My 30 day challenge is coming to an end soon and with that one of the changes I want to make is the brush. So far I've narrowed it down between an Omega or Whipped Dog just not sure what I want or even what would suit me best. I mainly face lather but would like to bowl lather as well. So far I'm enjoying hard soaps so that will probably stay the same for awhile. Sorry for bringing up a topic that gets brought up a lot I just need some interaction between reading numerous threads and reviews. Hopefully I can find something that keeps me happy and not in search of something else. So far my only experience is with the cheap Van Der Hagen brush and I'm not sure what it is but my dislike for it grows daily.
You're just going to have to try them both, and probably some others, to see what works best for you.
Consider pure horse from vie long 50:50 mane and tail you can get them for around $20. I have two of them they are good for bowl or face lathering and they work well on hard soaps
Well again, it goes to what you want to experience in a brush or your user mode. Here is how to determine your user mode. 1. Do you want to face lather, bowl lather, or both? Your answer was more face lathering but with some bowl lathering as well. 2. Do you want to have strong backbone, moderate backbone, or weak backbone? 3. Do you want ultra soft tips, tips that are soft with slight scritch, tips with moderate scritch, or tips that ex-foliate strongly (close to stratch)? 4. Do you want natural or synthetic? 5. If you want natural do you want Badger, Boar or Horse? What would your other answers be? At that point we can better deal with what you really want in your price range with a better understanding what what your parameters are rather than by haphazard guessing.
O.K. it sounds to me as if you are looking for a firmer boar brush to provide stiffness and some scritch or maybe a pure / mixed badger. You have been interested in an Omega. There are several to choose from in the link below. This is a solid vendor! http://www.shoeboxshaveshop.com/ombolaseinno.html The 10066, 10098, and the 10049 are really good choices. My favorite is the 10049 (pro 49). It has moderate backbone but is a longer lofted brush. The 10066 is a really good choice if you want a shorter brush. The 10098 is a nice barber handled version. All are reasonably priced. Remember you will need some time to break in a boar so be patient and they will yield some great shaves. I hope this helps.
Omego Pro 49 Son! Quite possibly the only brush I will use anymore. http://www.italianbarber.com/Search...b587df11cb32985b0ec1858&search_x=0&search_y=0
Why didn't you say luck, because "In my experience there's no such thing as luck" 2. Yes I know it wasn't Yoda but Obi-Wan.
I tried to wait to weigh more options but my logic was it only cost me 2 bucks after the gift card so why not just order it
Looks like you are a fellow head shaver from your avatar pic. Do you razor shave the dome or clippers? If you go with the razor, do you really face lather, or do you head lather? If you typically face lather, with the facial hair shown in your avatar pic, go with the 10066. It's smaller loft makes it easier to face lather around your facial hair. If you head lather (like I do) you'll probably like the Pro 48 or Pro 49 better. Much larger loft, and they hold a lot more lather. I have both, and they are cheap enough that you can try both if you decide you like one. I agree about the VDH boar. It's certainly a serviceable first brush, but the longer you use it the more waxy and less natural the hair starts to feel. Giving it a rinse in a solution of 70% warm water, 70% distilled white vinegar every once in a while seemed to help mine. I soaked mine overnight and then did a couple of heavy test lathers and rinses to get rid of the vinegar smell.
I highly recommend a Whipped Dog. (brush, that is). Larry is a true gentleman and will help you pick your brush. Add to that the relatively low cost and you've got an unbeatable combination.
I use my DE to shave my head and I lather both on my face and head. Maybe one of the problems I have is the small VDH brush to try and cover my entire head. I ended up ordering the Pro 49 so hopefully it will help in that department. Going into this I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to choose just one. I mean I have to find out which type of brush I like and what works best for me right? I can always rationalize it just not sure if my wife will understand.
Do your self a favor. Buy the Omega and also order you a whipped dog brush. If you get one before the other you will eventually get the other. However, keep in mind of the waiting period for a whipped dog brush.
I have a black badger from whipped dog that works really well. I'm also planning to pick up a 30mm Silvertip when they see back in stock
