The downside of being a boar-lover

[talibeard]

I love boars. I have tried badgers from budget to silvertip and boars from drugstore (lack of) quality to the real deal (Vulfix, Omega, HJM, Il Ceppo, Vero etc) and there is no doubt that boar is what I want. YMMV so to speak.

One of the nice things about them is that you can try a lot of those without breaking the bank and buying one that is disappointing only sets you back a few bucks. But this is not the classic badger vs. boar thread. I don't wanna talk hairs here, I wanna talk handles.

The choice in handles makes me envy those who prefer badgers; you can have about any quality of badger grade with about any quality handle available. It might cost you a fortune but you can get what you want.
Not so with boars.

Ok, there is a wide choice in wooden handles but wood (or horn btw) usually doesn't go very well with water in the end. Then there are the cheap molded plastic handles; works great but looks and feels like something I don't really want. Omega has lots of those; great knots on undesirable handles. When they become less cheap they get a 'golden ring' where the handle meets the knot making it even more bad taste.

The more luxurious Semogues and Omegas have an acrylic handle, usually partly transparent and partly colored and if you like it, fine with me but I think they are too bombastic and certainly not my choice either.

I want a quality lathe turned handle, as classic as they come and as far as I know there is only one producer making those; Progress Vulfix. And while I like their boars a lot, I wouldn't mind a little more choice! I don't mind paying some extra for a quality handle on a boar. But I think most manufacturers see boar brushes as a cheap alternative for starting wetshavers and simply don't understand that there are some shavers around that want and a boar and a luxurios brush!

Thanks for reading!

 

[JPDyson]

I think you make a good point; there's plenty of room for some nicer handles with boar knots. I will say that the "ring" is generally a functional addition (somehow helping the knot's longevity - it's been explained before, but I don't recall the specifics). Then, of course, we have our fair share of gifted craftsmen here who I'm sure would be glad to fit an Omega knot into whatever you like. I just wish you could get a Semogue knot without the handles. They make nice handles IMO, but there's always room for some custom love.

Here's hoping the recent Boar-love around here will spur some creativity!

 

[Doric.]

I would contact Rudy Vey. Chances are he can get you exactly what you are looking for

 

[hometownhero]

I would contact Rudy Vey. Chances are he can get you exactly what you are looking for

You took the words right out of my mouth. You could also try penworks.

 

[Loric]

Elite Razors also makes custom boar brushes. They have a staggering number of material choices, and Bob Quinn provided me with the greatest customer service I have ever had... ever. He was a stand out even in the customer service driven world of wet shaving. The draw back being that as far as I know he only offers one boar knot.

View attachment 122448

Rudy Vey and Pen Works both offer a better selection of knots and both do good work. I have also have a Pen Works brush, and it is nice to be sure, but the customer service was not on par with Elite Razors. It was not bad by any means, just not on the same level.

View attachment 122447

I dont have a Rudy Vey so I cant comment, but he has LOTS of love on B&B. YMMV just some food for thought, you cant go wrong with any of these 3.

 

[roboboticus]

Then again, if you like the Vulfix, you can savour the fact that you've found "the one". Although I like the search for the ideal brush, I'd also like to find it!
I know what you mean about the clear acrylic handles, and yet I've come to like it on my Semogue 830. To me, it has a nice modern, high-contrast style.

 

[BladeDE40]

You can check out Bob's Razor Works...he makes custom razors and brushes...

 

[VT_Hokie]

Some of Rudy Vey's most recent work with boar

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=163357

 

[Klarion]

Some of Rudy Vey's most recent work with boar

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=163357

Good find, man. Yep, Rudy is willing to do just about whatever you like. Even transplanting knots, for additional cost - an idea I'd toyed with, using my SOC and 1250, before just trying out the Omega knots.

 

[woodfluter]

Good observation Talibeard; shared sentiments too.

Well, a short while ago on another thread someone was contemplating the making of a handle from African blackwood (aka Grenadilla, Dalbergia melanoxylon). As you can see from my "handle" here, I know something about this material so couldn't resist chiming in.

If I were to undertake a wooden shaving brush handle, it would be of African blackwood. In addition to its very high density, it is highly resistant to water absorption and, most importantly, dimensionally stable. That's why it works so well with oboes, clarinets...and wooden flutes. The latter in particular are prone to exposure to high levels of moisture for hours on end, and even very small changes in size due to water intake can screw up tuning - not just absolute, but relative (which you can't fix with a slide).

There's some other candidates out there, including tropical woods and some Australian (Cooktown Ironwood for example). So there are possibilities for those lusting after a wooden handle, even for a boar brush that needs soaking for protracted periods. I suspect it's the dimensional changes that will wreak havoc with glue bonds.

Another option is "stabilized" woods such as are used in some knife handles.

Just some thoughts...

- Bill

 

[wimbouman]

Rudy Vey makes fantastic work!
You may also ask member Aart.

Olivewood is another option.
.

 

[talibeard]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I am aware that there are various artists making nice handles and I have been thinking on turning my own. But I think boars should be taken more serious by its manufacturers.

Then again, if you like the Vulfix, you can savour the fact that you've found "the one".

You are right; I better count my blessings rather than complaining.

But still, a huge company like Omega with over 60 types of boar brushes (btw chapeau for the quality of the knots; it is nice that with such a huge output they still got that part right ) has hardly more to offer than 'el cheapo' in various colours. And it is not that they have to start from scratch; they have various nice handles on their badger brushes so with a moderately increased price-tag they can do this in a heartbeat!

When I use my Vulfixes I think they are the best and when I switch to Omega I think Omega is. But one look at what I am holding in my hands when using the Omega and part of that lucky feeling is gone..

 

[roboboticus]

Well put. Aesthetics certainly do add to the experience.

 

[patten1969]

I didn't particularly care for the handle on my Omega 48, but the second I used it I could have cared less! I now see shiny ABS plastic and get excited. I'm a real boar fan, and I see what you mean about the great divide in handle quality.
Patten

 

[talibeard]

Patten you are right about the Omega when you talk about performance. They make great lathering boars but IMO they deserve handles that look and feel like made for a lifetime. Even the molded handles from Vulfix still have a certain quality feel about them.

I can't say that the bristle used by Vulfix is better; years of usage will have to decide on that question but the handles on my Omegas are even worse than the ones on the cheap drugstore brushes in my little collection. And that while Italy is famous for its designs...