I have an Omega 10810 that has served me VERY WELL. I'm giving it away to my brother because I recently received a Semogue 1470. Both are boar brushes. What is your budget? I'm a student myself, I know how it feels to have limited funds =P the Omega 10810 was pretty cheap, but don't let that make you think it's bad quality. Also if there is a chance for you to get a Plisson synthetic before they are all gone. But that's for 30$. I hear very good things about Omega 10066, and it's very available
A good quality silvertip badger brush can be had for less than $40 from whipped dog. Larry will definitely hook you up.
I have never used that brush, so I won't be able to vouch for that. But the price is pretty good. I guess it all depends on what he wants and if he doesn't mind a scritchy brush. I for one am very satisfied with my Burma boar, Semogue 1305, and Turkish #6. This thread has gotten me interested in the Omega 10066 brush.
I bought the TBS synthetic to use as a travel brush. Used it for a few executive shaves and really liked it. It has nice backbone. I recently tried it and found when it splays it comes across as a little scritchy. It's stil an ok brush. For for a daily driver I'm not sure. The 10066 knot is similar if not the same as the 10810 I had. I have seen good comments and reviews on it. I don't think you would loose money on it =)
There is a Body Shop very close to my apartment, so I might have to pick up a brush. Just when I think I was done buying stuff.
I'll not second the Omega 48 since so many have already. (I own 2 of them, and I believe that everybody should have at least 1) A really nice medium size brush is the Omega 10104. It's about 2/3 the size of the big 10048. The handle is shaped very nicely, and just seems to fit my hand perfectly. This is one of two new boar brushes I've purchased recently that were very much a surprise to me. They are made with much finer bristles than those you will find in the pro series brushes, so they are seriously soft (but firm) right out of the box. I've used this brush almost exclusively with Stirling soaps (thick, tallow based soaps) for the past two weeks and it is a joy to use. It easily holds enough soap for three very thick passes. It's about $10 from Gary @ ShoeBox ShaveShop. You can't go wrong here. The second brush is this little wonder. It's the Omega 10051 (aka "the chunky chub") It is about 1/2 the size of the big Omega 10048, and is the smallest boar brush I now own. It's a joy to use, and so far has worked surprisingly well with hard soap, soft soap or "croap", and two crèmes I've tried in the past month or so. As you can see from the picture, it really isn't much bigger than a Gillette Super Speed. So, if you are looking for something small (and less than $10) this is a very nice brush indeed. To me, Omega brushes are kinda the Chevrolet of shaving brushes. Most aren't anything fancy, but they are well built from simple materials and they last a really long time. You get very good value per dollar spent. There are many others brushes out there, and they're quality is good too, but you'll likely get the most bang from your buck with Omega.
The Body Shop synthetic brush sucks as it is the case with L'Occitane Travel synthetic. On the other side, Plisson for L'Occitane and Muhle Black Fibre are really fantastic brushes with great performance, and Muhle Modern is not expensive. Omegas are quite good but Semogues are better. More easy to break, and after that they become softer and more comfy than badgers.
You can buy a really good boar or synthetic brush from omega without breaking the bank. When finances permit you may want to move up a bit, however I use my omegas as much or more than my simpsons.
An Omega 10066 or an Omega Pro. Both are under $15 and once broken in, these boar brushes are fantastic and are great with either soaps or creams. IMO, they are both great values in wet shaving. If you only have one brush, and Omega Pro is an excellent choice!
I was intrigued while researching Omega boars & checked this one out at ShoeBox ShaveShop. Now on sale for $5.99!! Also went w/ the green/black combo - nice looking brush!
My vote would go to the Omega 20102. A great knot with the perfect loft and probably the best and nicest Omega handle out there. Solid beech turned handle bottom with black ABS plastic top section and the silver ring is real metal, not chromoplastic or the like. Makes for a handsome brush at a very low price with good heft and great grip. If there was only one brush I could afford then this would be it. Not my pictures: P.S. it looks so much better with that daft Omega sticker removed and makes a very aesthetically pleasing match to any of the black handled Edwin Jagger DE Series razor.
My suggestion is Vintage Blades LLC's own brand of two-band badger hair. It gets rave reviews considering its price of less than $40. This would be my choice in a cost-conscious heartbeat.
If you want a cheap but good quality badger whipped dog is the way to go. A lot of people recommend Omega boars and they are a great value. The boar will give more scrub and backbone while e WD badger will be softer and floppier. Either way you will have a good brush.
