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Second Brush

Tony1966

Tony1966

Member
Firstly sorry but this probably been asked a thousand times before.
Need a second brush.
Own a Yaqi synthetic which has been ok but the hairs keep coming out.
I was looking at an Omega boar or something similar.
I feel like I should try a brush with natural hairs.
My budgets is around the $50-$70 mark ($30 if you ask my wife).
Tony
 
Each one of these 24mm knots are ~40USD delivered to Australia which is still under your budget:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MASETO-Ext...hash=item4b71463196:m:m_FRw3qT_UX9-kjW5HAqIHA

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MS-Extra-D...hash=item4b1305020b:m:mSmjcjL9FDqxmLmbSl4jfAA

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MASETO-24m...340131?hash=item4b70b335e3:g:hkEAAOSwRSBd9vEE

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MS-Extra-D...hash=item33d14083bf:m:mpW-1yBbyp2wXytQRaGqWxQ

But of course you will not listen to me, buy some cheap boar brushes - why pay 60$ for 1 brush when you can get 5 brushes for the same price?

Then you will go back to synthetics because even after breaking in all your boar brushes for more than 2 years, you still don't enjoy them - you might get even a horse or two in between, because hey if the Spaniards are so fond of them, they must be good right?

And then you will decide, that you just have to try out a badger, because clearly there must be a reason why so many people drop 300-500$ on a brush, correct?

And in 1-3 years you will buy your first Paladin/Decleration/Shavemac/Simpson/whatever and ask yourself what took you so long to get there :D

Well I am trying to save you some time - if you buy 1 of those brushes I linked above there is a far higher chance, that you will buy your first Paladin/Decleration/Shavemac/Simpson/whatever in maybe even 6 months ;)

Oh and in case you didn't know: I'd say most of us here did not listen and wasted some time (and tons of useless brushes) until we got there - me included
 
+1 for omega boar. Breaking in doesn't take long and they punch above their cheap price. Money to spare even after the wife's budget.
 
its a shame your yaqi brush is losing hair, must be an odd one out. I have 4 yaqi's. One a silvertip badger and the other 3 are various synthetic knots and i get no loss of hair on any brush. I would suggest you give the yaqi synthetics another try as they are so cheap and produce an amazing lather with very little product wastage.

My silvertip yaqi is a nice brush, luxurious feel but i still prefer the synthetics. I have a Omega boar i dont mind but dont think much of, will continue to use every now and again just in case it changes at some point.

@alfredus knows what he is talking about when it comes to badgers so would listen to his advice there.. If you cant bring yourself to fork out big $$ on a paladin ( i cant) you should try the masteo brushes he has pointed to, if i get another badger i will go maesto this time as per his recommendation.
 
@alfredus has a good point - if you are seeking perfection of course. Which might be why you are here...? For those of us who just want a brush that is good enough though, there are plenty of cheaper options.

Omega boars are great - they're my daily choice - but don't go expecting a brush that will last forever. The bristle is brittle and eventually breaks, it needs to be soaked pre-shave and the handles aren't exactly top notch. My Omega 48s shed a bristle on average every shave. But I haven't noticed a change in performance after years of regular use and I prefer the face feel to badgers, while I find synths fling water / lather too easily, which requires more time and I'm usually in a rush. I reckon it will take about 5 years at least to see a noticeable drop in performance from them. But at 20bux a pop at the local italian mercato, that's fine with me. Funnily enough, my proraso boar (also an omega) and my omega 49 haven't started shedding at all yet but I know it will happen.

But the elephant in the room here is that a yaqi is shedding? First time I have heard of that happening. Shouldn't happen at all in a synth. Sounds like a one-off so don't let it put you off synths if you like everything else about them. But if you want the ultimate dense pillow feel on the face, with a lot of lather holding ability (they hold on to too much for me), then badgers are the go and the more you pay, the better. Those Masetos will be the gateway drug for that experience - enough to give you a taste of the luxury feel while holding back enough to leave you wondering! My P&C 26mm fan Envy White knot scratches that itch enough for me to know that it's not really the experience I'm looking for... but still nice to have in a rotation.
 
As your already starting to notice, everyone's different. Lots of great advice from everyone, but I too question that Yaqi of yours as I have several of their brushes. Both natural and synths and I don't get hairs coming out, there may be a couple come lose when brand spankers but after a few uses that should have stopped.

Shedding may not big a big deal but I'll be honest and say it bugs the crap out of me. If that happens more than a few times I'd stop using it.
 
I'm another fan of Omega boar brushes. I have never tried a really high end badger brush, indeed my Kent BK4 is the most expensive/best badger brush I own and I find it too soft and floppy. For me Omega boar's, once broken in offer all the softness I want plus the required backbone and feel for face lathering. Omega offer a variety of handles but most come with a plastic handle and these are the biggest downside but they work just fine and as previously mentioned there is option of re-knotting another brush with the Omega knot.
 
Congratulations @Tony1966 and GLWT
Boar can be a bit stinky at first and there are a few methods for breaking them in.
Washing with shampoo, refrigerating, and blow drying are a few that come to mind.
Personally, I dont mind the smell, but if it is a particularly smelly brush (wet dog). Bowl lather, rinse and let dry, repeat for a few days until the smell has reduced, and then get on with it.
 
Holiday said:
Congratulations @Tony1966 and GLWT
Boar can be a bit stinky at first and there are a few methods for breaking them in.
Washing with shampoo, refrigerating, and blow drying are a few that come to mind.
Personally, I dont mind the smell, but if it is a particularly smelly brush (wet dog). Bowl lather, rinse and let dry, repeat for a few days until the smell has reduced, and then get on with it.
Click to expand...

Never had a very stinky boar, but badger and horse can be pretty bad sometimes. I just lather up with regular shave soap a couple of times and call it good.
 
Tony1966 said:
Thanks to those that responded.
I really appreciate it.
I ordered an omega boar.
Tony
Click to expand...

Good choice with little risk. The break in period is quick if you stick with the brush daily. I think the problem with others in the hobby is the brush rotation they have pushes out the time frame to let the boar break in fine. And dry it off lightly on towel to help. The constant wet then drying will create the split hairs you want to create the softness. Just be aware it will suck up the soap at first even after a pre soak and you will will need a bit more soap too.
 
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