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Premium Boar options

Addendum. Don't shy away from the Zenith plastic handles. They are not styrene like Omega, but acetate that's used for eyewear frames. Good stuff. But they also do resin, as I've linked in previous post.
 
Addendum. Don't shy away from the Zenith plastic handles. They are not styrene like Omega, but acetate that's used for eyewear frames. Good stuff. But they also do resin, as I've linked in previous post.
No argument here. I agree totally. In the long run it's all about the knot and how the handle feels in the hand.
 
Thank you gents, I have been looking at Zenith. B03/A26 is looking nice but I am not sure what weight it is? Not really looking for a battle tank weight but something around 80-90 gram is ok with me. I understand that Copper handles will be bit heavy but not much, over Aluminum. Any ideas? Your shave is offering very nice price but too bad they are not shipping to India.
ZENITH pure bristle bleached aluminum handle niquel ring B03-A26 - Yourshaving.com

@naughtilus that chubby B27 looks really nice. Do you use it personally?
@Boar Fighter should be recommending something from his boar army perhaps?
 
Thank you gents, I have been looking at Zenith. B03/A26 is looking nice but I am not sure what weight it is? Not really looking for a battle tank weight but something around 80-90 gram is ok with me. I understand that Copper handles will be bit heavy but not much, over Aluminum. Any ideas? Your shave is offering very nice price but too bad they are not shipping to India.
ZENITH pure bristle bleached aluminum handle niquel ring B03-A26 - Yourshaving.com

@naughtilus that chubby B27 looks really nice. Do you use it personally?
@Boar Fighter should be recommending something from his boar army perhaps?

Search for Chan Eil Whiskers posts on the Chubby Zenith boar. I don't have one myself.
 
i thought the Abbate y La Mantia Boar brush would be hyped up but bought one from West Coast Shave and its currently 30% off and after shaving for well over a week, I must say its very well made and has a better backbone then even the Semague Owners Club Taj that is about $20 more. Not too much info on line but the ergonomics are very nice in a purple resin if your into that sort of color.
 
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I have heard good things about the Thater Boar. The two I own are the Semogue Owners Club with the ivory handle, and the 2018 Semogue LE...both are fantastic!

Vr

Matt
 
The Thater Boar is amazing ! Im atill thinking of the honeycomb in yellow or tortoise color. Matt is def on the ball on that one. Hopefully you wont get one of the duds that people complained in an earlier forum. prob the most expensive boar brush out there that is not custom.
 
+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.



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! :)

I recently bought the Mondial. It is actually my first boar, only used synthetics before, so these comparisons put it in perspective. I am very much enjoying it, but already thinking that I want to get a second boar with a shorter loft. Was thinking of the SOC or Semogue 620, but someday would love to have a 011842.
 
I think that after the break in, the boar brushes are just wonderful. Also you control their backbone through let them soak in time.

They become premium brushes by using them. :)

+1 for the Mondial.
 
Thank you gents, I have been looking at Zenith. B03/A26 is looking nice but I am not sure what weight it is? Not really looking for a battle tank weight but something around 80-90 gram is ok with me. I understand that Copper handles will be bit heavy but not much, over Aluminum. Any ideas? Your shave is offering very nice price but too bad they are not shipping to India.
ZENITH pure bristle bleached aluminum handle niquel ring B03-A26 - Yourshaving.com

@naughtilus that chubby B27 looks really nice. Do you use it personally?
@Boar Fighter should be recommending something from his boar army perhaps?

Unfortunately, my tastes differ. I prefer medium, banded Omegas. I can tell you this. Premium banded Omega models (2 clear acrylic handles, 1 red, maybe more), with 25x60mm loft, are the floppiest Omegas i 've seen, so while the handle is for you, the loft isn't. There is the "italian flag" big boar, with unbanded bristles and resin handle, but i don't know how the backbone is.

In my experience, if you want scrubby, high backbone Omega, you 'd better stick with the cheap, unbanded varieties or with the Omega Connaught brush with loft set low (the green handle brush). Semogues are Semogues and Omega's premium bristle is floppier than the "cheap, regular" unbanded bristle.

Zenith, Mondial, i don't have.
 
The Proraso brush might be an interesting option, if you don't already know it. It's actually made by Omega, very similar to their "Pro" brushes, but with slightly shorter loft, giving the Proraso more backbone. I am a big fan of Omega boar brushes, and exclusively face lather too. The Proraso brush remains among my favorites. The handle is very similar to the Omega 10048 and 10049, and the handle is perhaps what I like least about it -- but the knot is a gem! 15 $ at Walmart (but don't let the price fool you, I consider this brush superior to my 200$ silvertip badgers):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Proraso-Professional-Shaving-Brush/52409484
 
The Proraso brush might be an interesting option, if you don't already know it. It's actually made by Omega, very similar to their "Pro" brushes, but with slightly shorter loft, giving the Proraso more backbone. I am a big fan of Omega boar brushes, and exclusively face lather too. The Proraso brush remains among my favorites. The handle is very similar to the Omega 10048 and 10049, and the handle is perhaps what I like least about it -- but the knot is a gem! 15 $ at Walmart (but don't let the price fool you, I consider this brush superior to my 200$ silvertip badgers):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Proraso-Professional-Shaving-Brush/52409484

One more vote for the Proraso Professional boar brush as an excellent brush (and also for it holding up in comparison with some premium silvertip badgers)
 
There is the "italian flag" big boar, with unbanded bristles and resin handle, but i don't know how the backbone is.

The handle is definitely a premium handle, but the knot is too tall and is very floppy. I don't enjoy that, but some people might.

In my experience, if you want scrubby, high backbone Omega, you 'd better stick with the cheap, unbanded varieties or with the Omega Connaught brush with loft set low (the green handle brush). Semogues are Semogues and Omega's premium bristle is floppier than the "cheap, regular" unbanded bristle.
The Connaught premium 011829 is definitely a bit floppy, but it doesn't lack for backbone.
Also, I would say even the unbanded Omegas are good options for scrubby brushes with backbone
 
Having used both Omega 10048 and 10049 I did not like the high loft they had and PIFed them to new wet shave recruits. While I agree Proraso is good option in lower loft and given that Omega use 'standard' bristles across the range, there isn’t much left to pick by way of 'premium' brush. All Omega boar brushes have same bristles but their handles are insipid and tacky looking molded plastics that drove me to look out for better build and premium 'feel' handle.

At different price points, there are options but not as many as available in mass marketed Badgers. To start with my first ‘premium’ boar I am liking my Jade handle Omega and follow it up with couple of other from Zenith/Mondial in medium lofts.
 
Having used both Omega 10048 and 10049 I did not like the high loft they had and PIFed them to new wet shave recruits. While I agree Proraso is good option in lower loft and given that Omega use 'standard' bristles across the range, there isn’t much left to pick by way of 'premium' brush. All Omega boar brushes have same bristles but their handles are insipid and tacky looking molded plastics that drove me to look out for better build and premium 'feel' handle.

At different price points, there are options but not as many as available in mass marketed Badgers. To start with my first ‘premium’ boar I am liking my Jade handle Omega and follow it up with couple of other from Zenith/Mondial in medium lofts.

Sounds like you have a handle on the situation.
 
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