I just got this today and haven't used it yet, but... I was "covering" my shipping on an AS order from Atlanta Barber Supply and decided to try their mystery brush #4P. It is boar. ( Lately, boar seems to be sharing face time with my Turkish horse hair brushes, forcing the badger to a cameo or two every now and then.) I looked hard for the brand, but couldn't find it on their site. I hoped it might be a Semogue. If I had known it was a Marvy, I would have probably passed because of the several bad reviews on their low end offerings. However, this Marvy brush has a little oomph to it, right out of the box. The box says "professional" shave brush. I have to say that it seems to present a well packed, hollow center, beefy knot. I dry brushed my face as a pre-shave test. For a boar bristle brush that has never been used, it felt relatively soft. I expected a lot more skritch. I noticed a WHOLE LOT of backbone! I think it visually compares pretty well to my Omega Pro, though the handle finish isn't quite as nice as the Omega. On inspection, you notice that it came from an injection mold. I mean more so than just the mold line that left that little seam like on the Omega. Other than that, it feels pretty beefy. OH!... and no smell! You can see in the overhead view (pice below) that the center of the knot appears a little bit hollow. First, I expect the bloom will fill it in and you won't notice it after a couple of weeks. Second, after using the Turkish brushes that seem to be designed with the "doughnut effect," I have no problem with a hollow center as long as the brush performs. I can't wait to try this bad boy in the morning! I think it will deliver a big ol' face full of suds like its Omega cousin. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Maryv Pro (left)...........................................Omega Pro (right)
So I broke out this Marvy Pro this morning and looked at it a little more closely. I was delighted to find "Omega Made in Italy" on the handle. Well, there's a vote for confidence. Woot! All I gotta say after one shave is... man, that is a whole lot of backbone! I made a small mistake because my first run with this new brush was also a new soap. I am not sure how to separate these two elements. With such a fat knot and solid backbone, I didn't want to dig a hole through my unknown soap! I think I went a little light while loading the brush. However, like its Omega cousin, the Marvy Pro holds a TON of lather. I am really curious how this brush will break in. The first use posed a slight puzzle. If you get that this brush has impressive backbone, then what of all that loft? At first I sort of painted the tips across my face without a lot of results. Then I "broke" the backbone against my face, pushing the tips face-ward until the brush spread a bit. Then I began working the lather. That did the trick and the lather built nicely (though not copiously, mainly because I didn't fully load that new soap). I rate this a light to medium scritch. It is more than my red handled Omega Pro, but less than my TGN boar knot. Currently, it has "half a tink" more scritch than my Turkish #6. I'll have to let this one work for awhile... give it a few weeks to become whatever its going to be. However, this Marvy Pro from ABS is a fine Omega boar bristle brush. If you want a big honkin' brush with more backbone than General Patton (but a lot less scritch!), then this is your guy. I'll add an update in a month or so. That gives you guys time to buy one so we can compare notes!
After a couple of weeks use, the Marvy Pro is just like the Omega Pro, but on a long handle. From the base of the knot up, they are the same brush. I would call them interchangeable, but I find myself liking the long handle of the Marvy-Omega better than the barrel-shaped handle of the Omega. Hmm... I'll have to consider if I want to retire the Omega Pro, now. It would make a pretty good PIF for my next convert!
Keep your Pro and use it. It will only get better with age and more and more break in. I've had one for 5 years and its become extremely soft and excellent to use.
I had an Omega Pro like the Maryv on the left After some shavings was the first brush that i decide to re-handle and the journey began.
After a few months use, I found that the 98 (like your Marvy) became much softer and much less scratchy than the 49. I attribute this to the loft that you mentioned. While plenty soft at the tips, the shorter loft of the 49 makes it the backbone champ of these two. At any rate, I think you'll come to like your Marvy Pro more and more.
