Gentlemen I would like to review some of the most loved economical brushes out there and also compare the three brush hair types.
I would like to acknowledge bosseb's wonderful brush reviews especially this one:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/397957-Big-brushes-shootout-(pic-heavy)
Disclaimer: I am no expert when it comes to brushes, especially when it comes to badger and horse hair - I see myself more at an advanced starting point of my brush discovery journey. But since I have used each of these brushes for a while now, I think I am able to point out their respective differences.
I am also sorry for the poor action shoots I use mostly my phone camera in the bathroom.
I have been wetshaving for more than 2 years and have mainly used boar brushes (Omega 49, Omega 20102, Omega Bambino, B&B Essential boar, Semogue Owners Club, Semogue 2000), 3 badger brushes (Edwin Jagger Medium in Best, Whipped Dog 24mm Silvertip, Whipped Dog 24mm High Mountain) and one horse (Vie-Long 12705B).
Why have I chosen (and before that bought) these 3 brushes for this review?
The Omega 49 is my favourite boar brush hands down. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) this was also my first boar. At that time I was using the EJ, which was OK, but didn't excite me but the Omega blew me away in terms of lather production and scrub. I thought, that I am a boar lover and badgers are overrated (and too expensive).
I got the Vie-Long 1270B to experience a horse brush and again didn't want to spend too much. This model has a white, untreated knot, that consists of 50% Mane/50% Tail hair which is supposedly softer than knots with brown hair, consisting of more tail hair.
After starting to get curious about badger brushes and reading all the praise for Larry from Whipped Dog I got the 24mm Silvertip with a loft set to 48mm just to see if I really don't like badgers.
Omega 49 Boar
Knot: Hybrid (more fan), Diameter: 27mm, Loft: 65mm
Handle: Hollow Acrylic, Base diameter: 41mm, Height: 63mm
Cost: ~12$ from many vendors
Vie-Long 12705B Horse
Knot: Fan, White, 50% tale/50% mane, Diameter: 24mm, Loft: 50mm
Handle: Acrylic, Base diameter: 35mm, Height: 50mm
Cost: ~17$ from Juan at www.giftsandcare.com/en/
Whipped Dog Badger
Knot: Hybrid (more bulb), 3 band Silvertip, Diameter: 24mm, Loft: 48mm
Handle: Acyrlic, Base diameter: 35mm, Height: 50mm
Cost: ~35$ from Larry at http://www.whippeddog.com/
Vie-Long12705B, Omega 49, Whipped Dog Silvertip
For my shaving routine I soak the brush while I wash my face twice with pre-shave soap. I wring out the brush (even the boar), (over)-load and face lather. I like to build enough lather for the entire shave at once and face lather for some time. If the lather starts to spill over (or fly around), I scrape it off on the edge of the vessel I soak the brush in. I use hot towels to fully hydrate the whiskers, and then apply lather again with paint like motions. As I shave every 2nd day, I need 4 passes for a BBS shave and I also like to lather up at the end of the shave, while I clean my gear. So all in all I like to get 6 passes out of a brush.
My soap rotation include Stirling, Mike's, Haslinger Schafmilch, Otoko Organics and dare I say it The Beach (well it is my one and only tin I will not buy it again - but I do like it). For this review I had a close look at each of the brushes with Mike's, Stirling and RazoRock King of the Castle Lavender.
Face feeling
The face feeling of the brush is certainly the most important feature. I don't like what is commonly referred to as scritch I like to call it pin-needle pricking. For me, boar brushes have the least amount of softness, but also, boar scritch is less unpleasant than horse and badger scritch. In any case, the Vie-Long gives the Whipped Dog a run for its money in the category of most soft/most luxurious face feeling. The Vie-Long has a very soft feel but it took 5-7 shaves to get there. At the first use, the brush felt very uncomfortable to me but I am glad I kept using it and after seven uses the brush truly feels great. Dry the Vie-Long definitely feels softer, but when wet/loaded I would say the WD feels just a tad more luxurious. Very close call for first place here. The Omega is definitely the least soft of all three and it took around 3 months of breaking in to get there. Having said that, for me it is still much more pleasant than a scritchy bagder (for example my old EJ).
The scrub factor is the category at which the boar brush excels. If you enjoy this strong ex-foliating sensation, this brush is certainly for you. The WD is luxurious, but definitely has the least amount scrub of the three brushes.
As for focus, the Vie-Long wins this category. Due to the scrub factor, I simply cannot use the Omega brush without pressure and together with the large knot size this definitely does not help to control the lather. However I find the Omega has much more focus, than the large Semogue knots I have tried. I also have to point out, that when I first started using the Vie-Long, I applied to much pressure (in search for the scrub) this leads to tangling on the hair. However since I use the brush with less pressure, I never had this problem.
Softness: WD > Vie-Long > Omega
Scrub: Omega > Vie-Long > WD
Focus: Vie-Long > WD > Omega
Omega 49 with RazoRock King of the Castle Lavender
Lather building
Well I guess one could argue this is the most important factor in the brush. For me this is the real weak category of the Omega. The brush builds the lather more on the outside then on the inside. This results certainly from the fact, that I use more pressure with this brush but again, as mentioned above, that's how you get the boar scrub feel. The other 2 brushes, produce the lather more on the inside, which gives a creamier and slicker lather. Here I have to give a tie for the first spot.
The loading and lather building time is in my opinion not so important at the end of the days it only adds a minute or two to the whole shaving process. Having said that, the Omega definitely picks up soaps fastest out of the three and one can whip up a quick lather. But none of the brushes have any problems with my software.
The Omega also releases lather the best the brush has almost nothing left, when squeezing out at the end. However, all three brushes release the lather well and even the Whipped Dog has not much left after six passes.
Lather quality: Vie-Long=WD > Omega
Lathering time: Omega > Vie-Long > WD
Lather release: Omega > Vie-Long > WD
Backbone
For me the term backbone is a bit nondescript therefore I am not going to talk about it here. I think I have discussed what generally is regarded as backbone in the scrub and lather-building time. I really hope that Joel will rectify this with his new brush terminology in the Brush Wars V2 thread:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/429454-Brush-Wars-V2-(RENAMED-to-Brush-Buyers-Guide)
Vie-Long12705B with Mike's Lemongrass & Eucalyptus
Knot
The amount of lather the brush can hold is for me a very important factor. As mentioned in the beginning, I like to get 6 passes of lather out of a brush. The only brush, that has problems doing this is the Omega. It can hold easily four passes of lather, but everything more is a problem. The Whipped Dog and Vie-Long can both hold 6 passes of lather again a tie for the top spot.
Lather-capacity: WD = Vie-Long > Omega
Handle
I really don't want to review the handles here the only nicer looking handle out of these 3 is the Whipped Dog which is a bit heavier and not hollow. But the size and shape of the Omega is the most comfortable for me (because I have large hands) and the Vie-Long is very ergonomic. Having said that you are not going to buy these brushes because of their artisan handles.
Whipped Dog 24mm Silvertip with Stirling Lavender & Sage
Conclusion and where to form here (for me at least)
I hope I could give you a little bit of an idea, about the differences in brush hair types. For me the boar excels in the scrub department, however in all other (for me important) factors it lags behind. The Whipped Dog has the most luxurious face feel out of the three but the Vie-Long was for me the surprise brush. I almost gave up on it after 5 uses but know I am so glad I didn't. I think it is probably the best value bush out of the three.
I think I have now explored enough boar brushes. I will certainly hold on to my Omega, and it will have a place in my rotation but I see it being used less and less.
From what I have heard, this Vie-Long brush has the softest horse knot out there, so I am not going to buy another one just for a nicer handle. I would be interested in a larger horse hair brush with the same hair and I am sure I will get one in the future. In the meantime the Vie-Long has won a fixed spot in my current rotation and I will also use it as my travel brush.
As for badger brushes I think I am just at he very beginning of my exploration. I have already a 2-band (a so called High Mountain) brush from Whipped Dog but I am seriously contemplating buying my first high-end badger brush. There are only 2 problems: too much choice and not so much disposable income
I would like to acknowledge bosseb's wonderful brush reviews especially this one:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/397957-Big-brushes-shootout-(pic-heavy)
Disclaimer: I am no expert when it comes to brushes, especially when it comes to badger and horse hair - I see myself more at an advanced starting point of my brush discovery journey. But since I have used each of these brushes for a while now, I think I am able to point out their respective differences.
I am also sorry for the poor action shoots I use mostly my phone camera in the bathroom.
I have been wetshaving for more than 2 years and have mainly used boar brushes (Omega 49, Omega 20102, Omega Bambino, B&B Essential boar, Semogue Owners Club, Semogue 2000), 3 badger brushes (Edwin Jagger Medium in Best, Whipped Dog 24mm Silvertip, Whipped Dog 24mm High Mountain) and one horse (Vie-Long 12705B).
Vie-Long12705B, Omega 49, Whipped Dog Silvertip
Why have I chosen (and before that bought) these 3 brushes for this review?
The Omega 49 is my favourite boar brush hands down. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) this was also my first boar. At that time I was using the EJ, which was OK, but didn't excite me but the Omega blew me away in terms of lather production and scrub. I thought, that I am a boar lover and badgers are overrated (and too expensive).
I got the Vie-Long 1270B to experience a horse brush and again didn't want to spend too much. This model has a white, untreated knot, that consists of 50% Mane/50% Tail hair which is supposedly softer than knots with brown hair, consisting of more tail hair.
After starting to get curious about badger brushes and reading all the praise for Larry from Whipped Dog I got the 24mm Silvertip with a loft set to 48mm just to see if I really don't like badgers.
Omega 49 Boar
Knot: Hybrid (more fan), Diameter: 27mm, Loft: 65mm
Handle: Hollow Acrylic, Base diameter: 41mm, Height: 63mm
Cost: ~12$ from many vendors
Vie-Long 12705B Horse
Knot: Fan, White, 50% tale/50% mane, Diameter: 24mm, Loft: 50mm
Handle: Acrylic, Base diameter: 35mm, Height: 50mm
Cost: ~17$ from Juan at www.giftsandcare.com/en/
Whipped Dog Badger
Knot: Hybrid (more bulb), 3 band Silvertip, Diameter: 24mm, Loft: 48mm
Handle: Acyrlic, Base diameter: 35mm, Height: 50mm
Cost: ~35$ from Larry at http://www.whippeddog.com/
Vie-Long12705B, Omega 49, Whipped Dog Silvertip
For my shaving routine I soak the brush while I wash my face twice with pre-shave soap. I wring out the brush (even the boar), (over)-load and face lather. I like to build enough lather for the entire shave at once and face lather for some time. If the lather starts to spill over (or fly around), I scrape it off on the edge of the vessel I soak the brush in. I use hot towels to fully hydrate the whiskers, and then apply lather again with paint like motions. As I shave every 2nd day, I need 4 passes for a BBS shave and I also like to lather up at the end of the shave, while I clean my gear. So all in all I like to get 6 passes out of a brush.
My soap rotation include Stirling, Mike's, Haslinger Schafmilch, Otoko Organics and dare I say it The Beach (well it is my one and only tin I will not buy it again - but I do like it). For this review I had a close look at each of the brushes with Mike's, Stirling and RazoRock King of the Castle Lavender.
Face feeling
The face feeling of the brush is certainly the most important feature. I don't like what is commonly referred to as scritch I like to call it pin-needle pricking. For me, boar brushes have the least amount of softness, but also, boar scritch is less unpleasant than horse and badger scritch. In any case, the Vie-Long gives the Whipped Dog a run for its money in the category of most soft/most luxurious face feeling. The Vie-Long has a very soft feel but it took 5-7 shaves to get there. At the first use, the brush felt very uncomfortable to me but I am glad I kept using it and after seven uses the brush truly feels great. Dry the Vie-Long definitely feels softer, but when wet/loaded I would say the WD feels just a tad more luxurious. Very close call for first place here. The Omega is definitely the least soft of all three and it took around 3 months of breaking in to get there. Having said that, for me it is still much more pleasant than a scritchy bagder (for example my old EJ).
The scrub factor is the category at which the boar brush excels. If you enjoy this strong ex-foliating sensation, this brush is certainly for you. The WD is luxurious, but definitely has the least amount scrub of the three brushes.
As for focus, the Vie-Long wins this category. Due to the scrub factor, I simply cannot use the Omega brush without pressure and together with the large knot size this definitely does not help to control the lather. However I find the Omega has much more focus, than the large Semogue knots I have tried. I also have to point out, that when I first started using the Vie-Long, I applied to much pressure (in search for the scrub) this leads to tangling on the hair. However since I use the brush with less pressure, I never had this problem.
Softness: WD > Vie-Long > Omega
Scrub: Omega > Vie-Long > WD
Focus: Vie-Long > WD > Omega
Omega 49 with RazoRock King of the Castle Lavender
Lather building
Well I guess one could argue this is the most important factor in the brush. For me this is the real weak category of the Omega. The brush builds the lather more on the outside then on the inside. This results certainly from the fact, that I use more pressure with this brush but again, as mentioned above, that's how you get the boar scrub feel. The other 2 brushes, produce the lather more on the inside, which gives a creamier and slicker lather. Here I have to give a tie for the first spot.
The loading and lather building time is in my opinion not so important at the end of the days it only adds a minute or two to the whole shaving process. Having said that, the Omega definitely picks up soaps fastest out of the three and one can whip up a quick lather. But none of the brushes have any problems with my software.
The Omega also releases lather the best the brush has almost nothing left, when squeezing out at the end. However, all three brushes release the lather well and even the Whipped Dog has not much left after six passes.
Lather quality: Vie-Long=WD > Omega
Lathering time: Omega > Vie-Long > WD
Lather release: Omega > Vie-Long > WD
Backbone
For me the term backbone is a bit nondescript therefore I am not going to talk about it here. I think I have discussed what generally is regarded as backbone in the scrub and lather-building time. I really hope that Joel will rectify this with his new brush terminology in the Brush Wars V2 thread:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/429454-Brush-Wars-V2-(RENAMED-to-Brush-Buyers-Guide)
Vie-Long12705B with Mike's Lemongrass & Eucalyptus
Knot
The amount of lather the brush can hold is for me a very important factor. As mentioned in the beginning, I like to get 6 passes of lather out of a brush. The only brush, that has problems doing this is the Omega. It can hold easily four passes of lather, but everything more is a problem. The Whipped Dog and Vie-Long can both hold 6 passes of lather again a tie for the top spot.
Lather-capacity: WD = Vie-Long > Omega
Handle
I really don't want to review the handles here the only nicer looking handle out of these 3 is the Whipped Dog which is a bit heavier and not hollow. But the size and shape of the Omega is the most comfortable for me (because I have large hands) and the Vie-Long is very ergonomic. Having said that you are not going to buy these brushes because of their artisan handles.
Whipped Dog 24mm Silvertip with Stirling Lavender & Sage
Conclusion and where to form here (for me at least)
I hope I could give you a little bit of an idea, about the differences in brush hair types. For me the boar excels in the scrub department, however in all other (for me important) factors it lags behind. The Whipped Dog has the most luxurious face feel out of the three but the Vie-Long was for me the surprise brush. I almost gave up on it after 5 uses but know I am so glad I didn't. I think it is probably the best value bush out of the three.
I think I have now explored enough boar brushes. I will certainly hold on to my Omega, and it will have a place in my rotation but I see it being used less and less.
From what I have heard, this Vie-Long brush has the softest horse knot out there, so I am not going to buy another one just for a nicer handle. I would be interested in a larger horse hair brush with the same hair and I am sure I will get one in the future. In the meantime the Vie-Long has won a fixed spot in my current rotation and I will also use it as my travel brush.
As for badger brushes I think I am just at he very beginning of my exploration. I have already a 2-band (a so called High Mountain) brush from Whipped Dog but I am seriously contemplating buying my first high-end badger brush. There are only 2 problems: too much choice and not so much disposable income
