Thread: Boar over Badger

The reason Boar, or Horse for that matter are so reasonably priced is because they are perceived as starter or bottom of the line brushes. If they came out with a $200 Boar would many folks buy it? Probably not unless it had something really special about it. They can charge $300 and more for a Badger because they know folks will buy it. If people stopped buying Badger lets say because of some health scare like Badger Mange which is transferable to Humans and causes your face to fall off the stuff would disappear and I guarantee you they would find something else as "premium" and jack up the price.

I was using a boar brush for a while and loving it then I saw a badger brush locally and bought it. I used it for a week or so and went back to the boar. Mostly because it was shedding so much which is no fault of it being badger but it was too soft for me, it was more work to make a good lather with it I found.

I like both. I use my boars mostly for soaps, my badgers mostly for creams. The badgers handle soaps just fine and the boars, once well broken in, handle creams just fine. It is all really just personal preference and since I can't decide I just use both.

I've gone back and forth also. The one difference I've found is that badgers draw lather deeper into the knot, which I can exploit more readily for passes 2 through 4. Initial lather, softness, backbone etc are a draw. Boars provide 80% of the experience for 5-10% of the price. I (and most of us, I suspect) are perfectionists. So 95+% of the time, I use a badger. But I fully understand those who choose otherwise.

I used to use a boar brush before my straight razor shaving epiphany, and a little while into it. Then I got a cheapish (Windsor) pure badger brush for about 45 bucks. That's a rather exorbitant purchase for me. My family think I'm mad paying 'so much' for a shaving brush. Of course they don't have the 'benefit' of this site :-)

I wouldn't even consider buying a brush much more expensive, the badger is different from the boar (which I've now given to me son) but not better. In fact, I'm considering a Semogue 1305 or 1438 as my next brush to sue with soap, I find the badger a little soft at times for use with soap. The badger is nice for face lathering, though. I don't do a LOT of face lathering, but IF I did maybe I would consider a softer badger brush...

I recently stepped up from a Omega to a Semogue 830. It is a better brush and softer tips than my well broken in Omega with decent backbone for soap.

I like both my badgers and my boar. I am actually quite sad that my boar continues to shed or the bristles on the sides of the knot break off against the sides of the handle (I think I packed it too tight).

Boar vs. badger! Whoulda thunk?

I am two shaves in with my omega 49 and I have to say I love it! I had thought badger was the only way to go but I'm very happy I gave boar a chance.

Originally Posted by wrxguyusa

I recently stepped up from a Omega to a Semogue 830. It is a better brush and softer tips than my well broken in Omega with decent backbone for soap.

I had a Semogue 830 and to me it works just like a badger. I have an Omega 10005 boar, used it today, and was perfectly satisfied with it.

For me, the badger was easier to use while I was trying to learn how to shave the old fashioned way. Now with two years experience, I can adapt to more things. To be honest, I think the stuff I use most often is the first stuff I found easy to use.