I totally agree that the very best of boar bristles are to be easily found in super cheap handles. But, I have paid $30USD for a boar knot without handle and did feel rewarded by a knot better than most (the "shoat" knot at TnS). But, it's easy to make a boar "premium," that is, something a little more special and unique by mining the cheap Omega and Zenith knots and putting them in a nice custom, artisan turned handle. It's not for everyone, but perhaps it's for the ones who ask questions like, "what is premium boar."