Omega Brushes - Anyone Else Noticing a Drop in Quality?

[dmshaver]

I don't think you are the only person to notice this. Here is a link to the Omega Jade thread where this is discussed.

The new/current Connaught Omega jade brush: good/bad?

So Eben, did you take the chance and buy one? Well worth it IMO for $20-21 shipped. No. Not yet. Apparently I'm suffering from extreme indecisiveness.

www.badgerandblade.com

@dmshaver may have more insight.

Thank you for tagging me, I do have a comment.

My experience with the "newer" Omega Premium Jade is based on the two I purchased about a year ago from Connaught. I have a Premium Jade that's at least 4 years old. I've used that brush approximately 100 times & absolutely love the density, backbone & firmness of the brush. It is all those things, but it is also soft & lush & dense. Marvelous brush, my #1 boar! Now compare my old Premium Jade to the two I received last year... no comparison. Gripping the knots at the entry into their handles, the old brush is noticeably denser. I'm using one of the new brushes, & keeping the other boxed. I've soaked the new brush multiple times & lathered it a dozen times. Then I have face lathered using the brush at least a dozen times. This brush isn't broken in yet, I know that. I'm addressing the density of the brush, & that I can easily tell a difference between the new & old brush. There is considerably less density to the new knot, so much so that the bristles don't stand up to face lathering like the old one. There are not enough bristles to be forced into standing up, or there isn't enough structure & body to the bristles, so this new brush has a bit of flop when face lathering with it. The bristles don't seem to be thinner, like Semogue. They just don't have the heft & support of the older brush. Not at all what I was expecting nor what I like in a boar.

Here's a link to another thread I reference to show my communication with Connaught:
Boar Brush thread

In each of the pics, the old Premium Jade is on the right & the newer brush is on the right. Notice the old brush (right one in the pics) has bloomed less even though it's been used many more times. I also feel I see a less dense packing of bristles in the new brush.

 

[Goblin]

Okay, I have learned some things.

- A minor diversion concerning my own idiocy: the dimensions of the brushes I am comparing are not the same. The Omega website has the dimensions of the 49 and 83 as identical. Paul at Connaught has the 49 at 62mm and the 83 at 60mm. My 83 is around 64mm and the 49 is 61mm. This shows how much natural variation there is in these brushes, and assuming that the hair count and knot width is the same, then variations in loft will also create differences in apparent density and backbone. I must also admit that my new 49 is starting to look better after several further uses and perhaps wasn’t breaking in as quickly as I first thought. Mea culpa.

- More importantly, I had a very swift and courteous response from Massimo at Omega and exchanged a couple of emails with him where I explained the differences I was seeing between new and old brushes. He assures me that there have been no deliberate changes to the specifications or quality of any Omega brushes. The size of the various knots is “calculated” by the weight of hair used (as you might expect) and any differences are a result of natural variations between different batches of hair and individual examples of any given model. In the Pro 49, they have for some time been delberately using bristles that are not uniform in length, as this helps the knot form the desired shape – this might account for some minor differences in the apparent density of the knot between different brushes, but the overall volume of hair should always be the same and in fact their goal is to keep the density of hair at the base of the knot consistent, otherwise there would be issues with fitting the knots into the black Omega “collars” that we are familiar with.

That was great to hear, as I have always loved Omegas and wanted to be able to continue recommending them to people. After Semogue deliberately downgraded the hair in a lot of their brushes a few years ago, I wondered if Omega had done the same thing “on the qt” but that is emphatically not the case.

I was going to post the full email exchange but, as you can see, I have a problem with brevity, so I will leave it at that!

Conclusion: I AM a crank and it WAS all in my head…or at least, any differences I can see between my new and old brushes are not due to any deliberate changes by the manufacturer, but variations between different batches of boar hair. Obviously, some folks have received brushes (particularly the Jade) that weren’t quite what they were expecting - caveat emptor and all that, but it sounds like this is not because of anything intentional by Omega. Every company has the odd issue with QC where something slips out that isn’t representative of the usual standard, but it seems that Omega fans have nothing to worry about in terms of any deliberate reductions to the quality of the knots. That's good news, as I always look forward to adding more Omegas to my stable! I think I might go for the 20106 or a 10098 next, both of which I am keen to try.

 

[NorthernSoul]

...In the Pro 49, they have for some time been delberately using bristles that are not uniform in length, as this helps the knot form the desired shape – this might account for some minor differences in the apparent density of the knot between different brushes, but the overall volume of hair should always be the same and in fact their goal is to keep the density of hair at the base of the knot consistent, otherwise there would be issues with fitting the knots into the black Omega “collars” that we are familiar with.

These variations in color and thickness of hair are probably just down to different lots of material from different suppliers, slightly different reactions to the treatment given to the hair when making the knots, etc. I think the suggestions from various people that Omega would deliberately downgrade their product are unlikely. They value their reputation and sell in huge volume partly because of it.

The variation in hair length is to provide the hybrid bulb shape. That's the same as before, AFAIK.

...After Semogue deliberately downgraded the hair in a lot of their brushes a few years ago, I wondered if Omega had done the same thing “on the qt” but that is emphatically not the case.

Eh, what? All Semogue did was change the names they used for the various hair grades and also introduced some new product lines in addition to the ones they already had. This is hardly a catastrophe! (Granted, everyone gets confused by the Semogue grading system.)

I guess people got upset and thought Semogue was trying to cheat them. More shaving nerd drama.

...Conclusion: …or at least, any differences I can see between my new and old brushes are not due to any deliberate changes by the manufacturer, but variations between different batches of boar hair.

I think you're probably right about the variations between batches.

BTW, my most recent Omega boar was a model 10108. If you want a big boar brush, well, it's a little bigger than the model 49 and plenty dense. Of course, some people complain it's too floppy or whatever, but I haven't found that to be the case.

 

[Goblin]

Eh, what? All Semogue did was change the names they used for the various hair grades and also introduced some new product lines in addition to the ones they already had.

Is that the case? It wasn't my interpretation having read these threads - a lot of models seem to have changed from "Premium 90% tops" to "Extra", which previously denoted 75% tops and a lower grade of hair:

Semogue Torga/Galahad Boar Hair Grade?

The hair grades on the Torga/Galahads are listed as Extra IT/Premium/Premium IT which aren't shared by any of their other brushes, are they significantly different from the regular line, or how do they actually feel like? I've finished collecting pretty much all the hair grade/loft variations...

www.badgerandblade.com

and then when the rollout of changes was complete....

Semogue Hereditas Knot Grade Info?

Hiya folks! I promise I used Google AND the search function before I made this thread and couldn't find what I was looking for (but if the answer is sitting somewhere in plain sight, feel free to just point me in the right direction). Once upon a time Semogue had pretty clear specs established...

www.badgerandblade.com

If you have anything "from the horses mouth" that it was a just a name change then I would be interested to see it - as we have seen above, I am not above jumping to the wrong conclusions!

Having done a direct side-by-side comparison by breaking in a Hereditas 1250 and a new Excelsior 1250 at the same time, there definitely seemed to be a difference to me. Again, it could just be down to batch variation between brushes or cognitive bias on my part, since I would say the difference was almost exactly what I would have anticipated, in that the older brush seemed to have denser hair and more backbone. The tips on the newer brush were more split after the same number of shaves, although both showed good progress in that regard.

Difficult to make a value judgement about which is "better" because it depends on personal preferences, but my interest was really to see if there was any noticeable difference at all. On balance, I probably slightly preferred the additional splay of the newer brush out of the box, but I suspect that preference might have changed with additional use of both brushes and the Excelsior breaking in more. Really, they both need a lot more break in, as after about 5 shaves each I switched attention to my Omegas and have been using them exclusively ever since. Not that I don't like the Semogues - I went through several back in the days when I was a "one brush guy" and I think they are just as praiseworthy as Omegas - but they have been living in a cupboard in our second bathroom and I never seem to be able to get in there!

 

[NorthernSoul]

Is that the case? It wasn't my interpretation having read these threads - a lot of models seem to have changed from "Premium 90% tops" to "Extra", which previously denoted 75% tops and a lower grade of hair...

...If you have anything "from the horses mouth" that it was a just a name change then I would be interested to see it - as we have seen above, I am not above jumping to the wrong conclusions!

Having done a direct side-by-side comparison by breaking in a Hereditas 1250 and a new Excelsior 1250 at the same time, there definitely seemed to be a difference to me. Again, it could just be down to batch variation between brushes or cognitive bias on my part, since I would say the difference was almost exactly what I would have anticipated, in that the older brush seemed to have denser hair and more backbone. The tips on the newer brush were more split after the same number of shaves, although both showed good progress in that regard.

What gets quite confusing is there doesn't seem to be a "horse's mouth" to speak about the changes. That leads people to scrape words from various retailer webpages and speculate about the meaning of abstract labels and nomenclature.

Semogue changed their terminology and the meaning of the labels they use for the various grades. It seems they no longer explicitly say x% tops and call out knots with mixed grades. They just use one-word names for the grades. Maybe they were trying to simplify the descriptions, I'm not sure.

The main thing of interest is the performance of the brushes and there is more than just the grade of hair involved in that. I just find it hard to believe that Semogue would downgrade the performance of their brushes and hope nobody would notice.

I've got quite a few Semogue boars, mostly older ones. I have a recent C5 Torga "Premium" boar and it's been a really great brush (a favorite).

Maybe one of us should email the company and ask them to explain the changes a little more clearly.

 

[ChriWilson]

While I don't have the predecessor to the current Connaught's Jade Omega, I liked it so much that I picked up 2 more last year. My only expectation going into using the Jade and my 10049's is that it be a great performing brush. On that end, they have not disappointed me in any way. Nor have they in contrast to my Zenith B34, Semogue 820, or 1305 - All great brushes

We must remember that there are a number of variables that can affect the end result e.g. quality and relative density of natural bristle, discrete assembly, even vendor storage.

 

[czgunner]

Dang, I just ordered a 10065. I think I'll cancel the order and get something else.

 

[Goblin]

Dang, I just ordered a 10065. I think I'll cancel the order and get something else.

No need - read the thread. If it's anything, it's batch variation. There's no deliberate changes made by Omega.

 

[Raz0rboy]

Dang, I just ordered a 10065. I think I'll cancel the order and get something else.

they will not go bankrupt …

 

[Feldgrun]

My Omega 10065 brush kept having hair shedding problems, but my Omega Jade has been perfect & problem free.

 

[awk_m4]

My Omega 10005 was purchased a couple of months ago. I’m really impressed with it! No problems, just excellent performance!

 

[czgunner]

Used my new 10065 today for a quick clean up shave and it worked great. No animal smell like I've heard boar brushes may have. I actually like the stiffness over my Magard's synthetic (very soft).

 

[CoreyWoodmancy]

The pro I just received had absolutely no smell after the first wash and rinse and broke in rather easily for me , after three uses many of the hairs have started to split , the knot is plenty dense and already starting to soften and splay out a bit.

 

[GR5233]

My Omega 10065 brush kept having hair shedding problems, but my Omega Jade has been perfect & problem free.

It could have been that particular brush while the one’s being made before and after it during that production run were fine

 

[Pat Puma]

I got a 49 last year and the knot is excellent. The handle in that model was never anything special, so I wouldn't say the quality has gone down there, either. It has always been about the bristles with Omega boars.

 

[ivan_101]

My Omega 10005 was purchased a couple of months ago. I’m really impressed with it! No problems, just excellent performance!
View attachment 1643272

I had many with the shedding problem in the last 3-4 years, but never a wooden handle or a Pro model.

 

[ivan_101]

This is an omega 10019 I believe. I bought it several years ago and never used it until now. I’m traveling and have used it 24 days in a row now. It’s breaking in nicely, but still has plenty of backbone and scruff. View attachment 1629982View attachment 1629983

Have used at least 9 of the 10019. It will become slightly floppy with use. If you can find it I would recommend its brother 10018. A bit more backbone than 10019. And if you want the strongest backbone with serious scratching that will not go away even after 40 shaves, that's 10218. All have the same handle but different colours and bristles.

 

[geneaut]

I just got a new 10098, and after a vigorous test lather, and two uses, it's already feeling far 'softer' than any boar brush should. It absolutely defiled a puck of MWF earlier this week. I may still have MWF lather stuck to the bathroom ceiling.

That said, the only other Omega I own is a two year old 10048 ( which I love ). Also, you may want to ignore me because for years my favorite brush was a cheap plastic-handled VDH boar. I just really like boar brushes.