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Need a brush.... help welcomed.
- Thread starter SFaz
- Start Date
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- 274
Hello. As far as boar goes, i would advice against the Proraso brush. Most Italian wetshavers start with Proraso brush, because it's the only one you can find in a supermarker or a general stuff store and because when you are newb, you think "the bigger the better, i get more loft for my money". There is also the "legend" behind the "pro" knots, because "it's what italian barbers use". Unfortunately, a barber, doesn't hold the brush as a home shaver does. He holds the brush to shave somebody else and he uses the tips of the brush to build lather on the chin and the handle is made so that the back of the handle sits on the base of your palm, while your fingers extend to the base of the knot.
Unfortunately, this isn't how the home shavers shaves or holds the brush and unless you want a brush that covers your entire cheeck and is very rigid at the same time, it's not the brush for you.
For visual reference, look here:
^ This is impractical way to hold the brush on your own and nearly impossible to use the brush holding it from the tips only, in order to be precise.
For a cheap Omega, i would instead reccommend, the medium size (24mm knot x 55 mm loft) boars and especially the ones with bleached bristles, like the Omega 80266. They are much more comfortable, the handle is more ergonomic, it holds enough lather for 4 passes , it's much softer than the Proraso brush (both the bleached and unbleached brushes) and the brush breaks in much faster. Also, the chrome handle of the Proraso brush can start losing the chrome colour very quickly. To me, the most ergonomic handle from Omega, is the 80266/80265/10066, the 80005 (wood) and the 11137 (wood). The black ring around the knot may break quickly, it's normal. It's the top part of a black cup, where in reality the knot is put on. As long as the breach doesn't extend too deeply to compromise the knot, it's ok.
Another advantage of the smaller Omegas, is that they are more suited to build proper lather with the proverbiary "almond size dollop of cream". The bigger Omegas knots, require more and this can throw off a beginner. Finally, the bigger the knot, the more time it requires to dry and Omega boars, deep in their knot, require a LOT of time to dry. I can still sense wetness after a day in the deep section of the knot.
With the 24x55 Omegas, my routine is very simple. Brush soaked in water for 3-5 minutes. Pick the brush out of the water, let it sit on its handle for a few seconds, extra water will drip out. Give one good (not with "hatred", but a decisive one) shake on the brush to make more water go away. Apply almond size cream on the brush. Lather in bowl or face. When i bowl lather, i usually don't have to add any more water like that.
EDIT:
Here is a discussion in an italian wetshaving forum "Which is your preferred boar":
http://ilrasoio.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=9776
You can google translate or simply read the numbers. Proraso brush gets 0 votes (and trust me, everyone has one). Votes are split amongst the smaller omegas and some of the pro knots with higher lofts, because the Proraso brush, is too rigid because of the short loft, with the result, that you get tremendous backbone, but little relief in softness. For 27mm knot, the 60mm loft of the Proraso may feel less clumsy and more manageable, but the higher lofts give more softness and thus get voted by the wetshavers that like when their face is lost in an endless forest of bristles.
Unfortunately, this isn't how the home shavers shaves or holds the brush and unless you want a brush that covers your entire cheeck and is very rigid at the same time, it's not the brush for you.
For visual reference, look here:
^ This is impractical way to hold the brush on your own and nearly impossible to use the brush holding it from the tips only, in order to be precise.
For a cheap Omega, i would instead reccommend, the medium size (24mm knot x 55 mm loft) boars and especially the ones with bleached bristles, like the Omega 80266. They are much more comfortable, the handle is more ergonomic, it holds enough lather for 4 passes , it's much softer than the Proraso brush (both the bleached and unbleached brushes) and the brush breaks in much faster. Also, the chrome handle of the Proraso brush can start losing the chrome colour very quickly. To me, the most ergonomic handle from Omega, is the 80266/80265/10066, the 80005 (wood) and the 11137 (wood). The black ring around the knot may break quickly, it's normal. It's the top part of a black cup, where in reality the knot is put on. As long as the breach doesn't extend too deeply to compromise the knot, it's ok.
Another advantage of the smaller Omegas, is that they are more suited to build proper lather with the proverbiary "almond size dollop of cream". The bigger Omegas knots, require more and this can throw off a beginner. Finally, the bigger the knot, the more time it requires to dry and Omega boars, deep in their knot, require a LOT of time to dry. I can still sense wetness after a day in the deep section of the knot.
With the 24x55 Omegas, my routine is very simple. Brush soaked in water for 3-5 minutes. Pick the brush out of the water, let it sit on its handle for a few seconds, extra water will drip out. Give one good (not with "hatred", but a decisive one) shake on the brush to make more water go away. Apply almond size cream on the brush. Lather in bowl or face. When i bowl lather, i usually don't have to add any more water like that.
EDIT:
Here is a discussion in an italian wetshaving forum "Which is your preferred boar":
http://ilrasoio.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=9776
You can google translate or simply read the numbers. Proraso brush gets 0 votes (and trust me, everyone has one). Votes are split amongst the smaller omegas and some of the pro knots with higher lofts, because the Proraso brush, is too rigid because of the short loft, with the result, that you get tremendous backbone, but little relief in softness. For 27mm knot, the 60mm loft of the Proraso may feel less clumsy and more manageable, but the higher lofts give more softness and thus get voted by the wetshavers that like when their face is lost in an endless forest of bristles.
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