Premium Boar options

[HereticHermit]

My recent buying of Omega 011829 got me thinking about boar brushes once again. I am not delving into exclusive 011829 discussion here and will have a separate thread later.
I am exclusively face latherer and don't like Semogue for whatever they stand to represent. I do favour Omega by a wide margin so far and look for same characteristics in boar knot that Omegas stand for.
Given boars knots are cheap, I wonder what you folks recommend for another boar after Omega Premium. I am not trying to throw money and consider a Thater or shoot email to Paladin if they will do a custom boar for me.
Just looking for a genuine boar knot with premium hair that is 24mm+, has plenty backbone and doesn't turn limp noodle like Semogue when wet. A little scrub is a bonus but not scratchy after the knot is settled by about 20 shaves.
I am not very sensitive to the price but again I am not going to sink money for a brand name or marketing hype.

 

[mawashi]

My recent buying of Omega 011829 got me thinking about boar brushes once again. I am not delving into exclusive 011829 discussion here and will have a separate thread later.
I am exclusively face latherer and don't like Semogue for whatever they stand to represent. I do favour Omega by a wide margin so far and look for same characteristics in boar knot that Omegas stand for.
Given boars knots are cheap, I wonder what you folks recommend for another boar after Omega Premium. I am not trying to throw money and consider a Thater or shoot email to Paladin if they will do a custom boar for me.
Just looking for a genuine boar knot with premium hair that is 24mm+, has plenty backbone and doesn't turn limp noodle like Semogue when wet. A little scrub is a bonus but not scratchy after the knot is settled by about 20 shaves.
I am not very sensitive to the price but again I am not going to sink money for a brand name or marketing hype.

I don't know how much better premium is over bleached knots but I found them great.

OMEGA No.81064 Pure Bristle Shaving Brush
Or
OMEGA No.81020 Pure Bristle Shaving Brush
Or
Omega Model 81156 Green Handle Boar Shaving Brush, with Stand | Maggard Razors Traditional Wet Shaving Products

I found a 24/55 ok but a 25/55 is in goldilocks zone for me.

Happy shaves,

Mawashi

 

[HereticHermit]

Thanks mawashi.
I forgot to add I was looking for weighty handle with pure knots. Those banded hair looks odd on boar knot. I am queer just like that

 

[mawashi]

Hey HereticHermit,

I get what yoummean but having tried both banded and plain knots, the banded hairs have the edge. They have softer tips and better hairs. I have the 10049, 10104 and a 11137 but I find less really scratchy hairs with banded knots.

Either way a 25mm knot is what I think is a great and very underrated diameter.

If you don't mind waiting a bit for the sale I find the Yaqi 2 band badger 24mm knot to be one of the best brushes I've ever used and its about $16.5 including delivery during the sale.

Cheers,

Mawashi

 

[Cino]

Zenith makes some nice boar brushes.

 

[HereticHermit]

I have Yaqi Moka 24mm mew knot in synthetic and 2 band in Moka handle as well. I have Frank Smith Manchurian in 23 mm and another 24mm FS silvertip. My 24mm silvertip had treated tips and they have all snapped away during last 1 year of use thus effectively now my FS 24mm silvertip act and feel like a best badger. I have another best badger I got as freebie with large shipment from WCS; it is floppy and just a big wall of hair in 24mm.

In general I find badgers are good but there isn’t the kind of backbone I have come to realize I prefer in brushes. Before I joined in B&B my go to brushes have always been cheap boars from 20 to 24 mm knots I get here locally. I do like my badgers but if I get better boars I will consider a few and won’t mind spending a bit. Boars just last forever and I am not a hoarder. If my brush acquisition just turns up 6-8 in all. I am good and in no rush there as long as all my brushes are at par with each other.

One step at a time and 011829 is a good start for boars. I did look at the ones you mentioned but Maggards don’t want my money so I don’t go there looking for anything.

 

[HereticHermit]

@Cino
Thanks I have been looking at them. Do you have any model recommendation from a seller who ships at competitive prices preferably out of Europe? Postage from USA is crazy expensive and usually starts with $19 onward.

 

[Cino]

@Cino
Thanks I have been looking at them. Do you have any model recommendation from a seller who ships at competitive prices preferably out of Europe? Postage from USA is crazy expensive and usually starts with $19 onward.

Zenith is made in Italy and I think you can buy directly from them. I've purchased them from an American supplier on the bay, which doesn't help you, but here are some brushes that I really like.

27x57 boar with B29 handle

Big Scrubby with Aluminium handle

 

[mawashi]

I have Yaqi Moka 24mm mew knot in synthetic and 2 band in Moka handle as well. I have Frank Smith Manchurian in 23 mm and another 24mm FS silvertip. My 24mm silvertip had treated tips and they have all snapped away during last 1 year of use thus effectively now my FS 24mm silvertip act and feel like a best badger. I have another best badger I got as freebie with large shipment from WCS; it is floppy and just a big wall of hair in 24mm.

In general I find badgers are good but there isn’t the kind of backbone I have come to realize I prefer in brushes. Before I joined in B&B my go to brushes have always been cheap boars from 20 to 24 mm knots I get here locally. I do like my badgers but if I get better boars I will consider a few and won’t mind spending a bit. Boars just last forever and I am not a hoarder. If my brush acquisition just turns up 6-8 in all. I am good and in no rush there as long as all my brushes are at par with each other.

One step at a time and 011829 is a good start for boars. I did look at the ones you mentioned but Maggards don’t want my money so I don’t go there looking for anything.

That's unfortunate about Maggard. I usually get my stuff from connaughtshaving.com as their prices m shipping is very competitive.

Zenith is made in Italy and I think you can buy directly from them. I've purchased them from an American supplier on the bay, which doesn't help you, but here are some brushes that I really like.

27x57 boar with B29 handle

Big Scrubby with Aluminium handle

Those zenith look great too bad they are harder to find.

All the best in getting a great boar,

Cheers,

Mawashi

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Omega/Zenith/Mondial.

 

[Timeclo]

Semogue Owner's Club boar brushes are the go to for a premium boar. They bloom out a lot and have quite the splay and enough backbone for most people.

Also, there are a lot of Zenith options on ebay. They tend to be the premium/pricey side for boars.

 

[BigJ]

Omega/Zenith/Mondial.

+1! Great suggestions!

 

[beer nuts]

??

 

[BigD]

??

Zenith

Mondial

Omega Pure Bristle

 

[naughtilus]

Omega 10098 and 20106 feel premium to my face, with ergonomic and light handles. These are workhorse lathering machines, not brush doll collectables.

 

[Sotiris_A]

Omega 10098 and 20106 feel premium to my face, with ergonomic and light handles. These are workhorse lathering machines, not brush doll collectables.

+1

Same bristles as the ones in 011829 and 011842, so if the OP doesn't mind face lathering with big knots, these are excellent choices. I like the handles too, but they are more utilitarian than premium.

My recent buying of Omega 011829 got me thinking about boar brushes once again. I am not delving into exclusive 011829 discussion here and will have a separate thread later.
I am exclusively face latherer and don't like Semogue for whatever they stand to represent. I do favour Omega by a wide margin so far and look for same characteristics in boar knot that Omegas stand for.
Given boars knots are cheap, I wonder what you folks recommend for another boar after Omega Premium. I am not trying to throw money and consider a Thater or shoot email to Paladin if they will do a custom boar for me.
Just looking for a genuine boar knot with premium hair that is 24mm+, has plenty backbone and doesn't turn limp noodle like Semogue when wet. A little scrub is a bonus but not scratchy after the knot is settled by about 20 shaves.
I am not very sensitive to the price but again I am not going to sink money for a brand name or marketing hype.

I was at a similar state last year. I ended up finding out that I prefer the Omega 011842 to the Mondial, the SOC, the Semogue TSN LE 2018 and the Thater. This is mainly due to the bristles used and the low height of the loft. Great flow though, too.

The Mondial is also a very nice brush that is on the larger side of the spectrum (mine is almost the same size as the Omega 10098). The bristles seem a bit thinner than the ones used in the aforementioned Omega brushes. It was soft right out of the box and broke in quickly. The backbone is quite strong for such a high loft. The handle is nice and being made from aluminum, it is fairly light. All that being said, I prefer my Omega 10098 to it.

I hope this helps. Have fun!

 

[naughtilus]

This Zenith 505 is certainly premium, but I doubt it will surpass an Omega Pro performance wise. That's in no way a negative for the Zenith, it's simply because Omega is the pinnacle of boar brushes.

 

[mata_66]

Zenith

This!

I prefer the A26 (same brush, shorter loft) over the A28 (57mm VS. 61mm)

 

[HereticHermit]

I do get the point Pro series Omegas are very good knots. But I prefer handles with bit of heft in them and I have no issues calling a spade, a spade when it comes to Omega handles. The moulded plastic ones feel cheap and that's where they are. No surprise that I like my 20102 for its well made handle.
Also I prefer a little more purer knot. 20102 and 011829 both seem to have untreated hair. I am no authority on Omegas but it is very much my seat of pant feeling about both. (for the record in spite of reading somewhere that 011829 is shortened loft of 20102 is wrong. They are just different knots inspite but that's for another day another discussion).
So again I am not looking at Pro series for their tacky handles and treated or bleached hair/fake badger banded.
The Omega 011829 says for life and some point in time I will get it reknoted. Don't think omega Pro handle will have that long a life.

 

[BigD]

This!

I prefer the A26 (same brush, shorter loft) over the A28 (57mm VS. 61mm)

Just posting examples. There's something about having a nice hefty copper handle. Let me see the Zeniths I've bought;