar it sets.
The 506U feels like it isn't as broken in as the others. It is a noticeably less dense knot. It doesn't feel bad or uncomfortable; it glides smoothly. It's just not as nice as the other two.
The 80N is big, soft, and slightly scritchy. is more densely packed than the 506U, but not as dense as the B33. It feels less smooth on my skin than the other two brushes, but it is actually pretty pleasant. That giant knot is something I will consider for future brush purchases.

Final Thoughts:
The 80N has piqued my interest. The larger knot and different feel was a new and welcome experience.
The 506U was okay, but again, it seems less broken in than the others. I don't think it was a fair contest for it.

Winner:
Zenith B33. The bond is growing stronger.
 
Great reviews so far, well done! Glad you’re enjoying the brushes. Looking forward to your next comparison.
Well, you're in luck!


Round 3

Contenders:


IMG_20221118_171714868.jpg

Left: Zenith B33, 27.5 / 57
Center: Zenith 505, 28 / 51
Right: Zenith 80B XSE Unbleached, 27 / 64

Handles:
This is the first time I think a handle doesn't work. That Zenith 505 handle feels too chunky for its knot. I think the lower loft and fatter handle combo are not for me. The 80B is similar to the 80N, and I liked it.

Lather:
The 505 falls short here, too. It's the only brush that looked and felt loaded, then didn't keep enough soap after the first pass to still be usable. The 80B made lather better than the 505, but they both seem like they need to be broken in more. The unbleached 80B is less of an offender, but it may just be the bigger knot loaded more product.

Face Feel:
The 505 knot is super dense with fine-feeling hairs. That knot is close kin to the B33 I know and love, just smaller and less broken in. It is a very smooth feeling knot, very pleasant on my skin, so long as it has enough soap loaded up.
The 80N feels like coarser hairs. Still soft, not scritchy or scratchy, it just feels less smooth and more coarse I guess. It's like whole wheat flour, and the other two are bleached all-purpose.

Bad comparison, I guess. I prefer whole wheat flour almost always, but the bleached knots rank higher than the unbleached for face feel.

Final Thoughts:
This one was an easy victory for my B33. I would love that 505 knot in that 506U's handle, but it would be redundant if I still had the B33.
I also seem to prefer bleached knots to unbleached knots. Unbleached wasn't bad, but I'm so used to bleached that it has set my expectations for what a boar knot should be.

Winner:
Zenith B33
 
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