Good and better boar hair brushes?

[oldblue]

Greetings

I was just wondering if anyone with experience of several boar brushes has noted a correlation between price and quality, I.E. more $ equals better/softer bristles?

I'm currently using an Omega 10005 brush with the beech wood handle.

Or maybe more money only buys a nicer handle? I see the Boreal and Semogue boar brushes are quite highly regarded by some. What else is worth trying before making the leap to some really good badger hair brushes?

oldblue

 

[DavidB]

The brush head on the 10005 is (I believe) the same as on the other Omega brushes of similar size. It's a good brush head, and I have a couple of Omega brushes with the same one. For a step up, I recommend the new line of Vulfix boar brushes that have lathe-turned handles. C o n n a u g h t Shaving sells them. I absolutely love the 2233 boar brush. ~$22 delivered. I have two. They're my favorite brush. Plenty of "backbone" for soaps, but the tips are soft right out of the box, and get softer with use.

Semogue get really good marks, but I have no epxerience with them.

Dave

 

[oldblue]

The brush head on the 10005 is (I believe) the same as on the other Omega brushes of similar size. It's a good brush head, and I have a couple of Omega brushes with the same one. For a step up, I recommend the new line of Vulfix boar brushes that have lathe-turned handles. C o n n a u g h t Shaving sells them. I absolutely love the 2233 boar brush. ~$22 delivered. I have two. They're my favorite brush. Plenty of "backbone" for soaps, but the tips are soft right out of the box, and get softer with use.

Semogue get really good marks, but I have no epxerience with them.

Dave

Hi Dave:

Thanks for the response.

I think your observation about the Omega brushes is right on; my gut feeling tells me the same thing. I see the Omega 31064 has some fans here as well, but mostly it appears to have a fancy handle and dyed bristles to give the appearance of a badger hair knot.

I'm looking at Vulfix for my first good badger brush, but I'm hearing some good feedback about their boar hair offerings as well.

oldblue

 

[rickboone1]

This brush http://www.shavingessentials.biz/in...id=379&zenid=763054846d05193dd42c34b7a5b6af25

has a bit of a 'following', if you will. I use it myself. Pretty much the only brush I now use.

 

[Ignatius]

The 31064 is much better than the other boars I've used. Its partly the heft of the handle, and partly that the dimensions are just right for boar, but there really is a difference in the knot as well; the individual bristles are much thicker than the small Omegas, and the brush is overall softer than my other boars I think (new and broken in).

The artifically banded knots Omega sell seem to be a lot softer; its been speculated that perhaps the treatment they receive softens them, but I'm not sure.

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

I'm looking at Vulfix for my first good badger brush, but I'm hearing some good feedback about their boar hair offerings as well.

Stay with boar

 

[Dpflaum]

Just for the record, I have both Boar and Badger, I love both, can't say I have a preference.

I have an Omega (the one that is a step up from the basic colored) and a Semogue (1520), and let's just say that the Semogue doesn't get out much. It is stiffer, scrubbier, harder to break in, and more expensive. Not a winning combo in my mind. Granted there are a lot of people that love them, but I have and use both and the Omega wins every time.

And if you want to get a badger... I recommend either the small vulfix super (floppy, but in a good way, and a lather machine) or save up a little more for a Rooney. They are super dense and scrubby but soft at the same time, a great mix between a scrubby boar and a floppy badger.

 

[mmack66]

I have an Omega 80265 that I got for $8 shipped and I find it to be an excellent brush.