Yep...continues to be a great thread and I will stay tuned.
Keep up the good writing.
Keep up the good writing.
Brush Experiment
- Thread starter Wirebender
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
Omega Boar, Day One
I realized as I was shaving that I haven't commented on the razor or the blades in a long while. I'll keep it short. The Rockwell 6S is spectacular. I have it on setting 3 and it is a comfortable, middle of the road shave. Not too mild, certainly not too aggressive. Setting 2 reminds me of my first safety razor: an old Gillette Rocket (still have it). Setting 3 is just that much more efficient. Anyway, I can't recommend a Rockwell enough.
It is a beautiful instrument.
I paired the Rockwell with a fresh Feather blade. Need I say more: a perfect BBS. Treat a Feather with respect and it will reward you.
On to the brush...
The Boar was well broken in by the time I put it to my face. The bristles had softened nicely and split ends were apparent. I soaked it for about five minutes and began to lather the MWF. This was an experience!! This brush made short work of the MWF and I had loads of thick lather in a matter of seconds. Almost too much! If there ever was such a thing. The stiff backbone of the boar required little load time as it picked up plenty of soap in a short half-dozen circles.
The application was enjoyable. A good exfoliation without much if any scritchiness. True to form, a well prepared boar is a terrific brush.
I won't repeat myself or boar...er...bore you with the shave. Needless to say, it was excellent.
Day three shave report to come....
I realized as I was shaving that I haven't commented on the razor or the blades in a long while. I'll keep it short. The Rockwell 6S is spectacular. I have it on setting 3 and it is a comfortable, middle of the road shave. Not too mild, certainly not too aggressive. Setting 2 reminds me of my first safety razor: an old Gillette Rocket (still have it). Setting 3 is just that much more efficient. Anyway, I can't recommend a Rockwell enough.
It is a beautiful instrument.
I paired the Rockwell with a fresh Feather blade. Need I say more: a perfect BBS. Treat a Feather with respect and it will reward you.
On to the brush...
The Boar was well broken in by the time I put it to my face. The bristles had softened nicely and split ends were apparent. I soaked it for about five minutes and began to lather the MWF. This was an experience!! This brush made short work of the MWF and I had loads of thick lather in a matter of seconds. Almost too much! If there ever was such a thing. The stiff backbone of the boar required little load time as it picked up plenty of soap in a short half-dozen circles.
The application was enjoyable. A good exfoliation without much if any scritchiness. True to form, a well prepared boar is a terrific brush.
I won't repeat myself or boar...er...bore you with the shave. Needless to say, it was excellent.
Day three shave report to come....
Your thread has inspired me to order a boar knot for my grandfathers old brush. I was leaning toward putting in a badger, but this has helped me commit to keeping it like the original.
Keep up the good review.
Keep up the good review.
- Thread starter
- #24
That's terrific news. Sometimes we get seduced by preconception. There's a reason that boar brushes still hold a place of high regard in the experienced shavers world. Badger and Horse are terrific in their own right, but each has it's own special quality and character.
Please post some pics of your restoration when it's complete!
Please post some pics of your restoration when it's complete!
Glad to see your results with the boar mirror mine. I was somewhat impressed by how nice the face feel is while still maintaining a strong backbone. It's a unique combination that is similar to a good firm finest badger, yet unique enough in its own way to warrant owning one. Definitely a great - maybe even the best - choice for lathering hard pucks.
Keep the thread rolling, it's a good one.
Keep the thread rolling, it's a good one.
- Thread starter
- #26
Boar Bristle, Shave Three
Is this surprising?
Now that I have gotten the hang of MWF with the boar bristle, I have to say that the lather is the thickest and richest that I've ever made with any brush. The badger hair and the horse hair brushes give a nice lather, but I would call it thin. Especially compared to the experience I'm having with the boar.
I have to admit that I'm very pleased that I gave the boar a longer break-in before using it. The bristles are very soft, but as noted before, the backbone is superb. I think it's important to recognize that this is a terrific tool for hard soaps that have a reputation of being difficult to lather. I would go so far as to recommend to anyone who has ever had trouble with MWF, consider the brush before signing off on the soap.
I want to come back to the quality of the MWF lather. It is extraordinary. The boar tends to be a bit more stingy with giving up the lather on the third pass, but there's so damn much of it, you only realize it when you're cleaning the brush post-shave! The slickness also seems to be improved. When I consider the quality of the lather, the quality of the backbone of the bristles and the softness of the tips, my inexpensive Omega Boar Bristle is outperforming the competition.
Four more shaves to go and then we enter the playoffs.
Stay tuned....
Is this surprising?
Now that I have gotten the hang of MWF with the boar bristle, I have to say that the lather is the thickest and richest that I've ever made with any brush. The badger hair and the horse hair brushes give a nice lather, but I would call it thin. Especially compared to the experience I'm having with the boar.
I have to admit that I'm very pleased that I gave the boar a longer break-in before using it. The bristles are very soft, but as noted before, the backbone is superb. I think it's important to recognize that this is a terrific tool for hard soaps that have a reputation of being difficult to lather. I would go so far as to recommend to anyone who has ever had trouble with MWF, consider the brush before signing off on the soap.
I want to come back to the quality of the MWF lather. It is extraordinary. The boar tends to be a bit more stingy with giving up the lather on the third pass, but there's so damn much of it, you only realize it when you're cleaning the brush post-shave! The slickness also seems to be improved. When I consider the quality of the lather, the quality of the backbone of the bristles and the softness of the tips, my inexpensive Omega Boar Bristle is outperforming the competition.
Four more shaves to go and then we enter the playoffs.
Stay tuned....
Round after round, staying tuned to the screen.- Thread starter
- #28
Final shave
The boar hair brush was a terrific experience.
It's human nature to be attracted to the more expensive, less accessible products. Without a doubt, in traditional shaving circles the boar brush takes a back seat to badger hair. But what if the hair didn't come from a boar, rather a more interesting, exotic animal; plucked from the backside of a sleeping polar bear, tweezed from the underbelly of an unhinged wolverine, or the shaved whiskers of some deepsea kraken? Would the quality of the brush be called into question?
Not for me to answer.
What I will say is the boar brush was a joy to use and holds a place of high regard in my tiny little collection. With each progressive shave, the bristles mystified me with their dual softness and strong backbone. The lather was exceptionally thick and rich. Even though the boar was stingy at times, I had plenty of silky lather to finish three high performance passes. Under the control of the boar brush, MWF easily lathered with little to no effort. Following each shave, my skin felt exfoliated and smooth. I had a great experience with this brush and look forward to using it again.
On that note, tomorrow signals the beginning of the brush playoffs, or the Brushoffs.
A little reminder:
The Brushoff will include a...
Monday shave with the badger brush
Tuesday shave with the horse hair
Wednesday shave with the boar
The weakest performer will be eliminated. Which one will be brushed off?
A final showdown will occur on Thursday and Friday between the two remaining brushes. Reports of the preliminary and final playoff rounds will be posted on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
It's getting interesting....
The boar hair brush was a terrific experience.
It's human nature to be attracted to the more expensive, less accessible products. Without a doubt, in traditional shaving circles the boar brush takes a back seat to badger hair. But what if the hair didn't come from a boar, rather a more interesting, exotic animal; plucked from the backside of a sleeping polar bear, tweezed from the underbelly of an unhinged wolverine, or the shaved whiskers of some deepsea kraken? Would the quality of the brush be called into question?
Not for me to answer.
What I will say is the boar brush was a joy to use and holds a place of high regard in my tiny little collection. With each progressive shave, the bristles mystified me with their dual softness and strong backbone. The lather was exceptionally thick and rich. Even though the boar was stingy at times, I had plenty of silky lather to finish three high performance passes. Under the control of the boar brush, MWF easily lathered with little to no effort. Following each shave, my skin felt exfoliated and smooth. I had a great experience with this brush and look forward to using it again.
On that note, tomorrow signals the beginning of the brush playoffs, or the Brushoffs.
A little reminder:
The Brushoff will include a...
Monday shave with the badger brush
Tuesday shave with the horse hair
Wednesday shave with the boar
The weakest performer will be eliminated. Which one will be brushed off?
A final showdown will occur on Thursday and Friday between the two remaining brushes. Reports of the preliminary and final playoff rounds will be posted on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
It's getting interesting....
Well played.- Thread starter
- #30
Brushoff Round One
I'm going to keep this short.
The two brushes to move on to the Brushoff Finals will be The Omega Boar and the Simpson Best Badger.
The Vie Long Horse Hair was a worthy competitor. It lathered well, although, it didn't hold water quite as well as the Badger or the Boar, thus making the lather a little more runny at times. This affirms that the horse hair can be a little more technique sensitive. This isn't a reason to denigrate horse hair, rather it defines its character. So why did it lose?
Here's why:
The horse hair doesn't have much of a break-in. The scritchiness persists regardless of use. The Boar evolves from shave to shave, getting better with each use. With time, it feels like an extension of your hand. Out of the gate, the Badger is a soft, easily accepted brush -- immediately feeling familiar. And I guess this is where the issue lies. I never felt that familiarity develop with the horse hair brush.
With regards to familiarity:
The Badger was immediate.
The Boar evolved.
The Horse was not familiar and with little break-in change, never evolved.
The Vie Long is a beautiful, high quality brush and I would never disparage it, my conclusions are purely a non-scientific and personal decisions.
I will continue to use my Vie Long Horse Hair. I often take a "neglected" brush on vacation (that sounds somewhat psychotic). Let me clarify. I bring a less familiar brush with me on vacation, which forces me to use it for a week or two. It allows me to experiment and enjoy a little change -- and hopefully find a new furry friend (Oh Jeez, this is going off the rails fast).
I'd say I'm going to quit while I'm ahead, but I lost that opportunity a lonnng time ago!
Next: Brushoff Finals
I'm going to keep this short.
The two brushes to move on to the Brushoff Finals will be The Omega Boar and the Simpson Best Badger.
The Vie Long Horse Hair was a worthy competitor. It lathered well, although, it didn't hold water quite as well as the Badger or the Boar, thus making the lather a little more runny at times. This affirms that the horse hair can be a little more technique sensitive. This isn't a reason to denigrate horse hair, rather it defines its character. So why did it lose?
Here's why:
The horse hair doesn't have much of a break-in. The scritchiness persists regardless of use. The Boar evolves from shave to shave, getting better with each use. With time, it feels like an extension of your hand. Out of the gate, the Badger is a soft, easily accepted brush -- immediately feeling familiar. And I guess this is where the issue lies. I never felt that familiarity develop with the horse hair brush.
With regards to familiarity:
The Badger was immediate.
The Boar evolved.
The Horse was not familiar and with little break-in change, never evolved.
The Vie Long is a beautiful, high quality brush and I would never disparage it, my conclusions are purely a non-scientific and personal decisions.
I will continue to use my Vie Long Horse Hair. I often take a "neglected" brush on vacation (that sounds somewhat psychotic). Let me clarify. I bring a less familiar brush with me on vacation, which forces me to use it for a week or two. It allows me to experiment and enjoy a little change -- and hopefully find a new furry friend (Oh Jeez, this is going off the rails fast).
I'd say I'm going to quit while I'm ahead, but I lost that opportunity a lonnng time ago!
Next: Brushoff Finals
Last edited:
A nice summation. If I had to guess I think you are leaning to the Boar.
- Thread starter
- #32
Brushoff Final Results
It's been an interesting few weeks. The last two days have included two pleasurable shaves. The first shave with the Simpson Best Badger Brush and the second shave with the Omega Boar Brush.
The winner is clear.
The best brush is...
The Omega Boar!!!
The boar bristles performed beyond expectation with the MWF. I was able to develop a rich, thick and slick lather. Application was excellent with the now softened tips and the firm backbone. So much so, I couldn't find a single fault with this brush. Interestingly, the beechwood handle, which I initially thought was too light, grew on my me to the point that now I am quite happy with it.
The badger brush also performed very well. I can't say that I can find any fault with the badger bristles either. It is most decidedly a softer hair and certainly feels more luxurious. The backbone is present, but nowhere near as stiff as the boar. I think the tipping point was in the immediacy that the MWF was transformed into a first class lather by the boar brush. The return on my effort was so much higher with the boar. And as I noted in an earlier post, the joy of breaking in and developing the boar bristles established a very personal connection with the brush.
So. The Omega Boar Brush is excellent. It won the contest. Now for the more profound question: which brush will be my daily driver? I can answer that without pause or any doubt.
The Simpson Milk Churn Best Badger
Why, you might ask? I have fallen for the softness and the luxury. When I use the Simpson, I feel like I am performing a ritual. There is a distinct sense that traditional shaving is an elevation of spirit and soul. A zen experience, if you will. The Simpson Milk Churn Brush reenforces this state of mind. I will look forward to using the Omega Boar Brush on occasion, perhaps even a two or three times a week, but for now, The Simpson Brush is my favourite.
Perhaps you really can't choose who you fall in love with.
It's been an interesting few weeks. The last two days have included two pleasurable shaves. The first shave with the Simpson Best Badger Brush and the second shave with the Omega Boar Brush.
The winner is clear.
The best brush is...
The Omega Boar!!!
The boar bristles performed beyond expectation with the MWF. I was able to develop a rich, thick and slick lather. Application was excellent with the now softened tips and the firm backbone. So much so, I couldn't find a single fault with this brush. Interestingly, the beechwood handle, which I initially thought was too light, grew on my me to the point that now I am quite happy with it.
The badger brush also performed very well. I can't say that I can find any fault with the badger bristles either. It is most decidedly a softer hair and certainly feels more luxurious. The backbone is present, but nowhere near as stiff as the boar. I think the tipping point was in the immediacy that the MWF was transformed into a first class lather by the boar brush. The return on my effort was so much higher with the boar. And as I noted in an earlier post, the joy of breaking in and developing the boar bristles established a very personal connection with the brush.
So. The Omega Boar Brush is excellent. It won the contest. Now for the more profound question: which brush will be my daily driver? I can answer that without pause or any doubt.
The Simpson Milk Churn Best Badger
Why, you might ask? I have fallen for the softness and the luxury. When I use the Simpson, I feel like I am performing a ritual. There is a distinct sense that traditional shaving is an elevation of spirit and soul. A zen experience, if you will. The Simpson Milk Churn Brush reenforces this state of mind. I will look forward to using the Omega Boar Brush on occasion, perhaps even a two or three times a week, but for now, The Simpson Brush is my favourite.
Perhaps you really can't choose who you fall in love with.
