Thread: 10 Years into my Omega Boar Brush

lloydrm asked me to post a photo... so as to not hijack the other thread...

Here's what an Omega boar brush looks after a decade with over 3,000 shaves under its belt, still damp from yesterday's shave and along with "old reliable" (Rauh cutlery square point hollow, with bone scales and blackened tang). It has been my exclusive brush for ten years.

It came with a plastic stand that I use daily to drip dry. Handle is starting to split. I don't know the model, or remember exactly how much it cost except that it was less than $15. I was new to wet shaving at the time, and had purchased a badger brush for maybe $50 that I found very scritchy. Good lesson in expensive does not always mean better. Purchased the Omega at Mustafa's in Singapore while I was on the road.

Good stuff. Does the brush still have a bit of backbone or is it quite floppy by now?

Plenty of backbone. I use a Tabac shave stick and face lather no issues.

There is a lesson to all beginners that you don't need to spend money on expensive items to get a good shave. Been through synthetic shave brushes and expensive badger brushes and am now reaching for my boar brushes more and more. Started shaving with them 50 years ago and they still do it for me.

Bob

I think you've gotten your money's worth from that brush. A good boar brush, such as your Omega, will perform as well as any expensive badger, and at a fraction of the cost. Thanks for posting your photo.

Congratulations and that brush still looks perfectly usable.

Pretty good run for what most would consider a low-cost shaving brush.

Personally, I prefer Semogue Owners’ Club boar brushes over Omegas, but have two Omegas and they appear to be exceptional value.

Cant’t help it, but I always get a kick out of something that performs much better than the price would have one believe.


B.

I have some inexpensive Semogue boar brushes, and they are my “go-to” brushes for face lathering. They hold water and soap, and whip up a heck of a lather!

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

I have some inexpensive Semogue boar brushes, and they are my “go-to” brushes for face lathering. They hold water and soap, and whip up a heck of a lather!

Given the cracks in my handle, I've ordered a SOC to try out as a potential replacement. Figure I'm due a new brush about once a decade!

Originally Posted by HungeJ0e

Given the cracks in my handle, I've ordered a SOC to try out as a potential replacement. Figure I'm due a new brush about once a decade!

Great choice.
I have two and if they turn out anything like mine you should have another decade of great lathering ahead of you.

Some people have commented on the boar SOC break-in period, but I just used an old barber trick and immersed the bristles of mine a few times the evening before the shave in a cup of cold water (just let it touch the bristles) and let it sit there overninght.

Regarding Semogue, I really like their brushes but generally suggest to stay away from painted brushes, as there is always the risk of water getting in between the wood below and the paint and the paint flaking off before long.


B