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Omega S-Brush

This seems to be a brush that's seldom discussed . It's a synthetic that resembles a boar brush rather than the typical badger brush. In that sense it is very unique. Actually, it's more like a replacement for the old-style Syntex brush, just with chemically softened tips and a beige coloration.

I used the S-Brush today with some Van Der Hagen shave soap and it generated a decent lather quickly, much faster than a boar brush. Face-lathering wasn't too bad, it didn't sling lather everywhere.

I have forgotten how good these little Omega brushes can be. I'm glad I bought a second S-Brush as a backup.


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It's a synthetic that resembles a boar brush rather than the typical badger brush. In that sense it is very unique. Actually, it's more like a replacement for the old-style Syntex brush, just with chemically softened tips and a beige coloration.
It's hard to put in words how much I dislike the S-Brush. I'm a die-hard boar user, and wanted to like this brush because it's advertised as boar-like.

It reminds me of my dad's white "fishing line" synthetic from the 1950s or 60s. Just because it's boar colored doesn't make it boar-like. Way too springy and the splay feels unnatural.
 
It's hard to put in words how much I dislike the S-Brush. I'm a die-hard boar user, and wanted to like this brush because it's advertised as boar-like.

It reminds me of my dad's white "fishing line" synthetic from the 1950s or 60s. Just because it's boar colored doesn't make it boar-like. Way too springy and the splay feels unnatural.

It performs similar to the Omega Syntex, but it's got softer tips.

I used a Syntex alot in the past. In reality, many men still use this style of brush, for instance, in India.
 
I tried this same Omega S brush. It performs well but it was a bit too scritchy for my taste. I like to splay my brushes and this one was not as comfortable splaying.
 
I also like this brush, but found it needed a break in period much like my boar brush. I used it daily for about a month and then it was nice. It looks really funky now, with some twisted bristles and an indentation in the middle, but it is nice and soft. One of my better brushes currently.

The only reason I was willing to stick it out was I knew that the tips of the bristles would eventually split. I had a pair of nylon drum brushes back in the 90s and they stunk until I used them enough and the tips split. I figured I just needed to wait for the same thing to happen with the Omega S-Brush, it eventually did.

@Timeclo I agree that initially it does not splay well, but it will break in if you use it a lot and splay it a lot. It just takes awhile to break in and it breaks in kind of differently.
 
S-brush is a solution in search of a problem, IMHO. Natural boar bristle brushes hold more water and heat; they feel better on the skin once broken in; cost about the same.

Maybe the S-brush makes more sense for travel, but I would rather use a small synthetic tuxedo brush for that.
 
S-brush is a solution in search of a problem, IMHO. Natural boar bristle brushes hold more water and heat; they feel better on the skin once broken in; cost about the same.

Maybe the S-brush makes more sense for travel, but I would rather use a small synthetic tuxedo brush for that.

Boar brushes don't just hold water, they absorb it. They will also absorb soap or shaving cream, and also generate a lather slower than a synthetic brush.

There are some soaps that are too frustrating to use with boar brushes, but work just fine with the S-Brush. I've had good results using Van Der Hagen with the S-Brush, for instance
 
Let's not forget there are some out there that do not like to kill animals for any reason, so they might not want a boar brush. I know my girlfriend dislikes my use of Boar and Badger, but she understands that not all believe the same as her. I do think twice about boar and badger these days due to the treatment of the animals, but I am never set on only synthetics. I really have been liking my Omega Boar recently.
 
I have a humble Omega S10065 and it doesn't have the greatest face feel for sure, but the majority of the Omega S brushes are very light and fairly cheap, IMO make excellent travel brushes.

It's not a brush I use at home but it's the only one I take when I'm away.
 
Let's not forget there are some out there that do not like to kill animals for any reason, so they might not want a boar brush...
Good point, that I can sympathize with. I was vegetarian for several years, though I still wore leather shoes, etc. For hogs at least, they are not being raised just for bristle, that is a by-product of farming for meat. The animals would have been killed anyway.

The newer synthetics are better than the s-brush type from a few years back.
 
Let's not forget there are some out there that do not like to kill animals for any reason, so they might not want a boar brush. I know my girlfriend dislikes my use of Boar and Badger, but she understands that not all believe the same as her. I do think twice about boar and badger these days due to the treatment of the animals, but I am never set on only synthetics. I really have been liking my Omega Boar recently.

There's that too, but my primary interest in synthetics is the performance.

Also, the Omega S-brush is small. That fits with my prefered shaving style, which is to have efficient razors and to aim for comfortably close shaves. That only takes 1-2 passes. I have a Razorock Bruce collecting dust because I find it's just too large, I end up washing way too much lather down the drain. Alot of these newer synthetics are simply too large for my tastes.

I'm comfortable enough with the quality of synthetic brushes out there that I plan to sell off most of my brush collection. I have a few horse brushes I really like, but I don't find badger or boar to be really something I need taking up shelf space.
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
I love all five of my Omega S-Brushes. I rotate them with my five APShaveco brushes, my umpteen boars, and five badger brushes. I find the Omega S-Brush to be a fine performer with good backbone.
 

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I've never PIF'd a brush so fast, that's how much I couldn't wait to be rid of my Omega S brush! Then again, I've yet to meet a synthetic worth keeping around so there's that.
 
I finally got around to taking some pictures of how I broke in my Omega S-Brush:

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Some have suggested in the past that this is not good for the brush/knot, but I believe this not to be true. This splaying of the knot has helped create more surface area for the soap and cream to work with. It also broke the back bone a bit of the fibers and this has helped make the brush far more comfortable. I also find that on very close inspection the tips of the fibers are also starting to split, much like a boar brush. The only downside to this brush is that it took over a month to get to this point and I hated it at the beginning, but I pushed through because I really felt like it might work if I really forced it. It worked out for me quite well, and I don't mind the way it looks, since it feels so good!
 
I finally got around to taking some pictures of how I broke in my Omega S-Brush:

View attachment 1040370View attachment 1040371View attachment 1040372

Some have suggested in the past that this is not good for the brush/knot, but I believe this not to be true. This splaying of the knot has helped create more surface area for the soap and cream to work with. It also broke the back bone a bit of the fibers and this has helped make the brush far more comfortable. I also find that on very close inspection the tips of the fibers are also starting to split, much like a boar brush. The only downside to this brush is that it took over a month to get to this point and I hated it at the beginning, but I pushed through because I really felt like it might work if I really forced it. It worked out for me quite well, and I don't mind the way it looks, since it feels so good!

Thanks for the photos.

If the brush works for you then it is all that matters. I can see how synth bristles can be 'broken' in, I find toothbrushes with synthetic bristles do change with time.
 
Some have suggested in the past that this is not good for the brush/knot, but I believe this not to be true.
Who cares what they say? If it makes a bad brush work for you, that's all that matters.

You can get the same outcome with a synth by wetting it with hot tap water, spaying it out on the counter and letting it dry splayed with a weight in top. I call it brush training. If you take your brush, give it the same hot water soak and let it dry tightly wrapped with elastics, it will probably revert to normal.

The only downside to this brush is that it took over a month to get to this point and I hated it at the beginning, but I pushed through because I really felt like it might work if I really forced it. It worked out for me quite well, and I don't mind the way it looks, since it feels so good!
You've inspired me to try a full month break-in of my S-Brush. It's already got 15 shaves on it since I got it in 2015, and I'm going to use it every day in December stating today. I shall report back.
 
I've used Omega synthetics in the past and never seen them tangle that much under normal usage in only one month. It took me years to get to that stage.
 
I've used Omega synthetics in the past and never seen them tangle that much under normal usage in only one month. It took me years to get to that stage.
I personally don't think there is any tangle in there at all, they are just pushed out from the center of the knot. It works for me. But I agree with @rudyt the synthetics are very springy compared to a boar in a very strange way.
 
I personally don't think there is any tangle in there at all, they are just pushed out from the center of the knot. It works for me. But I agree with @rudyt the synthetics are very springy compared to a boar in a very strange way.

I use synthetics predominantly and while they do splay out a little bit with usage (and may even develop a bit of a "Breach", to borrow that term from Method Shaving), they don't normally develop that sort of appearance your brush has in such a short period of time. Are you using alot of pressure on your face? Really hot water (120 degrees?)?

Once you use synthetics a while you get used to their behavior. I bowl lather but sometimes I do a little bit of face lathering. I just use the tips of the fibers and use alot of painting type strokes.
 
I finally got around to taking some pictures of how I broke in my Omega S-Brush:

View attachment 1040370View attachment 1040371View attachment 1040372

Some have suggested in the past that this is not good for the brush/knot, but I believe this not to be true. This splaying of the knot has helped create more surface area for the soap and cream to work with. It also broke the back bone a bit of the fibers and this has helped make the brush far more comfortable. I also find that on very close inspection the tips of the fibers are also starting to split, much like a boar brush. The only downside to this brush is that it took over a month to get to this point and I hated it at the beginning, but I pushed through because I really felt like it might work if I really forced it. It worked out for me quite well, and I don't mind the way it looks, since it feels so good!

Interesting photos! Whatever works is just fine!! :a14: :a14:
 
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