cheap boar vs cheap badger.clear winner

You can make any brush work - but why would you want to? An SOC is only $39 and is a wonderful brush. The only brushes in my den that get off the shelf lately are the 2 SOC's and the Kent BK8. They are different, but both a pleasure to use.

I have yet to dabble in high end brushes. I have a 10 dollar VdH boar brush that I love, and a Vulfix 'old original' pure badger that is kinda meh, a little too 'scritchy' for my taste, the boar I have is much softer. But...I did just snag a great score off the bay, got a high mountain white badger for 13 shipping, guess it flew under the radar ^^

JesseD said:

...I did just snag a great score off the bay, got a high mountain white badger for 13 shipping, guess it flew under the radar ^^

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It depending on who makes it as to why no one bid on it.

Makers can name their hair grades whatever they want and name their price. There is no governing Badger Hair Board that overseas naming, grading and pricing.

brucered said:

There is no governing Badger Hair Board that overseas naming, grading and pricing.

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Badger hair board has a silly ring to it, one should be started ^^

I've never had a VDH. However, for me a Semogue or Omega boar is better than any pure badger. I just don't care for the scratch in pure badger.

Let me know when you compare any Omega Pro boar with a pure badger.

noahpictures said:

Let me know when you compare any Omega Pro boar with a pure badger.

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Well, I finally did it...after 9months with the tweezerman I got the itch to try a boar. I ended up deciding on the Omega 10049 from west coast shaving for $11.86 shipped. I had read a lot about it vs the semogue brushes and for half the price of the semogue 610 and all of the positive reviews I figured it was worth a shot.

First off, I've been totally happy with the tweezerman badger...not really even sure why I was looking for another brush...maybe just curious about what's out there and the rave reviews on brushes less than $15 got me curious.

I ordered on Friday afternoon west coast time and I got it in Ohio in Monday's mail...that's crazy fast. I couldn't wait to open it and see what all this omega boar talk is about.

Here's what it looks like next to the piece of crap VDH kit brush on the right and the tweezerman on the left.HUGE


This I thought about breaking it in last night at least a little bit with a quick lather just to have one under my belt before the morning, but I decided to just go for it this morning. I've been face lathering exclusively for over a year...even before I got the tweezerman. I wasn't sure what such large brush would be like especially with the backbone it has, but I think that probably helps. If it didn't have the backbone it would be like a mop all over your face out of control.

I let it soak while I was in the shower and while I hit my straight for today with the balsa(it was overdue for a quick touch up) then I loaded it up with the cheap VDH $1.67 a puck soap that I use(can't tell I'm a cheap SOB can you?)


It made quite a bit of lather pretty quickly and didn't feel bad on my face at all...definitely a stiff brush but not uncomfortable at all. I had a face full and plenty on the brush.(sorry for the shirtless shot)


Since switching to straights for face shaves back in February I have found that a pretty wet lather is what I like best for a comfortable shave. A typical solid DE type lather is just too dry, so with the badger I am constantly adding a bit of water to the brush for every pass and touch ups to make sure it's nice and border line sloppy. This boar made a stand up lather with the consistency of a whipped cream than the wet lathers I like. It didn't seem to matter how much water I'd add to the brush I just couldn't get it where I wanted it. It seemed to just push the lather up further into the brush leaving very little lather at the tip to work with...then it became me just "painting" it on from the brush which just doesn't work for me and a straight. I know I'll get better at figuring out how to get it where I want it, but it was mildly frustrating to not be able to get the type of lather I've come to expect for face shaves. I'll be curious to see how this develops. I will give it a go for a few weeks and see how the brush and my technique evolves.

Now head shaves will be another story. Usually a dryer fuller foamy lather using a DE on the cranium is where I like it so this thing might shine in that area especially with the increased real estate up there to work with. I'm looking forward to trying it out tomorrow.

I may try to report back over the next couple of weeks with updates on how things progress.

Wednesday is typically an off day for me...My routine is monday/thursday head shaves...Tues/Friday/Sunday face shaves with wed and sat off.

I was anxious to try this big boar on my headshave so I went ahead and got after...
Wow, it is awesome for head shaves...I had lather in spades coming out of this brush...what is it with the shirtless pics...ridiculous...well I don't shave with a shirt on...Ok only brush pics from now on...or at least just head shots...


After shaving the top and sides I grabbed my mirror and looked at the back...as usual the lather was drying out pretty bad so I started to work it in again with the brush and I kept getting more and more lather out of it. I eventually shook a huge blob of lather off of the brush into the sink so I could get more water into the brush and see if I couldn't get a wetter slicker lather like I prefer for my face straight shaves.

It worked much better than yesterday. The consistency of the lather once I did that was much more to my liking. Tomorrow will be another face shave and I'll try again for a wetter lather and see what I can come up with. I definitely like the brush...I just need to figure it out a little better. I can tell for sure that the quality is there...a very dense and full knot hardly losing any hairs at all.

Good to hear that it worked better than your previous shave. Boars tend to get better and better as they break in from all I've read and from my my limited experience. My omega 49 is about 2 - 3 weeks old and I like it a lot.

JPM1961 said:

Good to hear that it worked better than your previous shave. Boars tend to get better and better as they break in from all I've read and from my my limited experience. My omega 49 is about 2 - 3 weeks old and I like it a lot.

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I'm looking forward to how it develops...it's a whole lot of brush for less than $12

^^
Child's play with a 48.

Let's also not forget about the Semogue 1800 or Omega 10098. I own the Omega, and from all I've been told about the 1800, that will be my next brush purchase.

Add me to the 610 bandwagon, best brush for the money I've ever known.
If I could only have one brush, and it had to be boar, I'd pick the SOC.
FWIW, I PIFed my SOC, but kept a 610.

Penknight said:

Let's also not forget about the Semogue 1800 or Omega 10098. I own the Omega, and from all I've been told about the 1800, that will be my next brush purchase.

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I acquired the 1800 recently, nice brush indeed. In size fairly similar to my Omega 10066, but with more bloom. It's not broken in yet, so at this moment I do not prefer it over the 10066 apart from the better handle shape and heft. It needs to soften up more and at the same time keep the backbone, which is firm with gradual splay.

Penknight said:

Let's also not forget about the Semogue 1800 or Omega 10098. I own the Omega, and from all I've been told about the 1800, that will be my next brush purchase.

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+1 on the 10098

I have been using a Pro 49 for a while now, but stumbled on a 10098 a few weeks ago. Great combination of knot and handle. Its my daily driver.

oldtrout said:

Add me to the 610 bandwagon, best brush for the money I've ever known.
If I could only have one brush, and it had to be boar, I'd pick the SOC.
FWIW, I PIFed my SOC, but kept a 610.

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Good to know, I've been considering a Semogue 610 for face lathering.

You guys gotta quit talking about how great all these brushes are...I don't in any way need another...I'm only 3 shaves in on the 49 for crying out loud...and shaving on my off day just to use it again lol

I did another face straight shave this morning and tried to use more water. I didn't shake as much water out of the brush initially and had water running down my arm and dripping everywhere...probably won't do that again. Again though, once the lather really started to develop it was just too dry for my taste. I added more and more water to the brush and got the lather much closer to where I like it. Then going back at additional passes adding more water each time helped give me a better slicker lather. After 2 and a half passes(I do about a half XTG pass between WTG and ATG) the brush was still oozing with lather...it makes lather like a machine...


I looked at it before I even wet it this morning and there were split ends everywhere already...after only 2 shaves at that point. I took a couple of pics after shaving that I don't think you can really see anything anyway but it seems to be breaking in quite quickly.

best lather yet this morning...

I'm not sure if the brush is getting better or if I'm just figuring out how to get better lathers from it or both. For head shaves this thing is unbelievable. Face shaves I'm still trying to figure it out.

I thrive on my Whipped Dog silvertip. Used it every shave for 7 months, until tonight, when I used the no-name boar I used 15 years in the Dark Land of Mach 3 / blue Bics. It made lots of lather fine, but didn't feel anything as nice on my mug. And my old handle Larry restored is so comfortable.