Italian design, quality materials, and an unbeatable price make the Omega Professional boar brush the best choice for budget-conscious buyers.
Although badger hair is typically the most highly regarded material for shave brushes, boar bristles can still claim the silver medal and have some distinct advantages. In fact, boar bristle brushes are still heavily favored by many men in Italy, a country where old-school barber-style wet shaving never really went out of style. The stiff bristles are great for solid soaps and are especially ideal for whipping up a rich lather in a mug or shaving bowl.
If you've already dipped your feet in the world of wet shaving, then you may have noticed a couple of Italian brands that stand out. Proraso is one such Italian company that makes a wide lineup of highly-regarded shaving soaps, creams, balms, and aftershaves (I personally use and recommend Proraso's menthol shaving soap and cream), but the biggest Italian shave brush manufacturer is Omega.
The company today offers boar, badger, and even synthetic shaving brushes, but being the most popular choice among Italian wet shavers, boar bristles remain Omega's bread and butter.
I've been using the Omega Professional boar bristle brush myself for a couple years now, having replaced my old badger brush. I opted for boar as I like the ability of the rigid bristles to build a great lather with solid soaps which I typically favor. The low price point didn't hurt, either.
I especially love the way the boar bristles have broken-in over time while remaining rigid. This didn't take long. After just a few shaves, I was already noticing the bristles splitting at the ends. My well-used brush is now surprisingly plush at the tips without becoming a fluffed-out mess that's too delicate to use with hard soaps. It's a big brush, too, at over five inches tall, so it feels great in the hand and the knot holds a lot of lather.
One final note regarding boar brushes: Wild hogs tend to cultivate a certain musk. I'm sure pigs find it alluring, but humans do not. I never found the Omega Professional brush to be offensive, but a mild aroma was noticeable for a while before eventually dissipating altogether. Now, my brush just smells like my soap.
If you find the initial odor bothersome, however, then wash the brush out with shampoo a few times or lather it up with shaving soap and let it sit overnight before washing it out.
Pros: Rigid bristles break in nicely with regular use, great for hard soaps and for making a lather in a bowl or mug, sheds less than a badger bristle brush, made in Italy, a large and comfortable handle, and it's an unbeatable value
Cons: Not all shavers will prefer the stiffer boar bristles, and the brush can initially give off an unpleasant odor