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boar brushes overrated?

Where in the UK is this available please?
Would you also know the model number?
It’s available from Connaught Shaving…
connaughtshaving.com
The model number they list it as is 40033.
I added some o rings to the handle which made it more comfy for me.
 
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The model number they list it as is 40033.

I think there could be some truth to your sense that boars, at least smaller boar knots, are under-rated. If SOTD pics is any measure, you see a lot of bigger knots there (26 - 28 mm). My love for boars started there, but I have gradually moved to smaller boar knots (around 24 mm).

A related thing that may be somewhat "overlooked", or under-estimated:
As most of us know, at least in theory, boars will keep getting better with use, as hair keep splitting still more.
But I think the implication of this is a little underestimated. I suspect many boars are not used quite enough to actually bring them to realize their potential. There is a huge difference between a "broken in" boar, and a "well worn" boar. After several years of very regular use of my Omega 10066, I would say it is by now every bit as dense and lovely as my Shavemac 2-band D01 silvertip badger, BUT, it took a lot of use to get it there!

Now, for the Omega 40033 that you depicted:
I just looked the specs up on Maggard razors, it says this knot is 24 mm, with 50 mm loft.
Maggard's lists such specs for a great many brushes, which is very useful, but the specs they list are not always entirely accurate, so take it with a grain of salt. However if they are accurate regarding this 40033, 24/50 would make for quite a lot of backbone.
For comparison, I know from personal experience that the Omega 10029, listed as 24/46 on Maggards, has a lot of backbone, but if you like a scrub its nice. The Omega 10066 which is my favourite these days, is listed as 24/56, which I believe is more a less accurate. I find the backbone on this brush comparable to Omega's bigger "professional" knots (like the 10098, perhaps the 10066 has a little more backbone), just that the entire knot is quite a bit smaller on the 10066.

Point here being @nav , if you are interested in a smaller boar (and there is good reason to), I suggest you pay some attention to loft size, and consider how much backbone you want. Or, at less than ten $ a piece, try a few with different loft size, and compare for yourself, see what you like best.
 
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I think there could be some truth to your sense that boars, at least smaller boar knots, are under-rated. If SOTD pics is any measure, you see a lot of bigger knots there (26 - 28 mm). My love for boars started there, but I have gradually moved to smaller boar knots (around 24 mm).

A related thing that may be somewhat "overlooked", or under-estimated:
As most of us know, at least in theory, boars will keep getting better with use, as hair keep splitting still more.
But I think the implication of this is a little underestimated. I suspect many boars are not used quite enough to actually bring them to realize their potential. There is a huge difference between a "broken in" boar, and a "well worn" boar. After several years of very regular use of my Omega 10066, I would say it is by now every bit as dense and lovely as my Shavemac 2-band D01 silvertip badger, BUT, it took a lot of use to get it there!

Now, for the Omega 40033 that you depicted:
I just looked the specs up on Maggard razors, it says this knot is 24 mm, with 50 mm loft.
Maggard's lists such specs for a great many brushes, which is very useful, but the specs they list are not always entirely accurate, so take it with a grain of salt. However if they are accurate regarding this 40033, 24/50 would make for quite a lot of backbone.
For comparison, I know from personal experience that the Omega 10029, listed as 24/46 on Maggards, has a lot of backbone, but if you like a scrub its nice. The Omega 10066 which is my favourite these days, is listed as 24/56, which I believe is more a less accurate. I find the backbone on this brush comparable to Omega's bigger "professional" knots (like the 10098, perhaps the 10066 has a little more backbone), just that the entire knot is quite a bit smaller on the 10066.

Point here being @nav , if you are interested in a smaller boar (and there is good reason to), I suggest you pay some attention to loft size, and consider how much backbone you want. Or, at less than ten $ a piece, try a few with different loft size, and compare for yourself, see what you like best.

Thanks for this detailed info.

I'm not new to boar brushes though.
I've had a dozen omega and nearly all models from Semogue.
I was curious about that tiny omega posted previously as it's one I've not tried before.
Although looking at the knot/loft size, it's far too small for my preference.
I like 24mm omega and 22mm Semogue are good, as they have a larger bloom than omega.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
When I first started with soap and brush, I only used boar. I saw no reason to spend more. They worked fine. However, they didn't last long, as I only used one, and they soon turned into heavy shedders. Hard water and them not being able to dry out properly, wasn't kind to them.

When I got sick of them failing me, I tried synthetics. They worked well, used less soap, dried quickly, and were far more reliable. They lacked the organic feel though. Eventually, I decided to try badger, but only after I was gifted one. It opened the floodgates, and badgers are now my main focal point.

This month I have been using boar hair again, in a couple of mixed hair Vulfix brushes. It feels very nice to have that boar hair sensation again, but I don't care for the need to presoak them for a minute or two to get them working at their best. The mixed hair does seem to lather creams better than boar did alone, and oddly these are the only brushes I have ever used that bowl lather better than they face lather. However, with the presoak, the brush not having dried by the next day, and my history of wrecking them too soon, they only feel like occasional use brushes to me now. They feel like they're more work. Work I want to do every shave. So boar has lost some of its magic for me.

A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
 
My synthetic brush works great but it certainly is lacking in character/personality. In my attempt to keep this a “cost saving hobby” I can certainly see where SBAD would blow that completely out of the water!
 
Did OP ever come back to tell us what brand/model his "good quality" boar brush was, and whether he did anything to break it in?

I haven't had a ton of boars, only have one at the moment, but in my experience once they break in, they don't hog lather, at least if you give them a short soak. Not like some badgers do, anyway.
 
Did OP ever come back to tell us what brand/model his "good quality" boar brush was, and whether he did anything to break it in?

I haven't had a ton of boars, only have one at the moment, but in my experience once they break in, they don't hog lather, at least if you give them a short soak. Not like some badgers do, anyway.
No, I believe he just dropped that bomb and walked away laughing 🤣😂
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I might be in the minority here, but I'll be glad to get back to my SV (3), Zenith (1), ShaveMac (2) and Mozingo (1) badger brushes when DecemBOAR concludes. I only have 4 boar brushes... all from Zenith and while they are nice, I prefer the face feel of my small group of badgers.
 
I might be in the minority here, but I'll be glad to get back to my SV (3), Zenith (1), ShaveMac (2) and Mozingo (1) badger brushes when DecemBOAR concludes. I only have 4 boar brushes... all from Zenith and while they are nice, I prefer the face feel of my small group of badgers.

You may be in the minority, but you're not alone. While I really like boar brushes, I still like badger brushes more and definitely miss using mine during the month of December. DecemBOAR is a fun change though and the forced badger break just makes me appreciate them that much more. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?
 
To me both boar and badger brushes are enjoyable. I think the reason why boar brushes are less expensive than badgers is because there’s more pigs being harvested for food, medical care and other purposes than badgers being harvested for human use. So therefore “boar” bristles are more readily available as a byproduct of pork consumption than badger hair being available as a byproduct
I worked in a pork plant. On the assembly line there was a person who shaved the pigs (after they were dead... much safer and faster that way)
 
I worked in a pork plant. On the assembly line there was a person who shaved the pigs (after they were dead... much safer and faster that way)
It’s interesting to know how some things are done. I’ve heard that boiling water used to be used to remove the hair from the skin of the pigs if it was a home setting. Can’t remember if it was the whole pig put into a pot, just the skin or pouring the water over the pig. Then the hair would be scraped off
 
It’s interesting to know how some things are done. I’ve heard that boiling water used to be used to remove the hair from the skin of the pigs if it was a home setting. Can’t remember if it was the whole pig put into a pot, just the skin or pouring the water over the pig. Then the hair would be scraped off
Only the whiskers were shaved. The rest of the hair had no value so they had a very large machine with arms that went up and down with multiple flame heads. It had a big exhaust fan.
When you're doing a thousand pigs a day, it has to be quick.
 
Greetings to all participants of the forum. I've been shaving with only Omega boar brushes for several years now. Of course, I had synthetic brushes and one inexpensive Chinese badger. But after a short experiment, I realized that boar brushes are the best choice for me. Of course, they have disadvantages. They take a long time to dry compared to synthetics. And they sometimes lose their hair. But for me, the feeling of natural stubble on my face is important. And these brushes have a low price. The photo shows all my boars in the amount of five pieces.

 
At one point, I had 23 brushes. I was trying to determine what I wanted in a shaving brush. I now rotate 4 badgers for shaving... and 3 badgers for applying pre-shave. I have 4 Zenith boars that only seem to get used in DecemBOAR.

My last 2 syths? My wife uses them and loves their softness.
I'll have to try something similar like applying my pre shave dodo with a boar first and then badger for the soap. Interesting idea thanks for that idea.
 
Some people swear by boar, some people can't stand them. I'm middle of the road. I still prefer the badger over any other fiber, but do enjoy a lather with the pig from time to time (as well as with a synth or a horse). I'm very fortunate to have good quality brushes of all varieties that make my shaving a joy.
 

WThomas0814

Ditto, ditto
My first brush purchases were bottom- to middle-tier badgers. Doing extensive reading, here and other sites, it became apparent that a great many gents prefer boar to badger with hard soaps. I read a million reviews, and some of the highest rated boars were 1/5 or less of the price of my higher-end badgers.

The Semogue 830 and 620 are both sub-$30 and are universally given stellar reviews. So, I bought one of each.

I can say, from my experience, they are indeed superior for hard soaps and croaps. I now use exclusively boar with Cella, Vitos, and both Arko and Williams pucks. My brush rotation is four Semogue boars (620, 830, 1305, SOC) and two Simpson best badgers.
 

mcee_sharp

MCEAPWINMOLQOVTIAAWHAMARTHAEHOAIDIAMRHDAE
I recently purchased my first boar brush, after walking by it in the pharmacy for years. All my other brushes have been, and are, good quality synthetics.

I'm really loving the Omega 10005 so far. Well worth the low cost. Will likely buy moar boar in the future!
 
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