Thater Premium Boar
- Thread starter Chan Eil Whiskers
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Now that I think about it....Doesn’t Tabac come out of Germany?
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- #223
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
That would be my guess...
I completely share your opinion of this brush, easily the best boar I've ever owned.
With that said, I am a bowl lather-er and I have to give a slight edge to the Thater for bowl lathering.
I’m sorry others have had problems with this brush. I don’t have a bunch of boar brushes, but among the ones I own (including the SOC), the Thater is my best performing. It broke in well, is luxurious on the face, and lathers up a storm.
It better be! The Thater is 26x60mm and the SOC is 24x55mm.
Bigger isn’t necessarily better, but in this case it is and my experience mirrors @pbrmhl . The Thater proved to be a substantially better performer for me (I face lather) than my SOC. The SOC wasn’t a bad brush, but my Thater is noticeably better.
I used my Thater boar exclusively for 5 or 6 months straight and have had no issues. I hope the quality continues to be good as I really like the brush.
The bristles on this brush are of a higher grade than every other boar brush I have ever seen except my Semogue LE which has similar bristles. The Semogue is a $60. brush and the Thater an $85. brush both up there in price but worth it to me.
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- #230
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
These short lofted brushes are some of my favorites but I don't usually compare them with the Thater. Still, their bristles are all very, very nice.
My Thater must have been in the wrong line. Its bristles are much like those of the Stirling boar, but not the same. I initially liked my Stirling boar and believed it had great potential; however, it got worse over time and I no longer use it at all. My Thater Premium Boar was never impressive or even just okay. No shave with it has been anything but scritchy, and I think the scritch got worse or more noticeable. Its bristles never improved.
I very much like the handles of the Thater boar and the Stirling boar but not the knots of either. One cost $10 though. The bristles look much the same.
A number of comparisons have been made between the Semogue SOC and the Thater Premium Boar. I tend to avoid comparisons of that sort and I'll tell you why. It's a matter of loft.
- Semogue SOC boar: 26mm knot. 52mm loft.
- Thater Premium: 27mm knot. 58mm loft.
Shorter lofted brushes have, I think, all other things being equal, an advantage when it comes to scrub and a lack of floppiness. In other words, I believe the Semogue SOC has an unfair advantage over the Thater.
I like and use my SOC, but it is a brush I don't quite understand. Mine has varied a good bit over the time I've owned it. Overall, I think it a pretty good boar. Certainly it is an acceptable boar, but, to me, it is an unusual boar. It splays a lot. It seems to me to be less dense than some boars. It's not without scrub or anything like that, but it seems somewhat floppy for its loft. Not that I dislike it, but there are a number of premium boars I prefer.
I started in on a way too long discourse on brushes and lofts and such just now but it's not something I suspect pertains to this thread. Mostly though I don't want to compare a tall lofted brush to a short lofted brush because, to me, it's not a fair comparison.
That says nothing about how anyone else should look at brushes or evaluate them.
Happy shaves,
Jim
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Bigger isn't necessarily better, but bigger and longer bristles, of similar density, should outperform smaller knots with shorter bristles. It is why you will never find an italian barber with a 22x50 boar, which is also cheaper. They want to be able to lather quickly, so they get the big, high lofted brushes that can move around more lather, more water and more air, with less wrist aches.
Some time ago, i had found on google, someone who had disassembled a Semogue and found out how the famous Semogue bloom is obtained and at the same time, explained why it feels less dense. From what i can remember, the cup on which the SOC knot is assembled, isn't an ordinary one, but it's oblique. The knot at the base, is not the same as the knot at the point of exit. For example, officially specification, says the SOC to be 24mm. This is at the base of the handle. But just below, it's more like 23mm and at the base of the cup, it becomes 22mm. The bristles are set in an oblique way, following the shape of the oblique cap and this is how the Semogues have this pronounced bloom with the hair flying all over the place.
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- #233
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
That's not been my experience. Bigger yes, but not so much longer.
Nobody is likely, I believe, to enjoy a knot which is 22mm x 50mm, but there are a number of short lofted brushes in my collection which perform very well indeed.
- Zenith Chubby Scrubby: Knot 28mm. Loft 50mm.
- Omega 011829 Jade Handle Connaught Premium Boar. Knot 27mm. Loft 49mm.
- Zenith Wenghe Dark Wood: 24mm knot. 49mm loft.
- Omega Mighty Midget: 24mm knot. 47 mm loft.
- Zenith Short and Scrubby: 24mm knot. 43 mm loft.
Perhaps we agree about this and are talking in a way which emphasizes different things. Probably we are because I can't image liking a 22 x 50 knot (but somebody would). How 'bout a 20 x 65 knot? Yipes!
Of course there are a number of factors involved. I'm not knocking tall and big brushes, but Italian barbers choke up on some of them for good and necessary reasons. The Omega Italian Flag is a lot of fun to use, but the Proraso Pro is much easier for me.
- Omega 48: 28mm knot. 65mm loft.
- Omega Italian Flag: 27mm knot. 65 mm loft.
Happy shaves,
Jim
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- #234
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Very cool stuff.
I see we share a love of boars and a fascination with them.
Thanks and happy shaves,
Jim
I don't think i have ever heard of an Italian who hasn't started with a boar and who doesn't keep at least a boar in his collection. Before the cartridge era and before the internet, boars was all most people knew in this part of the globe. I first bought a badger in 2010, when Amazon came to Italy.
It seems that guys that face-lather prefer a brush with a short loft like the Semogue 610. Where as guys that bowl-lather prefer the higher lofts like the Omega Pro 49.
I like my Thater a little more than my Semogue LE for bowl-lathering.
I like my Thater a little more than my Semogue LE for bowl-lathering.
My first boar, was an Omega Pro (probably the 48, but at that time, who cared for such things...). Typical barber brush. However, once i passed exclusively to face lathering and discovering that wetshaving had in the meantime expanded and more products were easily available, i abandoned completely big boars and moved to small and medium ones. I still keep 2 big Omega boars, but i don't use them. I find them clumsy for face lathering now. I do have an Omega 22x50, as well as the Semogue 1470, which is 21x48 and i like them both very much. I also have Omega 24x55, 25x60 and all the wooden non painted Semogues (except the SOC) and the 830. They can't outperform a big boar in lather generation, but they feel a lot more handy for face lathering.
At some point, i may pick a 24mm Zenith, since i regret not having a Zenith or an Antica Barberia Colla, because until recently i could only find their big boars.
Boars are my summertime go to. A cold water soaked boar is a wonderful way to wake up or cool off. In winter I prefer badgers. I haven't used a boar in a couple of months. I do love the Thater. I hope mine doesn't explode.
I use to boar brushes in my main rotation and I face lather. They are 26mm and 57mm loft. One is Mondial and the other is Proraso.
I have in mind to get a small and a bigger brush. Already decided for an Omega 48. I don't know yet which small boar loft should I get.
As I got a synthetic brush, which is surprisingly good, my desire to get two other boar brushes has decreased a bit
I have in mind to get a small and a bigger brush. Already decided for an Omega 48. I don't know yet which small boar loft should I get.
As I got a synthetic brush, which is surprisingly good, my desire to get two other boar brushes has decreased a bit
For facelathering, i would suggest an Omega 24x55, if you want backbone, but not too much. It will be lower than Proraso, but still there. The dyed Omegas, are supposed to be a bit softer. Supposed, because i can tell you for sure, that Omega can change the bristle quality in the same model according to various batches. I have the same model in 2 brushes. The older brush has softer quality bristle. A more luxurious equivalent would be the Semogue 1250 (22x52 loft). This is badger-like soft on the upper half and the backbone is more pronounced in the lower half.
If you want a backbone similar to Proraso (maybe a bit lower), get Omega 22x50 or the Semogue 1470 (21x48 loft), which will be bit softer than the Omega, but with more backbone than the 1250.
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