Omega Stripey

I have owned this brush for two years. About six months ago, the knot came apart from the handle. This sort of thing should never happen to a good brush. I have tried in vain to contact Omega. Amazon said too much time has passed, so they were no help. The third party seller did not return my email. I would advise anyone to STAY AWAY from anything made by Omega...pure junk.

I had one of these and it was a very good brush. I doubt it shed more than 6 hairs in the 18 months I owned it.

Omega brushes are a solid value!

I received this brush (also called an Omega 63171 on WCS) as a Christmas present to replace my VDH boar brush. Since then I have used an EJ BBB, as well as a Wee Scot. To be completely honest, though, this one is still my favorite. I find that I prefer a good scrubbing when I lather, and this brush scrubs with aplomb. The size is excellent, though perhaps a bit big for my taste (I find that I prefer the precision of smaller knots). The hair is high quality, and is packed in quite densely. The backbone of the brush is stellar, especially at this price point. With the stiffness does come a bit of scrithiness, which can become irritating after several passes, especially if you have sensitive skin. The handle is a lovely, functional shave which is very comfortable in the hand. It also has a solid, high quality feel. I've been able to make great lather with this brush with everything I've tried so far. I liked it so much, I talked both my roommates into getting one! It's a great brush, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone as a great first or second brush.

My wife ordered me a bunch of shaving stuff for Christmas this year and while having absolutely no clue about wet shaving, she did pretty good.

She ordered a fancy shaving brush stand that came with a free brush in reality she bought this, a really nice brush that came with a cheapy stand. The brush is of excellent quality and feels great in my hand. It's not too floppy but not too stiff and feels great on my face. It lathers really well and just looks fantastic on the sink The stand works out pretty well too as it's very compact and does the job.

My only complaint would be it has a pretty bad smell that has yet to depart. I accept this is true with all quality brushes, as they are made from part of an animal so it's no big deal. I'm guessing the smell will go away the more I use it.

Overall an excellent brush at a great price. I couldn't be happier with it.

The Omega Stripey was the first shaving brush that I purchased. At the time I was putting my first shave set together I had only recently stumbled across B&B and was primarily looking at razor reviews and didn't put much thought into brush selection. I have only acquired one other brush since I have started wet shaving; a Truefitt and Hill Super Badger I picked up on a crazy clearance deal. Here is my review of the Omega Stripey:

Price: I paid about $35 on Amazon with free shipping, though the price is actually somewhat cheaper now. If I was doing it over again I may consider putting a little more aside for a brush and going with the Edwin Jagger Best Badger Brush. The current price for the Stripey is very reasonable, but for a little more you can get what appears to be a highly recommended starter brush.

Quality: This brush is solid and quality built. I have used it almost daily for about 3 months and have lost about 3 hairs. This brush has not been a shedder for me. The handle does not feel flimsy and is aesthetically pleasing.

Density: In this department I only have the Truefitt and Hill to compare to. This brush is definitely more dense, but I think it could use a little more stuffing.

Stiffness of tips: This brush is not really "floppy," but it is also not nearly as firm as I would like it to be. However, I am making the previous statement after steady use of this brush and have learned what floppy is from using my T&H brush. It also must be noted that when I got this brush I didn't know what characteristics I wanted in a brush, and after a few months I have a feel for the stiffness I am looking for. For someone else this may be the perfect stiffness.

Softness of tips: Upon first use of this brush I immediately noticed that the tips were "scratchy." This bugged me a a little in the beginning. Over time the tips have softened some but there is still a noticeable scritch. I have gotten used to the scritch and even come to enjoy it, but I would have liked softer tips right out of the box.

Ergonomics: Everything fits well in my hands and I like the way the handle feels. I do not feel uncomfortable using this brush at all.

Latherability: Whips up a fine lather as can be seen in the pics to follow!

Overall, I have been ejoying this brush. I reach for it over the Truefitt virtually everyday and as I have broken it in it has gotten better. As a starter brush, I don't think it is a bad investment. It can lather marvelously and it can serve the newbie as a guide for future brush purchases. There are certainly better brushes out there, but the Omega Stripey is a pretty decent beginner brush.

Just got one for my sons birthday, black handle with a clear top from amazon. Great looking and just the right size, I may order one for myself now.

this is also my first badger brush but mine is black and clear handle great value for 25 bucks on amazon worlds over my cheapy boar hair

This was my first badger brush, and the only other I've aquired since is and EJ BBB, so my experience is not great. This brush makes a great lather. I was "shocked" when I first used it, since before I had a wimpy old boar brush. This really makes a great lather and I like the way it "scrubs" my face. Although the EJ BBB makes a slightly better lather, it is just a bit to "limp" for my taste.

Until something better comes along, this will be my "go to" brush.