Best Boar Hair Shaving Brush for the Money - UK Reviews & Buying Guide
Thanks for taking your time to read out information and reviews on the best boar shaving brushes, that are currently available on the UK marketplace.
Shaving brushes come in 4 main types which we have listed below. These are:
- Boar hair shaving brush - made from the hair of a boar
- Badger hair shaving brush - made from the hair of a badger
- Horse hair shaving brush - made from the hair taken from the mane or the tail of the horse
- Synthetic shaving brush - the hair is man made to replicate animal hair
In this article we are looking specifically at shaving brushes made using boar hair, and why some men prefer this type of shaving brush.
As you may already know shaving brushes have to main parts which are he handle and the knot. The "knot" refers to the hairs of the brush.
These knots come in different sizes and they are measured by diameter size in millimetres (mm) and also the height of the loft.
Generally speaking longer hairs will feel softer. Some men prefer a big loft while others prefer a small one. Larger diameter knot brushes with a high loft are generally softer and as such more expensive than the smaller loft brushes.
All our product recommendations are based on our independent research which we conduct online by reading the many reviews we find at online websites. This review contains affiliate links and we may receive a commission for purchases made.
You can read our affiliates page to find out more and also read about how we write our reviews.
What is Boar Hair and Why Use it for a Shaving Brush?
For years both boar and badger hair have been used for making shaving brushes. The reality is that both animals have to be killed in order to get the hair. Some people do not like the idea of that, and as such a big change has been made to using synthetic hair.
What is a Boar?
A boar is a wild pig.They are classed as being intrusive in many areas of Europe and Asia, though they do not exist in the UK. They do have a thick winter coat that consists of long coarse bristles.
The length of the bristles vary a lot as do the colours. In their natural state these hairs can be brown, yellow or grey. The brown colour is the most popular in the UK.
Most boar hair is bought from China, India or Russia where these animals are plentiful, and regularly hunted to control them as they do cause problems for many farmers, as they dig a lot of crops up.
Why Use Boar Hair?
Boar hair is used in shaving brushes and is also used for hair brushes. In hair brushes the bristles are tightly spaced and increase tension while brushing, to smooth the hair.
Boar hair brushes naturally condition the hair, improves the texture, reduces frizz, stimulates the scalp and makes hair shiny.
With reference to shaving brushes, it is much cheaper to produce than badger hair or horse hair. Almost every wet shaver will tell you that a boar brush is much stiffer than any other shaving brush. That is certainly true when these are new but they eventually do soften over time.
Boar bristle is particularly good at holding water. This helps a lot when making a lather using a shaving soap. The harder bristles also help create lather with shaving soaps.
Men who should buy boar shaving brushes are those with a tougher beard and tougher skin, as the boar is very good at getting into that type of facial growth. They should also be used by men who prefer shaving soap to shaving cream.
You should not buy a boar hair shaving brush if you have delicate or sensitive skin as the bristles are hard, and you will not enjoy using one of these on your face.
Top 5 Buyer Rated Boar Hair Shaving Brushes
We have listed below the top 5 boar hair shaving brushes. They are:
- Semogue Boar Shaving Brush Model 1305 model (98%)
- Black Omega 49 Professional Pure Bristle Shaving Brush (92%)
- Progress Vulfix 404 Grosvenor Mixed Badger and Boar Bristle Shaving Brush (90%)
- Omega Shaving Brush #10048 Boar Bristle Aka The Pro 48 (90%)
- Proraso Professional Boar Hair Shaving Brush (86%)
Beside each shaving brush name, you will see a number in brackets. This is the average buyer satisfaction rating scored out of 100%. The higher this number is, the higher the brush is rated by online buyers.
We calculated this value by visiting the various websites that sell boar brushes. We then made a note of their ratings. Finally we added these up and worked out an average.
1. Semogue Boar Shaving Brush Model 1305 model
- The handle is a classically sculpted design made from genuine beech wood and you will note the two tone handle, which is typical of the Semogue brand
- The hair is graded as Premium 90% Tops Boar
- Knot: 22 mm
- Loft: 55 mm
- Handle Height: 53 mm
- The handle carries the "Excelsior" badge and is topped with a 'silver' collar
PROS
- 87% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- Buyers say this is a very good brush and gets better with use once it is broken in
- Buyers said this is more expensive than other shaving brushes but the appearance and quality is excellent
CONS
- No buyers to date have given this brush a bad review
2. Black Omega 49 Professional Pure Boar Bristle Shaving Brush
- 76% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- This brush is made by the Omega brand in Italy
- It is regularly discussed in many shaving forums online as being one of the best boar brushes on the market
- The bristles are tall and can hold a lot of lather
- Affordable and a great choice for beginners
PROS
- 76% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- Buyers loved the budget price on this brush as it allowed them to try a boar brush without spending a fortune
- Most buyers said this brush loses very few hairs
- Buyers loved the scrubbing effect on the skin
CONS
- 5% of all buyers gave this a bad review
- A few buyers did not like the plastic Omega sticker
3. Progress Vulfix 404 Grosvenor Mixed Badger and Boar Bristle Shaving Brush
- 77% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- This is an interesting mixed badger and boar bristle shaving brush 50/50 mix
- The boar hairs give it a firmness and the badger hair gives it a softness
- The handle has been turned by a lathe
- It is a good starter brush
PROS
- 76% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- Buyers say you get a lot of brush for the money
- Buyers like the classic shaped handle
- They also said the the bristles have a good backbone which lathers up the soap really well.
CONS
- 5% of all buyers gave this a bad review
- Some found the bristles too hard
4. Omega Shaving Brush #10048 Boar Bristle Aka The Pro 48
- 54% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- This is a 100% hog bristle shaving brush
- Comes with a very attractive chrome ABS handle
- Height 13,3 cm - 5.24"
- The hairs are softer than on most other boar hair brushes
PROS
- 54% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- Buyers said this does an excellent job at creating a lather
- Buyers mainly agreed that the hair was a lot softer than they were expecting from a boar
CONS
- No buyers so far gave this a bad review
- A few buyers did not like the chrome handle
5. Proraso Professional Boar Hair Shaving Brush
- 64% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- This brush is made by the Proraso brand in Italy
- The handle is made from shiny thermoplastic
- Popular with many UK professional barbers
- Overall Length: 130 mm
- Handle Length 65 mm
- Bristle Length 55 mm
PROS
- 64% of all buyers gave this brush a 5 star review
- This is a popular choice with many UK buyers in search of a boar bristle brush
- Buyers loved the affordable price point
CONS
- 6% of all buyers gave this a bad review
- Some buyers found it too hard
Boar Hair Shaving Brush Buyer's Guide
In this section we get into a lot more detail about the types of boar hair shaving brushes you can buy. On boars, hair grows over all of their body. In some areas it is long and in other areas it is quite short.
The back and mane are long and under the body is quite short and finer.
With badger hair brushes, the hair is classified by the area of the body they are taken from, but that is not the case with boar hair. No classification is done for boar hair, and they are named in a different method explained below.
Boar Hair Shaving Brush Types
There are four main classifications used when it comes to boar brushes. These are:
- Unbleached or Natural - these simply comes with the natural hairs which can vary in colour
- Bleached - this is simply where those natural hairs have been bleached white in a factory
- Clipped - the hairs are clipped into a round bulb shape to form the shape of the shaving brush and are quite popular
- Sketched - the natural hairs are bleached white but they also get a black dye applied to try and make them look like badger hair
It is mainly a matter of preference as to which type you want to buy. Most men seem to like the rounded bulb style, whereas some other men prefer the natural look.
Knot & Loft Height
As we mentioned earlier this is really just a matter of your own personal preference. Mainly it has to do with the appearance of the brush. Some men will argue that the rounded bulb type gets into the beard better.
We have not found that to be the case, and a full knot works just as well. We think it has more to do with the style that you like. the natural hair we think works best in terms of the brush holding the water.
Almost always though men buy a brush with boar hair based on the overall look and the type of handle.
Boar Hair Shedding
All animal hair brushes will lose some hairs and especially when it is first new. There really is no way of stopping that from happening. It does stop though from time to time you will still lose the odd hair or two.
Looking after the brush though will prevent more hair loss, We have explained just below the best way to do that in how to care for your brush.
Dealing with the Initial Smell
Despite various treatments in the factory, when yo receive your boar hair shaving brush, there will still be a distinct and quite poignant smell from the boar animal. It gets slightly worse when it is first wet.
That smell does disappear after about 10 uses. Our advice is when you receive it, and before using it is to wash it with warm soapy water, and allow to hang and dry naturally.
Don't put it inside a case or holder when damp. Never use any type of detergent or chemical cleaner to try and remove that initial smell. It will damage the hairs and weaken the glue that hold the hairs into the handle.
The smell does go away, but you just have to give it some time to do that.
How to Use a Boar Hair Shaving Brush
Shaving brushes can be used to lather up shaving cream or shaving soap. Shaving cream can also be applied by hand, but a brush is better for a couple of reasons.
You can use a smaller amount of cream and then use a wet brush to whip that into a thicker lather. That will save on the amount of cream you have to use, and make it last longer.
A boar hair brush really comes into its own though when using a shaving soap. Soap is harder to lather than cream. The harder boar bristles work a great deal faster than badger hair on soap.
Once you have made the lather, the brush should be pushed up and into the bristles using small circular movements. That makes sure all the hairs are softened and the skin is massaged underneath.
It also raises the hairs ready for the shave.
How to Care for a Boar Hair Shaving Brush
The same rules apply to this type of shaving brush as to any other. Always rinse with warm water when finished to remove any lather. When the water runs clear, then shake the brush out as much as you can.
Always hang the brush on a stand with the bristles hanging down. This allows the brush hair to dry naturally. More importantly, it stops the water from running back into the area where the knot meets the handle.
Water seeping in there degrades and weakens the glue used to attach the hairs to the handle. If that were allowed to happen then hairs would start to fall out quicker than they should.