School Me on Boars

[bassopotamus]

Sorry if this has been done to death.

Been wetshaving a while now. Got 3 nice badger brushes. Pondering a boar just to extend the rotation a bit. About me

Face Lather
Soap Only
Current favorite brush is a Truefitt and Hill (which is basically a rebadged rooney 1/2) which I believe is a 24 mm knot.

Questions
1. Are Omega and Semogue pretty much the only game in town (and of basically equal quality)?
2. Is there any differentiation with in brands in quality, or are the differences just size and handle?
3. I'm thinking about the Omega 20107 and the 10049. Are these decent? Can you really get a nice brush for 10 bucks?

 

[Batman]

I also started with Badger brushes, now almost exclusively boar. IMO, Semogue boar brushes are low cost and incredible. My forst was a 620, then the 1305, then an SOC (very big), and finally a 2012 LE which is a badger/boar mix.

I did not find any of these overly funky...did need some serious pre-use loading to get rid of the stink, same as a badger. I also found the break-in period not very long at all.

Boars are wonderful, soft, hammer soaps, great for face lathering, also great with creams.

Purchase many.....

 

[patten1969]

Omega 49 is still in heavy rotation. Pick up that or a 48.

 

[Eeyore]

To answer your last question; yes, one can buy an excellent brush for a fraction of the price for a badger. Omega boar brushes are great, in my opinion. I prefer the ones with the non-banded bristles.

Just remember that you need to soak a boar brush before each shave, to soften the bristles. That not only makes your shave more comfortable, but also increases the life of your brush.

 

[Andy]

Another boar user here!
I started out with badger brushes as well, but quickly made the move to boar.
Have mainly been an Omega user, but honestly, only because it was my first boar and I haven't really seen the need to try other brands.

Like badger, they do smell somewhat when you first get them, but a few shampoo washes and they are ready to go.

The break-in period isn't too bad, for my 20102 it was around a week, you can shortcut the process by getting a cheap puck of soap and spending an hour or so lathering and drying it, but even before the break-in the brush was pretty good.

As for Omega vs Semogue, while I might cop flack for this, I think that it is like Coca-cola vs Pepsi, both are good at what they do, some prefer one over the other.

 

[takeshi]

I'm thinking about the Omega 20107 and the 10049. Are these decent? Can you really get a nice brush for 10 bucks?

Absolutely if you like boar. Decent and really nice are always highly subjective terms no matter what the topic. If you don't prefer boar you might not consider them decent or really nice. However, you won't know without trying.

 

[ajmanouk]

Not to bias you between either brand, but FWIW my only brush which is a Semogue 1305 fits your bill pretty nicely.

Just sayin

 

[Reckoner]

Get a SOC and look no further.

 

[talibeard]

1) No but they are the biggest players now. Vulfix made (makes?) boarbrushes of good quality and when you look for it there are plenty more. But both Omega and Semogue are a safe bet.

2) Boar has no classification like badger but there are certainly differences; a brush with thicker hair will be very different from an identical sized knot with thinner hairs.

3) A. I never used them but knowing my other Omega's I think they are a safe bet. B. Yes you can. With Omega even for less if you look around.

 

[oldtrout]

Since I purchased a Semogue SOC my other boar brushes have seen a lot less use.
The B&B Omega blond boar brush is wonderful, link=
(http://www.westcoastshaving.com/Bad...-Boar-Shaving-Brush-Orange-Handle_p_1707.html)
as are the Semogue 610 (my preference) and 620.

 

[RobW]

2) Boar has no classification like badger but there are certainly differences; a brush with thicker hair will be very different from an identical sized knot with thinner hairs.

For more on the differences between boar knots, I found this chart of Semogue knots to be extremely helpful. Basically, it comes down to the percentage of hairs that are the same length in a knot. A higher percentage will give a more uniform feel on your face. As far as softness, I think it goes Extra < Best < Premium < Special for the Semogue line, but I could be wrong....I have a 1520 that is wonderfully soft after a few months usage because of all the hair splitting.

I have looked and have not been able to find a similar chart for Omega knots...

 

[talibeard]

For more on the differences between boar knots, I found this chart of Semogue knots to be extremely helpful. Basically, it comes down to the percentage of hairs that are the same length in a knot. A higher percentage will give a more uniform feel on your face. As far as softness, I think it goes Extra < Best < Premium < Special for the Semogue line, but I could be wrong....I have a 1520 that is wonderfully soft after a few months usage because of all the hair splitting.

I have looked and have not been able to find a similar chart for Omega knots...

That is an interesting chart for sure but I miss the most important feature (for me); thickness of the hairs. But hats off to Semogue for making a list at all; the usual way with boars is trial and error.