Badger or boar from those that know both.

[Teddyboy]

It's clear from my reading here that boar brushes have a dedicated and passionate following. I am curious to know if among the BBers that have actually used both boar and badger, and were not put off by the price of badger brushes, whether or not a significant number chose boar over badger.

P.S. Does boar hair come in "grades" as does badger hair?

Thanks for your time and advice.

[TBoner]

I used badger for a long time before converting to boar. I find boar very nice on the face, soft but with ample backbone. It lathers quite well but adds less air to the lather than badger, which is why some prefer it, and why, after 18 months with boar exclusivity, I have returned to badger.

Boar hair comes in grades, though Semogue is the only company I know that specifies a grade of boar hair for its individual brushes. Omega has some heavily treated boar hair that is very soft (too soft and floppy IMO) but doesn't go out of its way to specify boar grade generally.

As for cost, either boar or badger is cost-effective when one considers that a well-made shave brush can be a lifetime investment. Hell, if you're going to use it exclusively for 30-50 years, a Plisson HMW is a bargain.

I kept some boars following nearly two years sans badger, but I'm a full-time best-silvertip-super user again, though I could easily have stuck with boar forever and gotten great lather.

[barneykiller]

I have a Simpson Classic 1 and a butterscotch boar hair brush. I use the Simpson when I want to feel pampered and a I use the boar for when I want to exfoliate via face lathering. I use them both but if I had to choose only one, it would be the Simpson.

[craig87c]

I think that boar brushes suit the way that I lather better. Makes a more dense lather that I like more....the price was just the final nail in the coffin! I still have a Badger, and plan on getting a couple of old handles reknotted. I don't like to have all my eggs in one lather-covered basket.

[xraygun]

I have quite a few of each. I really like them for what they are. Just depends on my mood and my current face condition (how many days growth, skin etc)

I'd hate to have to choose between them.

[franz]

Personal preference. If you're curious about badger and boar, the only serious way of answering the question is to try good examples of both.

My demands in a brush are that it be very soft at the tips, have good backbone, flow well, and come with a purty handle. I've found boars and badgers that fit this description. Like Tim, I could be perfectly happy only using boar, if I had to. Badger just has that extra je ne sais quoi for me.

[Greglam]

I use both and love both. They each have their merits.

-Greg

[Face&Head]

I grew up with a father and grandfather who only used boar (this could be in part because they were both really frugal) and tried to indoctrinate me. I've had them and used them but they really aren't for me. This seems such a personal preference that there's really no right universal answer. Some guys love scritch in a brush and I can't stand it (I imagine I'm in the minority on this). My test is simple, if it's not something I would rub on a baby's bottom than it's not something I'd rub on my face.

[Kentos]

My boars are as soft as my shavemac. I would encourage people to try both!

[jtb]

Ive hade my share of boars but badgers win out for me.

[talibeard]

Guilty.

I started out with a cheap drugstore boar and soon went to the badger side. I used pure (from less reputed brands) to best and silvertip. Returned to higher quality boar and didn't find anything better; I realized that what I was trying to find in badger was a good quality boar. I am a face latherer with a preference for short lofts (45-50mm) and medium dense knots.

But hey, that is just me. I really don't think you can say one is better than the other; quality badgers are usually of better making but for the same kind of money you can get two lifetimes worth of your fav boar so in the end money is not crucial (at least not for me) but what you prefer is. Both will do the job, no question about that, but as with cars or audio equipment it has everything to do with personal taste.

Personal preference. If you're curious about badger and boar, the only serious way of answering the question is to try good examples of both.

You cannot escape. When you really want to know this is the way. The only way!

[Blade Boy]

I use both and love both. They each have their merits.

-Greg

+1, and don't forget about horse too!

[Teddyboy]

Thanks for these great and thoughtful responses. BB at its best!

[dpmtherrien]

I've tried both, and had good results from both, but with all things considered I've just sold my last boar which was the Vulfix 404 boar/badger combo.

The only reason being that I just prefer a badge brush over the boar's.

[FL shaver]

When I went from VDH boar to a couple of best badgers and a finest badger, I thought I would never go to boar again. Then I put a boar knot in a restore and discovered how good a boar knot can feel and perform, and I reach for my boars more frequently now.

[David in Boston]

I've had both and enjoy both as in Semogue, (boar) and Simpson, (badger).

Still after I got and used a Simpson Duke 3 I was set on only using a badger in best grade.

It has everything I like as in softness, scratchiness and a great handle.

Of course YMMV.

[bobfarvour]

You never know until you try both which is better for you. It's all so personal. I like having one of each on hand.
Yes there are different grades of boar.
You just have to try the stuff to get the best that works for you. You can sell whatever you don't like pretty quick on the BST. Especially brushes, they resell easily.
I like soft, I don't like something scratching me as I'm lathering, I face lather.
So for me, my badger brush of choice is the Rooney Heritage Stubby line. Nothing but softness.
And, for the boar side, I love the new Semogue 2011 LE. It's soft already and not even broken in yet. It is the best boar I've ever used. The 2010 custom was my fave, but this one surpasses it.

Each brush, of each type, grade, size, and shape performs differently. And, your style of lathering affects all that. No one can tell you which brush is best for you. So my advice is always to just try them out.

[dundak]

I have used both over the years. Like both. One thing about boars I do like is the knot shape. They are most commonly found as fans and flattops whereas most modern badgers seem to be trending toward bulb shaped knots

[bowlturner]

I started with Badger, then got into boar, then horse. I use all three each week.

[djh]

I have a stable of Badger brushes and also owned an Omega boar for a while. The density of the badger, the water retention and the feel on the face all make badger more enjoyable than boar for me. You might like to read through the Brush Chronicles to gain some more insight.