Semoque/Omega, different pigs or what.

[bluesman 7]

Another thread was going off topic so I started this one.

"That makes a lot of sense. Omega boars seem to be like brooms and Semogue like mops. Brooms push and distribute. Mops soak in, hold and smear." @naughtilus

"Exactly, very good example. It's the only explanation i could think of. Because when i started buying Semogues, i was dumbfounded, because i was loading them as i was used to load boars, but i was constantly running out of lahter. And i have been a boar user for many years, it's not like i hadn't seen a boar before. They were just behaving very differently compared to Omegas." @Boar Fighter

People were pointing out the difference in these boar brushes and I wonder what it is that makes the bristles so different. Is it a different animal, a different part of the animal, or a different treatment done to the bristles?

These brushes behave so differently, maybe we shouldn't be lumping boar brushes together as much as we do.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Semogue uses premium boar mostly; Omega has just one or two premium boar brushes. The premium bristles come from the chin and cheek area of Montessori educated piggies fed only Spanish and Portuguese wild acorns and the occasional white truffle. Ordinary boar bristles are harvested from swine raised in huge feedlot operations and fed a diet of field corn.

Premium bristles should not be soaked; a sponge bath is sufficient. Ordinary boar bristle, being more coarse, can tolerate additional wetting.


While the term boar is widely used, in fact sows and gender confused pigs are also used in brush making.

All boar brushes benefit from a 48 hour dry time after use. They also need "fluffing." Premium boars should only be fluffed using organic cotton towels, of course.

Ordinary boar bristles are mostly jammed into inexpensive plastic handles; premium reside in more elegant handles befitting their status and upbringing.

As for performance, YMMV.

 

[‘Bout Time]

Semogue uses premium boar mostly; Omega has just one or two premium boar brushes. The premium bristles come from the chin and cheek area of Montessori educated piggies fed only Spanish and Portuguese wild acorns and the occasional white truffle. Ordinary boar bristles are harvested from swine raised in huge feedlot operations and fed a diet of field corn.

Premium bristles should not be soaked; a sponge bath is sufficient. Ordinary boar bristle, being more coarse, can tolerate additional wetting.


While the term boar is widely used, in fact sows and gender confused pigs are also used in brush making.

All boar brushes benefit from a 48 hour dry time after use. They also need "fluffing." Premium boars should only be fluffed using organic cotton towels, of course.

Ordinary boar bristles are mostly jammed into inexpensive plastic handles; premium reside in more elegant handles befitting their status and upbringing.

As for performance, YMMV.

Hilarious! Stumbling on this made my morning.

 

[musicman1951]

Semogue uses premium boar mostly; Omega has just one or two premium boar brushes. The premium bristles come from the chin and cheek area of Montessori educated piggies fed only Spanish and Portuguese wild acorns and the occasional white truffle. Ordinary boar bristles are harvested from swine raised in huge feedlot operations and fed a diet of field corn.

Premium bristles should not be soaked; a sponge bath is sufficient. Ordinary boar bristle, being more coarse, can tolerate additional wetting.


While the term boar is widely used, in fact sows and gender confused pigs are also used in brush making.

All boar brushes benefit from a 48 hour dry time after use. They also need "fluffing." Premium boars should only be fluffed using organic cotton towels, of course.

Ordinary boar bristles are mostly jammed into inexpensive plastic handles; premium reside in more elegant handles befitting their status and upbringing.

As for performance, YMMV.

I thought this was intuitively obvious to the most casual observer.

 

[bluesman 7]

Semogue uses premium boar mostly; Omega has just one or two premium boar brushes. The premium bristles come from the chin and cheek area .

I assume that this is the factual part of your funny and appreciated post.

 

[shave/brush]

Semogue uses premium boar mostly; Omega has just one or two premium boar brushes. The premium bristles come from the chin and cheek area of Montessori educated piggies fed only Spanish and Portuguese wild acorns and the occasional white truffle. Ordinary boar bristles are harvested from swine raised in huge feedlot operations and fed a diet of field corn.

Premium bristles should not be soaked; a sponge bath is sufficient. Ordinary boar bristle, being more coarse, can tolerate additional wetting.
While the term boar is widely used, in fact sows and gender confused pigs are also used in brush making.

All boar brushes benefit from a 48 hour dry time after use. They also need "fluffing." Premium boars should only be fluffed using organic cotton towels, of course.
Ordinary boar bristles are mostly jammed into inexpensive plastic handles; premium reside in more elegant handles befitting their status and upbringing.
As for performance, YMMV.

Funny

 

[dundak]

Knot shape. Semogue’s are conical. The diameter of the base of the knot is much smaller then what you see at the ring in the handle. Makes them splay more and get mop like.

Prefer Omega YMMV.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[shave/brush]

The Semogue versus Omega debate goes on and that's because everyone has their own preference. The mop and the broom reference you opened with is somewhat true. Everyone will have their own opinion.
What I read most is that the Semogue brushes are more floppy and after a lot of use can bloom a little too much. Yet a lot of guys love that. Some guys like Omega because they tend to break in faster and yet hold their shape better.
You just have to try them both and find out for yourself.

 

[bluesman 7]

I prefer Omega too! I didn't realize that I was slumming.

I guess if you don't realize that your slumming, you really aren't, you're just low class.

Oh well.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

I assume that this is the factual part of your funny and appreciated post.

Factual part? Oh, dear, is the veracity of the post being questioned?

 

[BigJ]

Semogue uses premium boar mostly; Omega has just one or two premium boar brushes. The premium bristles come from the chin and cheek area of Montessori educated piggies fed only Spanish and Portuguese wild acorns and the occasional white truffle. Ordinary boar bristles are harvested from swine raised in huge feedlot operations and fed a diet of field corn.

Premium bristles should not be soaked; a sponge bath is sufficient. Ordinary boar bristle, being more coarse, can tolerate additional wetting.


While the term boar is widely used, in fact sows and gender confused pigs are also used in brush making.

All boar brushes benefit from a 48 hour dry time after use. They also need "fluffing." Premium boars should only be fluffed using organic cotton towels, of course.

Ordinary boar bristles are mostly jammed into inexpensive plastic handles; premium reside in more elegant handles befitting their status and upbringing.

As for performance, YMMV.

This gets my nomination for the post of the week!! Perhaps POST OF THE MONTH!!

 

[RayClem]

I prefer Omega too! I didn't realize that I was slumming.

I guess if you don't realize that your slumming, you really aren't, you're just low class.

Oh well.

I have on Omega boar (a professional 10098) which I love. I have two Semogues (1250 and 2000) and have never gotten a great lather with either of them. It does not seem to matter if I soak them for 10 minutes or just dip them. All three brushes have been used enough to be well broken in. I also have a Barbershop brand Austrian made boar brush that is over 35 years old. Like the Omega, it produces a great lather, even though it is a much smaller knot.

Vic, I guess I am slumming in good company.

It is my understanding that most boar bristles (like badger hair) are harvested in China.

 

[naughtilus]

Zenith and Mondial are perhaps the middle ground? Softer broom? Stiffer mop?



This thread is weird.

 

[Acmemfg]

All the way......

 

[Bravoure]

.
Premium bristles should not be soaked; a sponge bath is sufficient. Ordinary boar bristle, being more coarse, can tolerate additional wetting.

I've found this to be very true, especially once fully broken in. I treat my broken in Semogues the same as a badger brush, I run it under warm water for ~30 second before loading with soap. I don't really have issues of disappearing lather.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Premium (Omega) Boar.

 

[Boar Fighter]

Semogue:
- Finer bristles (=softer, but harder to break in)
- Denser knot
- Knot set in a way that the brush blooms a lot. This makes them hog more soap at the bottom of knot and they need to be loaded more. This becomes less of a problem with time.

Omega:
- Thicker bristles (stiffer, faster to break in)
- Less dense knot
- Knot set with almost all bristles vertical. This squeezes better the base of the knot and propels the lather upwards. They don't hog much soap, more beginner friendly to lather.

Premium Omega:



And the bristles are softer than those of "ordinary" Omegas, but still not Semogue soft.

 

[Boghopper]

Premium (Omega) Boar.View attachment 959301

I want to like this brush. I really do. It just seems too floppy to me. Not much backbone.

 

[Boar Fighter]

I want to like this brush. I really do. It just seems too floppy to me. Not much backbone.

That one looks like big knot diameter and low loft. It can't be floppy. Mine is floppyish alright. But not that green one. Unless you want something that you must fight to make it splay.

 

[Boar Fighter]

I've found this to be very true, especially once fully broken in. I treat my broken in Semogues the same as a badger brush, I run it under warm water for ~30 second before loading with soap. I don't really have issues of disappearing lather.

The boar bristles are very hollow. Soaking , allows the bristle to gain maximum flexibility, apart from saturating it with water. This makes the bristle less prone to breaking. Semogue bristles are finer and as such more fragile than Omega. Not soaking them thoroughly, only makes them even more vulnerable to breaking.