Premium boar brush?
- Thread starter Trunus71
- Start date
SOC.
Omega Pro
The great news about premium boar brushes is that you do not have to pay a premium price for a premium experience. Even better news is that for about $10 you can get a brush that will get better the longer you use it. They take some time breaking in as the bristle ends split in the wet/dry cycle. The split ends provide the gentle softness. It is well worth the effort.
My first brush was the plain old Omega 49, and two years later it is pillow soft and still a favorite. I would highly recommend it. The knot is large with a high loft. At the other end of the size spectrum is the Omega 10777. The shorter bristles on the 777 did not split and never felt as soft to me as the 49. On both models, the handle is plastic, keeping the price very low. The 49 handle feels bulky in my hand, and has slipped out during lathering more than once.
Semogue is another popular option. The handles are nicer, and have a higher price tag. As @JimL911 recommends, the Semogue Owner's Club is a very popular brush. I love the way the SOC feels in the hand. Much more natural feeling and secure grip. The faux ivory "Taj" handle is very nice and comfortable. For a step up in premium, I have and can recommend the mixed knot (boar and badger).
Through the generous boar brush pass around currently underway, I have been introduced to the Zenith brush. Although not as widely available in the US, it is an excellent brush worth looking into. For a price similar to the Omega, their basic brush has a better-feeling resin handle and a denser knot. I prefer the Zenith knot to the SOC knot in the pass around, although they are comparable in great performance.
My first brush was the plain old Omega 49, and two years later it is pillow soft and still a favorite. I would highly recommend it. The knot is large with a high loft. At the other end of the size spectrum is the Omega 10777. The shorter bristles on the 777 did not split and never felt as soft to me as the 49. On both models, the handle is plastic, keeping the price very low. The 49 handle feels bulky in my hand, and has slipped out during lathering more than once.
Semogue is another popular option. The handles are nicer, and have a higher price tag. As @JimL911 recommends, the Semogue Owner's Club is a very popular brush. I love the way the SOC feels in the hand. Much more natural feeling and secure grip. The faux ivory "Taj" handle is very nice and comfortable. For a step up in premium, I have and can recommend the mixed knot (boar and badger).
Through the generous boar brush pass around currently underway, I have been introduced to the Zenith brush. Although not as widely available in the US, it is an excellent brush worth looking into. For a price similar to the Omega, their basic brush has a better-feeling resin handle and a denser knot. I prefer the Zenith knot to the SOC knot in the pass around, although they are comparable in great performance.
I have an SOC TSN LE that's a lovely brush, but was twice the price of the regular SOC. The standard SOC with the wood handle is an incredibly nice brush for the money. But I only use mine in the scuttle. Some shavers use them for face lathering, but I prefer a Mistura for that.
You can spend more on a premium brush, but honestly, I love my $10-15 Omega brushes. They work great.
I did recently order an Omega Jade from Connaught, but it isn't here yet. It has a solid resin handle, and cost two or three times as much.
I don't have a lot of experience with costlier boar brushes, but in my limited experience, I'm thinking that much of the increased cost is in handle material. All of my current boar brushes (all Omega) have the inexpensive plastic handle. My Semogue Mistura is a solid resin and pricier (of course it also contains a mix of badger hair with boar bristles).
I did recently order an Omega Jade from Connaught, but it isn't here yet. It has a solid resin handle, and cost two or three times as much.
I don't have a lot of experience with costlier boar brushes, but in my limited experience, I'm thinking that much of the increased cost is in handle material. All of my current boar brushes (all Omega) have the inexpensive plastic handle. My Semogue Mistura is a solid resin and pricier (of course it also contains a mix of badger hair with boar bristles).
In no order of preference: Semogue SOC, Semogue 2000 (don't overlook this one), and the Omega jade handle from connaught shaving.
Semogue 1800. It’s not really considered (or priced) as a premium boar but of all the boars I’ve used, its been the best one by a long shot!
I highly advise against the Owners Club. It’s a big and dense overkill brush that takes FOREVER to open up and become comfortable. Why this brush is so popular is beyond me.
Get an 1800, thank me later.
I highly advise against the Owners Club. It’s a big and dense overkill brush that takes FOREVER to open up and become comfortable. Why this brush is so popular is beyond me.
Get an 1800, thank me later.
I don't see the difference between a Semogue and an Omega boar. The handle makes a premium boar, not the hair.
It depends on what you consider premium on your face. Do you prefer a floppier, shorter loft and small knot brush? Or the opposite? In my experience, my 24mm knot, 55mm loft Zenith is the perfect size. Smaller knots were floppier and longer ones were too long. Apart from that, make sure the knot is densely packed. And then there is the bleached vs. unbleached choice, I'd vote for unbleached.
The great thing is that for the price of one ’premium badger,’ you can purchase a stable of very fine boar brushes!
True, but it's still the same type boar hair. With badgers you get different categories.
@Trunus71 Have a look at the Razorock boar brushes. They have three with 26x63mm knots. Per the web site copy all three use the Razorock same Blondie bleached boar knot. I own the $8 basic black plastic handle Blondie that is a rebranded Zenith 80N. The other two have nicer cherry or olive wood handles (their #506 handle) for around $29 that may be of interest since you are looking for a premium brush. Note that these premium brushes are also likely rebranded Zenith brushes as the #506 is also a Zenith brush handle number for the what appears to be the exact same handle.
Same here as others noted where the difference between premium and basic is the handle. I've been using the Blondie for well over a year and it performs well. Use it for my hardest Williams and Mitchell's Wool Fat soaps with great results.
Same here as others noted where the difference between premium and basic is the handle. I've been using the Blondie for well over a year and it performs well. Use it for my hardest Williams and Mitchell's Wool Fat soaps with great results.
A couple of other boar brush makers that make nicer quality handles are Riva and Il Marchese - both from Italy. Riva sells their brushes through Etsy, and you can make custom orders. Il Marchese sells through their website.
Here’s a picture of my Riva aluminium handle boar, on the right (left is the Abbate Y La Mantia brush, which isn’t available currently but is also a nice quality handle). The Riva is a good handle to hold, and not overweight. Flash Gordon probably uses one of these. Most of Riva’s brishes are one-off designs made of stabilised woods and acrylics, but this aluminium one (which I like better) is always available.
And here is a stock pic of an Il Marchese boar. They offer a couple of standard handle shapes, in black, dark green, red, light blue, and white. This is the larger handle and it is also offered with standard and lower loft knots. They also do swirly acrylic handles in a different shape, which isn’t as much my bag, but it might be yours. The acrylic feels much better quality than anything Omega or Zenith offer.
The only boar with a nice quality handle from the main three manufacturers is the Semogue SOC in Taj or Butterscotch acrylic. Zeniths, even the more expensive acrylic handles, aren’t particularly good quality handle materials. And the Connaught Omega Jade handle is pretty mediocre quality too, to be honest.
Here’s a picture of my Riva aluminium handle boar, on the right (left is the Abbate Y La Mantia brush, which isn’t available currently but is also a nice quality handle). The Riva is a good handle to hold, and not overweight. Flash Gordon probably uses one of these. Most of Riva’s brishes are one-off designs made of stabilised woods and acrylics, but this aluminium one (which I like better) is always available.
And here is a stock pic of an Il Marchese boar. They offer a couple of standard handle shapes, in black, dark green, red, light blue, and white. This is the larger handle and it is also offered with standard and lower loft knots. They also do swirly acrylic handles in a different shape, which isn’t as much my bag, but it might be yours. The acrylic feels much better quality than anything Omega or Zenith offer.
The only boar with a nice quality handle from the main three manufacturers is the Semogue SOC in Taj or Butterscotch acrylic. Zeniths, even the more expensive acrylic handles, aren’t particularly good quality handle materials. And the Connaught Omega Jade handle is pretty mediocre quality too, to be honest.
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The Zenith boar brushes have the best (YMMV) quality bristles as compared to Omega and Semogue.
Ofcourse my requirement seems to be the softer, bleached and thinner bristles of Zenith than thicker with more backbone of Omega or Unending breaking in time of Semogue Owner's Club.
I have the Semogue Owner's Club brush and I'd not recommend it to a beginner in boar brush usage, as it takes a lot of effort and time to break in, and if someone new is getting it as his initial boar brush, then the long breakin period may be off putting. Other than that, there is no fault in the Owner's Club.
IMHO, get a Zenith boar brush from yourshaving or thegentleshave or even from RazoRock Blondie boar brush (they are manufactured by Zenith) and start enjoying the boar brush with quick break-in periods.
In boars, the Premium feel is the soft, scrubby, pampering feel of split ends of boar brush and that can be had with any budget boar as well.
It'll totally depend upon what you consider the ideal boar brush feel.
Ofcourse my requirement seems to be the softer, bleached and thinner bristles of Zenith than thicker with more backbone of Omega or Unending breaking in time of Semogue Owner's Club.
I have the Semogue Owner's Club brush and I'd not recommend it to a beginner in boar brush usage, as it takes a lot of effort and time to break in, and if someone new is getting it as his initial boar brush, then the long breakin period may be off putting. Other than that, there is no fault in the Owner's Club.
IMHO, get a Zenith boar brush from yourshaving or thegentleshave or even from RazoRock Blondie boar brush (they are manufactured by Zenith) and start enjoying the boar brush with quick break-in periods.
In boars, the Premium feel is the soft, scrubby, pampering feel of split ends of boar brush and that can be had with any budget boar as well.
It'll totally depend upon what you consider the ideal boar brush feel.
The one Omega brush that springs to my mind is the 011842 with faux green jade handle made for Connaught shaving. This one actually is described as ‘premium pure bristle’ by Connaught while Omega seems to describe their boar brushes simply as ‘pure bristle’.
For that reason, I doubt that any Omega ‘Professional’ series brush has premium bristles.
In any case, I prefer Semogue SOC and Torga C5 boar brushes that actually are described as ‘premium’ boar.
A good, and cheaper, alternative to Semogue are Danidom shaving brushes from Spain (see: Elook Barcelona - https://elook.es/en ). They are not widely known, but their Endeavour and Endurance brushes in particular are worth taking a look at. On these shaving brushes the ferrule (made from aluminium) is screwed in and can be unscrewed for sterilisation of the head. They come with 20 and 22 mm knots, but I found that their actual dimensions are slightly more generous than that and work very well for their sizes.
B.
For that reason, I doubt that any Omega ‘Professional’ series brush has premium bristles.
In any case, I prefer Semogue SOC and Torga C5 boar brushes that actually are described as ‘premium’ boar.
A good, and cheaper, alternative to Semogue are Danidom shaving brushes from Spain (see: Elook Barcelona - https://elook.es/en ). They are not widely known, but their Endeavour and Endurance brushes in particular are worth taking a look at. On these shaving brushes the ferrule (made from aluminium) is screwed in and can be unscrewed for sterilisation of the head. They come with 20 and 22 mm knots, but I found that their actual dimensions are slightly more generous than that and work very well for their sizes.
B.
Have a look at the Decemboar thread. There are a lot of fine boar brushes pictured.
I have been using the same boar almost daily for a decade or so and it is a very fine brush indeed. I don't know if it would be considered premium as it came unbranded, but looks very similar to some of the Omegas posted in the above thread.
I have been using the same boar almost daily for a decade or so and it is a very fine brush indeed. I don't know if it would be considered premium as it came unbranded, but looks very similar to some of the Omegas posted in the above thread.
Wow! Those are beautiful!
What happened to the OP? For me, as of the past two-three weeks, there's only one way to go...
11126 Omega Pure bristle shaving brush - badger effect - Omega Brush - https://www.omegabrush.com/11126-omega-pure-bristle-shaving-brush-badger-effect/?lang=en
11126 Omega Pure bristle shaving brush - badger effect - Omega Brush - https://www.omegabrush.com/11126-omega-pure-bristle-shaving-brush-badger-effect/?lang=en
