Omega MM boar, Bambino, Lil Runt, And EJ 11-p-3x all arrive.

[SliceOfLife]

So my package gets here from Shoebox shave with my boars, a few other items and a couple nice gifts (including a hotel bar of speick... almost ordered one of these to be honest, just to remind myself what it smells like to decide if I want to replace the shave stick when it's gone).


I took the four of them to the sink and did 2 runs each through my bowl of mystery via Marco's Italian barber method to give them a good washing.


Immediate thoughts:

Bambino vs Little Runt: Knots are supposed to be virtually identical. The Bambino arrived MUCH more broken in and softer. The Little runt hair is a bit stiffer to start with. This likely varies brush to brush. The Bambino was initially mistaken for the mighty midget and I wasn't sure what the midget was. Without thinking to check to Invoice, I forgot what I had ordered and assumed it was one of Omega's "normal" sized brushes I had picked up and forgotten about.

The Little runt didn't shed at all. The bambino and Midget both shed quite a bit the first wash, but didn't shed the second. This was a concern for me since my Badger/boar Midget (which I've had a couple weeks now) has shed most of the first dozen or so uses it's gotten. It seems to be finally settling down though.

Both the little runt and bambino are very small knots, and I almost suspect after breakin I'll be wishing they were 3-4mm shorter. They work fine now, but the diameter/loft ratio is a bit of a worry seeing them in person. I'll update as they break in. The Little runt handle is surprisingly comfortable, so I hope it remains a good brush as It'd be a nice one to use.

The Midget on the other hand is already showing promise. It's similar to my Semogue 1933 (A very similar brush to a Semogue 1470, but with a bit more backbone) in size. It's 23/51mm vs 21/49 and a bit more bulb shaped. It seems a bit less dense and the hair seems a tad softer overall. The main difference is that while the 1933 is STILL breaking in after owning it for a year, the Midget was virtually broken in when I got it. I'll shave with it tomorrow and see how it feels on the face, but it definitely is looking like a keeper. My one complaint is the accordion thing going on with the handle. It's unnecessary for grip, the simpler design on my Mixed Mighty Midget works just as well, and since the handle is so fat for the size of the brush, I grip it tightly and it's a bit uncomfortable. I'd prefer if they had just scaled up the Mixed versions handle or even the Bambino's handle and put it in those.


Then there's the Edwin Jagger. The most expensive brush here at $12.50, it's a mixed bag. There are a lot of details you don't see in a brush this price usually. A rather streamlined shape to the brush in a decent-looking faux tortoise and a sturdy box. Unfortunately the brush itself gives me the impression that this brush is a "cheap" option from a Badger brush maker. While the Omega's and Semogue's are clearly made by companies that know boar brushes are their bread and butter, this brush seems like it's made with the idea in mind that the brush itself is a compromise. I could feel the ends of the hair while palm lathering, which tells me it's trimmed to shape, and it's quite a bit less dense than the Omega Midget. And with a 20/53mm knot/loft, that lack of density is likely going to matter. I'm going to keep it awhile and see if the trimmed ends break in. Assuming they do, it won't be a bad little brush, but I'd have a hard time recommending it over the Midget which is already clearly a superior brush at half the cost.


Left to right: Mixed hair MM, Boar MM, Bambino, Lil Runt Bambino, 11-p-3x, Semogue 1933

 

[StuMcB]

I did have an Omega Bambino as a travel brush last year and it provided fantastic shaving lather, with a Palmolive stick. It was cheap too. This year though having sold it on I went for a synth for a custom chubby handle 26/56 from FS.

 

[dieselfuel79]

Just got the Omega MM last week myself. I haven't been able to put it down....in fact, I am typing this with one hand, while I hold the MM in the other. Ok, I'm not....but you get the idea,

 

[Krona Kruiser]

PM sent.
Oh wait, nice brushes.

 

[Crixus]

Both the little runt and bambino are very small knots, and I almost suspect after breakin I'll be wishing they were 3-4mm shorter. They work fine now, but the diameter/loft ratio is a bit of a worry seeing them in person. I'll update as they break in. The Little runt handle is surprisingly comfortable, so I hope it remains a good brush as It'd be a nice one to use.

I don't think the loft/diameter ratio on the bambino or little runt will be a problem for you. My runt is not all all floppy (for my tastes) despite being well broken in. I find it a fantastic little brush that lathers anything with ease. I find myself reaching for mine for about half my shaves, despite my nice Duke that shares a storage shelf with it. I've owned a couple of bambinos in the past (same knot as little runt), but the added handle length on the runt makes it remarkably comfortable brush without sacrificing much "travel kit" space.

My little runt, despite being well broken in (at least 50-75 shaves), does not have but just a couple of flagged bristles. My only Semogue boar began flagging after the first couple of shaves. This does not seem to handicap the Omega in any way--it's a greatbrush. I am not a multipass shaver, so the capability of creating and storing a mega-mass of lather in the smallish knot is not important to me. Therefore, grading the runt on it's shaving merits alone (for my situation), an A-/B+.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I agree about the runts handle. It's cheap. There's four seperate flash lines that are very noticeable, there's almost no weight, and it's obviously small. Despite all that it's really surprisingly comfortable in the hand. I hope mine splays a bit more than yours did, since I'd like a little bit of a bloom on a brush its size, but I do love these tiny little boars. They do kick up a hell of a lather in almost no time, and their small size is useful for loading out of small sampler tubs and the like. I used the bambino today for my first two passes. With a top notch soap and a few more uses I could surely get 3-4 passes out of it.

The MMidget was about what I expected my first use (yesterday). Nice brush, doesn't feel quite as broken in as it did on the hand, but far more than most boars do out of the box. It's definitely sparser than my 1933 or 1470, and the handle isn't as nice as either of those, but it's a solid, effective brush out of the box and certainly better than I'd expect from a $7 (edit: $6) brush. There is a bit more shedding going on all around than I remember seeing from any of my semogues, so I'm starting to think these omega's are a step down from them, but perhaps its either bad luck on my part or a trait of the <$10 boars omega offers and the standard line are a bit heartier.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Ok after a number of lathers and uses here's my impressions.

Runt/Bambino. The runt still is clearly the stiffer of the two. These brushes are both cute little buggers that work, but they really aren't exceptional apart from their size. They certainly aren't bad brushes... but I just can't think of a reason to buy them rather than a more standard sized boar unless you just want a small boar.

Midget Boar. Really doesn't splay much more than the runt/bambino in use, which since it's got a MUCH bigger knot diameter translates to a lot more backbone and scrubbiness. It is still soft though. For the $6, it's a great, great brush. The downside is the handle. The knot itself doesn't feel small in use at all. If this was stuffed into a slightly larger handle, I'd question the logic behind calling it a "midget". The fact that people compare this brush against a Simpson wee scot boggles me, the wee scot is TINY. This brushes knot is average in size at least. I don't get the impression that I'm using a small brush from it at all... except again, the handle is just plain bad.

Midget mixed. Honestly this really doesn't strike me as a mixed brush. It acts like a nice grey badger in use but with a more "boar-brush" shape to the knot and perhaps a bit more backbone than you'd expect from the density. Not amazing at anything, but a good quality grey badger at a <$20 price. A nice brush for people who like grey badgers. I like it quite a bit, but not a must own or anything.

The Jagger is like a pricklier/scrubbier and upscaled version of the runt/bambino. In use very much like a larger version of those brushes. The knot seems small for the loft and so it splays a lot for the knot size. Works fine, but the Midget offers a similar size splay but with a lot more backbone and scrub and without the prickle. And the prickle doesn't ruin the brush or anything. For perspective the grey badger in the Midget mixed has more prickle than the Jagger does. But that's just how grey badger is. The pointy bristles do help the jagger load soaps very quickly, but I don't think the tradeoff in softness is worth it for me. I'm gonna keep washing it daily to see if it breaks in.


I plan to compare the two midgets against eachother and the Boar midget directly against my 1470 in the near future.

 

[talibeard]

I have two of the Omega's you are giving their test runs.

First the Bambino (50068) in black. Like you I was worried about the diameter/loft ratio but after the break in it performs better than expected. Easily enough lather for 2 passes plus touch-ups (my usual routine) and a fun brush to use. I would have prefered I shorter loft though and the handle is really cheap but it acts like a grown-up brush and feels much more comfortable in the hand than one would think. I don't use it much but it is a keeper!

The second is the midget in boar (40033) which is only a midget because of the short handle; it has a 50mm loft and that is the maximum size I buy these days. For me the handle is good (but again cheap plastic) and the knot is one of the nicest from Omega (imo). You can throw anything at this brush and it will do great; you easily load too much product with this little monster. The only real advantage of the small handle is that it fits a travel container (it fits the Vulfix 'tube' like it is made for it) so you can easily pack a full-sized brush on your travels. The same knot is used in the Omega 10019, available in the Netherlands for &#8364;3.60, that has a bigger and slightly more comfortable handle, again made of very cheapish plastic. The 10019 would be a better option if, make that IF, the handle would have had a bit more weight to it. As it is now chances are it will fall over when you place it full of lather on your sink, something that never happened with the 40033 in my bathroom.

Enjoy your new brushes!

 

[SliceOfLife]

I'm glad to hear your thoughts about the midget. They match mine. The knot isn't as dense as my semo's but it's very well balanced. The hair is definitely stiffer than my semogue's hair, which makes it have similar backbone to my 1470 in use, though not as nice (yet anyway, my 1470 is the best broken in boar brush I've ever seen) a face feel. I actually have looked at the 10019, but it's almost twice the cost of the midget over here, so I went with the midget.

For the boar vs mixed midget comparison I have to take the boar. The mixed is more of a specialty brush and definitely different from what I expected, but the Midget is really just an absolutely ridiculous value. For ~1/3 the cost of the mixed, it's a meatier brush that lathers better, has more backbone and is both scrubbier and less prickly. I don't think it looks as nice, and like I said, the handle is a big drawback for me, but it's definitely the winner between the two.


The Semogue 1470 vs Omega Midget (boar) is a much more interesting choice. I think I have to give the 1470 the edge over the Midget. Despite costing almost twice as much, the build quality, handle design, comfort and looks are all noticeably in the Semogue's favor. I also feel that the bristle on the semogue is nicer in general than in the midget.

That said, the Midget knot performs very similarly to the semogue and is definitely a solid brush that delivers far more performance than I expected from a $6 brush. And it hasn't even had time to get fully broken in yet.