Those small omega boar brushes. Are they any good?

[PJO]

Thanks, August.
And so my day is complete; sometimes a small success suffices.

Patti

 

[August West]

Thanks, August.
And so my day is complete; sometimes a small success suffices.

Patti

It is all I hope for.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I felt very lonesome about Midget love until now. If you like boar and small handled brushes it is a great little brush. And very inexpensive.

I believe Cal @Cal likes his a lot, too. I've seen some other guys comment on how great the Mighty Midget is, too. It is truly a good brush. I think it's the best $7 brush in the world, but that's sort of insulting it because there are many much more expensive brushes I like a lot less.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Gillette Fat Tech + Omega Shower Hog

• PJO
• Jul 20, 2018

Omega 21139 Shower Hog

Dunno if it qualifies as small, but my favorite is the Omega 21139 “Shower Hog” boar brush with the oblong rubber handle.

This is my first attempt to post with a photo. Fingers crossed!

Patti

I like that brush! On my wish list it goes (literally, at Italian Barber). Not an easy brush to find; one place wanted too much for the shipping.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[John Rose]

Normally I don't care for them. The dark band is done to make it resemble badger. I don't know how the practice started, and I usually avoid such brushes. This is a good brush though.

I had this theory that it was a ploy to have it totally not resemble a horse hair brush because in the early 1920s there was a number of deaths attributed to anthrax spores found in horse hair shaving brushes.
However, just now I found an article from the CDC that suggests that I'm only partially correct.
See https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/5/pdfs/16-1554.pdf

Anthrax risk during 1914–1917 seems to have varied by brush color and country of origin. Cases were more likely to be associated with light- than with dark-colored brushes, and brushes from horsehair from Japan were considered to be particularly risky. Public health officials investigating these outbreaks at the time speculated that at least some of these manufacturers used the hair as received, assuming it was already disinfected. They also speculated that high-temperature disinfection may have been avoided for brushes made from light-colored hair out of concern that this treatment might diminish their resemblance to badger hair. Thus, light-colored brushes may not have been as effectively disinfected as their dark-colored or darkly dyed counterparts.

So, it appears that the dying of brush knots predates the anthrax business, and that horse hair brushes were dyed. But does that include dyed bands? I dunno.
Also, the word "sterilized" or "sterilised" began to show up on brushes after this.
There's a contemporary (1925) article on the subject here - ANTHRAX FROM SHAVING BRUSHES

 

[Cal]

I believe Cal @Cal likes his a lot, too.

I do indeed love my Omega 40033 Mighty Midget.

I just recently discovered (thanks to Al @AimlessWanderer), and purchased, the Omega 10051. It comes with either a green or orange handle (I like BRIGHT). I'm positive that this is the same great knot that's used in the Mighty Midget (it certainly has the same dimensions, and feel).

And the unusually shaped handle (for me at least) is superb! This is my current shaving brush love affair which has pushed my Shavemac Silvertip 2-Band to the side (for a while...).

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I do indeed love my Omega 40033 Mighty Midget.

I just recently discovered (thanks to Al @AimlessWanderer), and purchased, the Omega 10051. It comes with either a green or orange handle (I like BRIGHT). I'm positive that this is the same great knot that's used in the Mighty Midget (it certainly has the same dimensions, and feel).
View attachment 898868
And the unusually shaped handle (for me at least) is superb! This is my current shaving brush love affair which has pushed my Shavemac Silvertip 2-Band to the side (for a while...).

Very inexpensive with shipping from Connaught (they have the best shipping prices period). About $7 to USA with shipping. Throw in a puck of Wickham 1912 while you're at it, and maybe the R41 head.

I like the green, too. I think the knot has got to be the same as the Mighty Midget until demonstrated otherwise. Thus it is a small and yet large brush. Short but wide.

Nice one, Cal.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I do indeed love my Omega 40033 Mighty Midget.

I just recently discovered (thanks to Al @AimlessWanderer), and purchased, the Omega 10051. It comes with either a green or orange handle (I like BRIGHT). I'm positive that this is the same great knot that's used in the Mighty Midget (it certainly has the same dimensions, and feel).
View attachment 898868
And the unusually shaped handle (for me at least) is superb! This is my current shaving brush love affair which has pushed my Shavemac Silvertip 2-Band to the side (for a while...).

I'm finding it to be an excellent brush too. I have the green handled version, and this will be my primary brush for home use for the foreseeable future.

 

[andromeda673]

for what it's worth I have the Omega 10049 from the Proraso travel kit, I love it, sure it's small, but man can you load the soap on it, plus with a smaller brush it's better for me personally with apply shave cream, I'm not getting it everywhere.

The price on the omega brushes is good and the performance from what I've learned, is really good. As others mentioned, I have no problem going back to the puck to make more foam.

 

[August West]

I also find smaller brushes are excellent if you have facial hair in which to maneuver around.

 

[PJO]

I do indeed love my Omega 40033 Mighty Midget.

I just recently discovered (thanks to Al @AimlessWanderer), and purchased, the Omega 10051. It comes with either a green or orange handle (I like BRIGHT).

Oh oh oh ORANGE — che bello!
That one goes on my list.

Patti

 

[Cal]

for what it's worth I have the Omega 10049 from the Proraso travel kit

I think you have the Proraso branded Omega 50068 Bambino (18/46 knot). The Omega 10049 Professional has a 27/59 knot (kinda huge)!

 

[andromeda673]

I think you have the Proraso branded Omega 50068 (18/46 knot). The Omega 10049 Professional has a 27/59 knot (kinda huge)!

Ok thank you for the clarification and the help! All I know is that I like that brush, and it works great. I thought I had read somewhere that the brush that came in that kit was the 10049.

 

[Your Majesty]

The 10049 is huge. Can your bambino hold lather well enough for 3 passes?

 

[John Rose]

The 10049 is huge. Can your bambino hold lather well enough for 3 passes?

A brush should only need to hold enough lather for one pass.
Holding additional lather is the job of a lather bowl or mug.

 

[Cal]

Can your bambino hold lather well enough for 3 passes?

My Omega 10086 Bigger Bambino (same knot but longer handle than the 50068 Bambino) easily holds enough lather for three passes). This has been mentioned earlier in the thread by Rudy @rudyt.

 

[Your Majesty]

Alright thanks. I think I'll go get a small one. They are cheap here.

 

[Clay S]

A brush should only need to hold enough lather for one pass.
Holding additional lather is the job of a lather bowl or mug.

My mug(face) only hold lather one shave at a time.
And since I face lather, no bowl. I have a smallish 10098 , so it holds enough for later passes.

 

[Pickle Rick]

So boar versus synthetic, which is better?

As for a proper answer about boar vs synthetic, it's like asking which color is better. To each their own, for me it is definitely boar over synthetic. But that's my personal opinion. My friend you are the only one who can make that call. I don't mind the extra care it takes to use a boar brush to it's fullest, others prefer the ease of the synthetic. And keep in mind some of those synthetics are really good at what they do. Then there are the badger guys, I have used everything, but horse and that's on my next purchase, each has its pros and cons, you'll just have to weigh those and decide what's best for you. Sorry I couldn't help any more than that but it really is a personal thing you know. Good luck and happy shaving friend.

 

[rudyt]

As for a proper answer about boar vs synthetic, it's like asking which color is better.

Well said Sir! The same logic applies to 3-piece vs TTO, adjustable vs fixed, Feather vs any other blade ...