Omega Black Hi-Brush-what the S-brush should have been

[Cal]

What can i say. YMMV. I do think my S-brush has less bloom than yours (either by manufacturing or because of less use) and it's like a springy broom from hell.

Ha! That was a good memory jogger for me Boar Fighter.

What seems like aeons ago, I sent my beloved S10065 off for a handle upgrade. It looks just great, but it was (accidentally) set 2mm lower than requested. That made it perform just the way you describe yours. I immediately purchased a new S10065 (which fortunately has the standard 55mm loft [vs the 53mm loft on the rehandled one]). I found it quite amazing that a 2mm difference in the knot setting depth made such a radical difference to performance.

 

[bluesman 7]

it's like a springy broom from hell.

I can certainly see why your S-brush could be described this way.

I have the S10108 and quite like it, but I had been using a Body Shop synthetic for five years for travel so I guess I have learned to handle the sproing.

 

[Boar Fighter]

I can certainly see why your S-brush could be described this way.

I have the S10108 and quite like it, but I had been using a Body Shop synthetic for five years for travel so I guess I have learned to handle the sproing.

You are a happy man then! Someone who likes the S-brush, can lather with any synthetic.

 

[bluesman 7]

You are a happy man then! Someone who likes the S-brush, can lather with any synthetic.

Actually, many of them I find too floppy. I have a Timberwolf knot that I set at a reduced loft to reduce the floppyness that I like pretty well. Totally different than the S-brush.

 

[Boar Fighter]

Actually, many of them I find too floppy. I have a Timberwolf knot that I set at a reduced loft to reduce the floppyness that I like pretty well. Totally different than the S-brush.

Ahahaha! I think you got too used to the S-brush!

 

[bluesman 7]

Ahahaha! I think you got too used to the S-brush!

No, they were too floppy before I tried the S-Brush or my reduced loft Timberwolf. I'm too used to my Omega 10104 boar. The brush all will be judged against.

 

[rudyt]

I do think my S-brush has less bloom than yours (either by manufacturing or because of less use) and it's like a springy broom from hell.

Hahaha - that made me laugh. It's funny and on point.

I'm going to order a Black Hi-Brush based on your description since we have similar tastes in brushes.

 

[Boar Fighter]

Hahaha - that made me laugh. It's funny and on point.

I'm going to order a Black Hi-Brush based on your description since we have similar tastes in brushes.

Well, i hope you won't be disappointed. If you expect something better than the s-brush, i don't think you will.

 

[rudyt]

Well, i hope you won't be disappointed. If you expect something better than the s-brush, i don't think you will.

I had to read that sentence twice to get what you meant - I'm slow today ;-) Anyway, brush had been ordered from Connaught. I'll let you know what I think in a week or two. Thanks.

 

[Boar Fighter]

I had to read that sentence twice to get what you meant - I'm slow today ;-) Anyway, brush had been ordered from Connaught. I'll let you know what I think in a week or two. Thanks.

I don't think you are slow. I am afraid the culprit was my english. I think i should have added a "be" at the end of "think you will".

 

[rudyt]

I don't think you are slow. I am afraid the culprit was my english. I think i should have added a "be" at the end of "think you will".

No worries - your written English is way better then my written Italian. Italian is my mother tongue and first language, but all my schooling was in English, so although I speak Italian fluently (both proper and my dad's dialect), I struggle to read and write. I understand my mom's dialect, but there's only about 200 people left on the planet who can actually speak it.

 

[rudyt]

With the Black High brush, although i do feel the springy backbone, i can sufficiently splay it without major annoyance and do my beloved swirling-circular motions without cursing.

After 25 days, my Omega Black Hi-Brush finally arrived from Connaught Shaving. In the hand, it felt very supple with none of the springiness I abhor. This is going to be a great brush. It smelled funny though, like a factory, so it needed a de-funking lather with MWF.

It had no trouble building an easy lather in the bowl, and it felt great. Can this be the perfect synthetic? Let's try some face lathering.

AAARGH! It's not springy per-se, but still has that annoying reluctance to splay that the Omega S-Brush and Muhle STF have.

Time for some "training". I left the brush splayed out with a weight on top overnight to try to bend the fibers and coax it into splaying easier. The good news is that it stayed really well splayed out after removing the weight.

How did it work today? Ex-ce-llent-ly. Easy splay, no springiness, and one major surprise. All the other synthetics like Yaqis and other Plisson-like knots, and even the non-Plisson S-Brush, have super soft tips like a badger or well-broken in boar. This Black version of the Hi-Brush, which is supposed to mimic a pure badger, has a bit of scratch. It feels almost exactly like my well broken in brown horse. Winner winner chicken dinner.

This is probably the only synth that feels like a brown horse. Both Yaqi and APShaveCo have what they call brown synthetic horse hair brushes, but these are just Yaqi Plisson-like knots that are dyed brown. Plisson-like tips are too soft and will never feel like a good brown horse, but this Omega comes real close.

After three shaves so far, I'm really enjoying this brush. Thanks @Boar Fighter

 

[Boar Fighter]

After 25 days, my Omega Black Hi-Brush finally arrived from Connaught Shaving. In the hand, it felt very supple with none of the springiness I abhor. This is going to be a great brush. It smelled funny though, like a factory, so it needed a de-funking lather with MWF.

It had no trouble building an easy lather in the bowl, and it felt great. Can this be the perfect synthetic? Let's try some face lathering.

AAARGH! It's not springy per-se, but still has that annoying reluctance to splay that the Omega S-Brush and Muhle STF have.

Time for some "training". I left the brush splayed out with a weight on top overnight to try to bend the fibers and coax it into splaying easier. The good news is that it stayed really well splayed out after removing the weight.

How did it work today? Ex-ce-llent-ly. Easy splay, no springiness, and one major surprise. All the other synthetics like Yaqis and other Plisson-like knots, and even the non-Plisson S-Brush, have super soft tips like a badger or well-broken in boar. This Black version of the Hi-Brush, which is supposed to mimic a pure badger, has a bit of scratch. It feels almost exactly like my well broken in brown horse. Winner winner chicken dinner.

This is probably the only synth that feels like a brown horse. Both Yaqi and APShaveCo have what they call brown synthetic horse hair brushes, but these are just Yaqi Plisson-like knots that are dyed brown. Plisson-like tips are too soft and will never feel like a good brown horse, but this Omega comes real close.

After three shaves so far, I'm really enjoying this brush. Thanks @Boar Fighter

Mine had no smell and my 2 horses don't have scratch (or maybe i have become scratch resistant due to my black pure badgers, go figure), but, all is well that ends well! I do agree that this synthetic has some little scratch though. Certainly more than plissofts. So i am glad you like it!

I will probably perform your "break in method with the weight" next time that i will use it. I usually just pump the brush against a shaving bowl while i clean it, but your weight method sounds more effective and quick. So, thank you too!

 

[mawashi]

Boar Fighter,

Thank gawd I got a RR Bruce syn as my first if I had gotten a sharpened tip, spring loaded brush I would have swore off syns from the word GO.

Kudos to you for sticking through the review even though, it should like a brush from hell lol.

Your advice and info has certainly helped thank you!

 

[rudyt]

Mine had no smell and my 2 horses don't have scratch (or maybe i have become scratch resistant due to my black pure badgers, go figure), but, all is well that ends well! I do agree that this synthetic has some little scratch though. Certainly more than plissofts. So i am glad you like it!

I will probably perform your "break in method with the weight" next time that i will use it. I usually just pump the brush against a shaving bowl while i clean it, but your weight method sounds more effective and quick. So, thank you too!

My white horse has zero scritch, while my two brown horses have a bit (which I like).

Here's are the three brushes that I did my weight trick on. This picture was taken two or three shaves afterwards, and you can see they've retained most of their splayed out look

.

 

[Boar Fighter]

Boar Fighter,

Thank gawd I got a RR Bruce syn as my first if I had gotten a sharpened tip, spring loaded brush I would have swore off syns from the word GO.

Kudos to you for sticking through the review even though, it should like a brush from hell lol.

Your advice and info has certainly helped thank you!

If i am not mistaken Razorocks are manufactured by Yaqi... I have 3 Yaqi plissofts. They are better than the Black Hi-Brush for me, no doubt.

My white horse has zero scritch, while my two brown horses have a bit (which I like).

Here's are the three brushes that I did my weight trick on. This picture was taken two or three shaves afterwards, and you can see they've retained most of their splayed out look

.

Boy, the weight method really works. I am going to do it on my black synth too next time. I know the Proraso enough to know how strong backbone has. I 've also see the Epsilon knot new and the splay yours has is incredible...

I like horses very much. I have 1 brown and 1 white vie long and if it wasn't for the fact that they all form tangles, i wouldn't have bought more than 2 badgers. But the tangling killed any intention of getting more. Shame...

 

[rudyt]

Boy, the weight method really works. I am going to do it on my black synth too next time.

See below for a picture of my Black Hi-Brush 4 shaves after I did the overnight weight trick.

I like horses very much. I have 1 brown and 1 white vie long and if it wasn't for the fact that they all form tangles, i wouldn't have bought more than 2 badgers. But the tangling killed any intention of getting more.

I'm like you and like to splay the brush and do circles. Yes, my horses are *prone* to tangling, so I take preemptive measures that don't let it get there. After every shave, I just pass a wide tooth comb through the still wet brush and it never tangles.

 

[Boar Fighter]

See below for a picture of my Black Hi-Brush 4 shaves after I did the overnight weight trick.
I'm like you and like to splay the brush and do circles. Yes, my horses are *prone* to tangling, so I take preemptive measures that don't let it get there. After every shave, I just pass a wide tooth comb through the still wet brush and it never tangles.

Yes, your brush has definitely bloomed more than mine. The weight trick really works. Unfortunately i have to do the same. I confiscated a wide tooth long comb from the wife and i untangle the horses after each shave. But unfortunately, they tangle during the shave anyway... Especially the white hair.

 

[rudyt]

I confiscated a wide tooth long comb from the wife and i untangle the horses after each shave. But unfortunately, they tangle during the shave anyway... Especially the white hair.

OK, I forgot to mention that both of my regular use horses are 24mm and have had the loft lowered to about 50mm, so they don't tangle during the shave, but will tangle on the second shave if I don't comb them. My only white horse is the Epsilon "wall of hair", which is also about 50mm. My 4th horse is a tiny 20mm brown that I lowered to about 43mm - I have no clue where it is to confirm

 

[Boar Fighter]

OK, I forgot to mention that both of my regular use horses are 24mm and have had the loft lowered to about 50mm, so they don't tangle during the shave, but will tangle on the second shave if I don't comb them. My only white horse is the Epsilon "wall of hair", which is also about 50mm. My 4th horse is a tiny 20mm brown that I lowered to about 43mm - I have no clue where it is to confirm

I have 2 Vie Longs, a brown with 57mm loft (which tangles less often) and a white with 50mm loft, which tangles EVERY SINGLE TIME.

I am glad yours work better, but even the combing routine, has killed any further desire for me. If horses were the only brushes around, i could tolerate it more easily. But with 3 more alternatives...

It's a shame, because Epsilon horses come with some very nice looking handles and good prices. But, i think it's best to leave horses for western films. I keep using mine when they happen to appear in the rotation, but one has developed about 10 small cracks at the handle and i won't be sorry if it disintegrates and the other one, that always tangles, has no cracks, but, last time i used it, i came really close at throwing it in the garbage bin, while detangling. So this one might not escape an ugly end.