Guys i’m looking at getting a Boar knot
26mm.
I know everything is subject to opinion but what’s the best 26mm Boar out there ?
No budget just want the best
No such thing as a best.
Boars are a tricky one, I don't believe more money equals a better brush, but for the lower priced brushes consistency can be an issue. I've read some very unfavourable reviews of people's high end Thaters which were discontinued.
Broadly speaking there are moppy boars (bleached knots without too much density to the knots) or unbleached scrubby beasts, and there's everything in between. A number of producers have knots which have been a little treated, even a company like Omega have a 26mm knot across several models which vary in degrees of how much it has been processed.
Then there is shape, anything between a flat top (a la Oumo) or a bulb knot.
I've used a number of producers, including Semogue, Omega, Zenith, and Oumo. I've heard the new unbleached ones Boti sell are excellent, and I have my favourites there. Boars are erratic beasts though, I had two exact Omega 80265's, and they were completely different to each other. On the latter, some believe unbanded vs banded boar brushes are the same, I disagree with that observation.
If I was you, I'd order a number of different 26mm boar brushes and knots, and start using them, then pick the one I liked the most to be the one I would take the knot out of (or set permanently) to be the 'best' brush. A few Botis (bulb and fan), a bleached Oumo, a few Omegas and a Zenith probably would all come to around £50-60.
If you want to take my word for my favourites, I like scrubby exfoliating boar brushes, I find they are better for creating a lather and I like the face feel; so my favourites are the Zenith unbleached brush, but I seem to reach for my Omega boars the most. I like their shapes the most, they are a modified fan.
I'd recommend trying the Goodfellas Smile Wild Hog (made by Omega) which used to be on sale at Shaving Time for £7.49. Absolute diamond of a knot.