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Boar brush recommendations for face lathering

Omega 10066 and 10065 are a smaller knot than the 49. I love mine for face lathering. And inexpensive to try out. Omega 10005 is much the same, but wood, not plastic.

my 10065 has become my go to brush for the last 6 odd months, to include a wet/dry break in cycle with occasional uses on a new butterscotch acrylic handled SOC boar (like the one above) just to have ready to go when my 1st SOC gives up the ghost. and for the record, I prefer the weight of the Cherry handle better than the acrylic.

I've also got an Omega 40033 as my preferred traveler. it may be the perfect boar knot, and the handle is big enough to use daily at home too.

I ran through several of the smaller Semogues and will always keep the SOCs, but I like Omega's offerings otherwise more these days. I haven't tried a Zenith, and don't feel a need to, because I'm not a collector, per se.
 
I like the Omegas mentioned, but the Semogue 1250 was the first Semogue I fell for, and it remains a favorite. It has untreated bristles, an identical handle shape to the 1305, and an identical knot/loft size, too. It's a fantastic brush that hasn't quit on me after years of use.
 
Great question OP, & one I've been actively researching for at least a year, or so. Researching is another way of saying my boar brush acquisition disorder is alive & kicking!

I've purchased many boar brushes. It's nice that boars are inexpensive, compared to badgers. It allows me to try many different types & brands to see what I really like. I like boar brushes that are at least 24mm (ideally larger than 24mm) & with lofts in the low to mid 50's. Most Semogue brushes are too small of a knot except for the SOC & Torga C5. Most Omega brushes have too much loft which makes them floppy for me. What I've found to be my personal favorites, in order:

1) Omega Premium Jade, only from Connaught. Unbleached, dense & great face feel, terrific backbone & scrub yet can splay when pushed, releases lather, very nice handle
2) Zenith olive wood-handled unbleached, 506U XSE. This has become my tied for my #1 brush. Stellar face feel & performance.
3) Zenith white plastic handled unbleached, 80B XSE. A higher loft than I usually like but the Zenith unbleached bristles are so firm, yet soft, I really enjoy this brush. I'm thinking of getting a second one & setting it 5 - 10mm lower in a different handle.
4) Zenith aluminum handled bleached, 506ALL SE. Zenith bristles are fine & soft, so this bleached version with a shorter loft is the first bleached boar to be in my top 5.
5) Semogue Torga C5. A recent acquisition that has quickly surprised me with its performance. I prefer this slightly lower lofted Semogue over my SOC.

With any boar, please don't be too quick to decide if you like it, or not. Give it 40 - 50 lathers before you make a decision. It takes a lot of uses before it starts breaking in. Good luck in your journey. And most importantly, enjoy!
 

never-stop-learning

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My recommendation: Omega 011829 (faux jade) 27 x 52 mm .

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Omega Premium Jade, only from Connaught. Unbleached, dense & great face feel, terrific backbone & scrub yet can splay when pushed, releases lather, very nice handle
The Omega Jade from Connaught is my favorite boar.
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Never got on with Semogue brushes so I've been an Omega faithful for a long time and I reckon the 10048 is the daddy of all boar brushes. The Connaught Omega Jade is an excellent choice too as you can be a little more precise when lathering but it doesn't whip up quite as much lather as the 48.
 
apologies in advance for thread drift, but this goes to the maintenance question: I too have a Semogue 1305 that I really like. But I took it out of rotation for a bit and just came back to it this week. It normally shed a bristle or two but not bad. This morning it must have been 7-10. Other than a good cleaning, what are the do's and don'ts for boars? I just spent a good half hour poking around for this; did I miss a wiki somewhere? Anyway, it seems one should 1. prewet for a few minutes and avoid crazy hot water and allow a thorough drying between uses. Anything else? I don't mind springing for a new one eventually but am confused why it went from normal occasional loss to a big one today (and seemed to be losing more than normal this week) thanks in advance and sorry again for the slight drift

to the op: sounds like you need a good cleaning and I've never tried a Semogue or Omega I didn't like. I think you have to find your size preference more than anything else, although variety is nice too. I finally tried a decent synthetic but miss the scritchy boars
 
Hi guys,

I've been looking for a new boar brush to add to my collection after my favorite Semogue stopped working on me. Basically, I bought a Semogue 1305 after hearing how great it is. I couldn't wait to use it so I tried that accelerated break-in trick that you might find around these forums and YouTube - where you soak the brush in cold water for 3 days or so. After doing that, I used the brush pretty consistently for 7 months or so, took a short break, then went back to it. But when I went back, the brush stopped holding enough lather for 3 passes like it used to, and I quickly switched to a different brush. I didn't change anything about the way I loaded and lathered so I don't really know what happened. I know this brush in particular has treated/bleached bristles, could it be due to that?

I did some searching and apparently, I'm not the first to have this problem, although it doesn't seem to happen frequently: Semogue Boar Brushes Stop Performing? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/semogue-boar-brushes-stop-performing.495820/

So I am looking for boar brush recommendations that I can use to face lather. I also have an Omega 10049 and it works great, except the splay is a little too large on my face. The dimensions of the Semogue were perfect, so if you guys know of any similar brushes, I would appreciate any suggestions. Maybe getting a similar Semogue but without the treated bristles will make a difference?

Thanks for your time!
how about this beast below. Altough I have used it just twice but its love at first use.

Other fellow wet shavers may shed more light on this capable omega boar brush for face lathering.

I just soaked them in lukewarm water and applied conditioner and left it for a day.

Then on every shave just dunk it in lukewarm water or cold water for 10-15 mins is a must
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My current favorite face lathering boar has to be my unbleached Zenith. It seems to stay a little stiffer over time even when fully hydrated.

Unfortunatly Zenith isn't always the easiest brand to track down but thegentleshave and yourshaving are both great resources.

That said Zenith, Semogue, and Omega all make great brushes and it depends on what you want for a premium face lathering boar.

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This post just reminded me of my poor proraso boar brush that hasn’t had much use since I got these yaqi 2 band badgers I think I’ll have to whip the boar back out again in a rotation or something
 
I was gifted an Omega 620 boar from @Macfrommichigan a long time back. He had broken it in. Has a beautiful face feel. I have nothing else even close.
Nice of @Macfrommichigan to do the dirty work for ya. My SOC Boar took roughly 50 mediocre lathers before it shaped into a great brush. All my other ones were quicker studies.

Often patience is all you need to find a great boar, and a broken in boar is hard to beat.
 
Hi guys,

I've been looking for a new boar brush to add to my collection after my favorite Semogue stopped working on me. Basically, I bought a Semogue 1305 after hearing how great it is. I couldn't wait to use it so I tried that accelerated break-in trick that you might find around these forums and YouTube - where you soak the brush in cold water for 3 days or so. After doing that, I used the brush pretty consistently for 7 months or so, took a short break, then went back to it. But when I went back, the brush stopped holding enough lather for 3 passes like it used to, and I quickly switched to a different brush. I didn't change anything about the way I loaded and lathered so I don't really know what happened. I know this brush in particular has treated/bleached bristles, could it be due to that?

I did some searching and apparently, I'm not the first to have this problem, although it doesn't seem to happen frequently: Semogue Boar Brushes Stop Performing? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/semogue-boar-brushes-stop-performing.495820/

So I am looking for boar brush recommendations that I can use to face lather. I also have an Omega 10049 and it works great, except the splay is a little too large on my face. The dimensions of the Semogue were perfect, so if you guys know of any similar brushes, I would appreciate any suggestions. Maybe getting a similar Semogue but without the treated bristles will make a difference?

Thanks for your time!

For a step up in terms of density (which means it will perform better, longer than the 1305) - either the 610 or Torga C3. For two steps up (i.e. an even scrubbier brush) - the Torga C5. All Semogue recommendations.

The 610 is my favourite boar for its balance between soft tips and scrub. Personally I'm not a fan of Semogue SOC line which I find too unweildly for face-lathering; or of the Omegas which don't have as pleasant of a face-feel for my taste as the Semogues.
 
Razorock Blondie Boar Brush (relabeled Zenith 80N). Purchased mine roughly a month ago and have found it excellent, especially with hard soaps. Picture with Williams lather attached.
 

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I have been comparing my different brushes and I am finding that my badgers hold more lather longer than my boars. If you want a boar that will hold more lather longer, I would consider a Semogue Mistura - a Torga-C3, Torga-C5 or SOC.

I have now used my SOC Mistura for six consecutive days, and now understand why people love their Misturas. Plus buying one won't break the bank!
 
The Omega 10065 was just about ideal as a face latherer, once it was broken in. Had just the right amount of backbone. Some other boars had too much backbone for face lathering, for me anyway, especially a Semogue 620.
 
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