That's as whimsical as I can be on this lazy day. Looking to my new shave guru friends on the best boar brush (I already have a nice badger, looking for something different). Omega or Semogue? Any other really good brands? I am looking for a medium sized knot, nothing small or huge (Omega 48 seems whopping to me). Thanks for your help once again. Derhey
Yes, there are good brands besides Omega & Semogue (Simpson, Mulhe, Vulfix, Vie-Long, Jagger, Whipped Dog—to name a few), but one of the appealing aspects of those two brands is a relatively low entry price. You can spend as little as $15 on a brush or well over $350…but it's always recommended to find a preference before investing too much. Unless money/price is no object—then go to town! Some Semos & omegas I've owned…all boars (LtoR)Omega 49; two Whipped Dog badgers & a WeeScot by Simpson
I'm fan of boars. Don't be afraid of the larger Omegas, they're great leverage for lathering soap. I'd recommend a 10049 Omega. You also realy can't go wrong with a cheapy VDH boar, I still use the one that came in my $9.99 set.
I like the Omega knots better than the Semogues, but that's just my preference from limited experience. The Semogue knots are denser. I'd say just pic one you like the looks of and go for it.
The Semogue 1305 is the one that caught my eye. It is a great brush for me. Initially I was a bowl latherer, but now I am a face latherer. It goes both ways easily. It is easily a contender for my #1 brush.
Semogue - the 1470 is a great brush. 21mm knot and 50mm or so of loft. The wood handle isn't painted like most of the their brushes and so it'll never chip. Plus it's cheap at around $14. Some like a bit more loft and for them the 1305 is an absolute classic. 21mm knot but with about 55mm of loft. Or the 1250 if you want an unpainted handle. Not strictly the same knot but pretty dern close. The SOC is fav of many as well, 24mm knot and 55 mm loft, but it's in a different price strata honestly, around $45 I think. Generally speaking the Semogues will be more dense and exhibit more splay than a comparable Omega. Omega - Lots more variety than Semogue, but again it's really still down to what size you're looking for primarily. A great medium size brush is their 10065/10066, 24mm knot and 55mm of loft and nice handle. The smaller 40033 is a personal favourite but the handle is no to everyone's liking. Omega's Big Bruisers are probably their most well known brushes, and with good reason. Lots of options there as well with knots from 25mm to 28mm and a variety of lofts and handle styles. Another appealing aspect of the Omega boars is the sheer variety at the lower end of the cost spectrum - say $20 and under, with many great choices under $10 even. The Omegas will tend to splay less but they also "break-in" a little quicker, which just means that the tips will be noticeable softer a bit faster. Their little 11047 is a fantastic mixed badger/boar brush too, and another sub-$20 option. Checkout some of the online retailers and find one that suits your tastes and you should be well pleased with any of 'em. There's not a bad brush in the lot! The Shoebox ShaveShop probably has the best selection, but West Coast Shaving has a good variety of both as well.
Go with an Omega 10049. It's a great brush even not considering it only costs about $10. A Semogue will work well too but they seem to take longer to break in. You'll be happy with either but the 10049 is a standard that you can compare any other brush to and when you think about whether a $50 brush is 5x better, it probably won't be much better at all.
I would tell you that if you get a boar brush, it must be broken in before it can be fully and correctly judged.
I like this one as well. Got nothing to compare it to boar wise but once I figured out how to lather it's been doing a fine job for me.
I have a dozen or so Semogue brushes from the 2013 SE (Olivewood handle) to a 1470 (best $10.00 value going). I gotta say that overall, dollar-for-dollar, the 1305 is my favorite. It is at home with bowl lathering, scuttle lathering, and face lathering with hard soaps, soft soaps, and creams. Since the painted version handle chips quite easily, you may want to consider the 830 - same knot but with a beautiful red acrylic handle. All in all a wonderful brush. Ed
Once again, the amount of knowledge in this forum amazes me. Thanks for all of the advice! I will let you know which I go with soon.
My two Omega Boar brushes. On the left is the Badger and Blade/Omega Essential Boar with a Knot of 22mm and a Loft of 54mm. The monster on the right is the Omega Pro Boar 10098, Knot: 27mm and Loft: 65mm. The Omega 10049 is in between these two guys; Knot: 25mm and Loft: 63mm. Good luck choosing. I'm looking for a Semo too!
+1 on Omega 10098. I like it better than the 10049. You really should have a long handled brush in your collection at some point and the 10098 is a great place to start. Both the 10049 and 10098 are what I call "lather cannons." Load 'em up and... KABOOM! You gots the lather! Just that longer handle on the 10098 lets you whip it like Devo. ... and whip it good!
