Pure Bristle Shaving Brush 10098

Has not lost bristles and holds soap well. Soaks easy.

Some of the best brushes money can buy.

To my delight when I first got this brush and took it out of its box it didn't stink at all like others had said and I took a few good hard sniffs by burying my snozz into the bristles and breathing deeply.That has all changed now that I've used it a few times and the hairs have begun to split (as boar brushes are known to do.)It doesn't smell like feces or farm, but rather a nearly overwhelming smell of old school mothballs and... I don't know what else. It burns my lungs though to smell it directly. I haven't had asthma since I was a kid, but it's enough to gag a maggot and like I said it burns my lungs to smell whatever the smell is coming off of this brush every time I open the bathroom closet door that I have this stored in. Almost like it's a type of formaldehyde.All that said it's still a very nice brush and I've never gotten lather out of my old badger brush like I do with this one and the glycerin base soaps that I use. I just hope that the smell dissipates soon since this is a non-returnable item, but if all else fails I will have to soak it in some Borax/washing soda water and let it soak for a little while and then rinse it out. Maybe some hydrogen peroxide to kill off whatever smell is in there. Not sure if that will work, but there seems to be a lot of different options available on the shaving forums.From what I understand at this stage in the game the only TRUE fix to the smell is usage and time.

I am returning to shaving with a safety razor after years of using cartridge types. I initially decided to take the "don't pay too much in case you don't like it" route and bought an inexpensive shaving set, that included a cheap boar bristle brush. That brush seemed to do an ok job, but i wasn't getting the kind of lather I was led to expect. So, I decided to buy an upgraded brush.I saw this big boy and i was intrigued. I'd heard the Omega brushes were pretty good and they were priced reasonably, so I took a chance. I'm a big guy with big hands and the idea of a long, large handled brush appealed to me. The brush arrived about a week ago. I took it out of the box and immediately shampooed and conditioned it. It had a very feint animal smell and I wanted to "wash" it out. I used the brush the next morning and it was a revelation.This brush makes a gobload of lather in just a few seconds. I'm using a VDH deluxe soap (part of the starter kit I bought), and I was having trouble getting a good lather with my old brush. But, with the Omega brush it lathers like magic in just a second or 2. I can fill the brush with lather in just a few seconds. The only problem with this is that the lather can be a bit dry, but I just add water to the brush and the lather puffs up fine. This brush feels fabulous on my face when applying the lather. It is actually a pleasure shaving with this brush. It wakes me up every day it feels so good.I've yet to use a badger brush of any sort but I would be surprised if any brush of any kind was much better than this one. It does everything a shaving brush can do, and it does it well, and it feels great on my face! I'm looking forward to many years of shaving enjoyment with this one!

I have been working with the Omega pig hair brushes and love them. I get the best lather by loading the damp brush in the bowl (i use the plastic Proraso bowls and just refill them with whatever soap i like) rubbing my face vigorously with the loaded brush and then squeezing out the remaining stiff foam from the brush and applying it smoothly to the beard. I then Wash my hand and the brush in warm water (if available) and shake the water out of the brush vigorously. Now for the odor removal: I will apply hair conditioner to the brush and lather that through the brush, squeeze all excess water out of the brush, rinse off the brush handle and my hand, shake the brush dry again and hang it upside down (best practice) or just leave it right side up for the remainder of the day until I pack up. It seems to dry out ok. It could also be dried faster by patting it against the towel. If I fail to do this, the odor builds up again. The conditioner rinses out on the next use, and I have noticed no adverse effects vs from using conditioner. If you skip the regimen, it can wait until you have the chance to do it right. BTW, the picture shows this 98 brush happily hanging upside down on a plastic omega stand i got with one of their other brushes...

Pefect! doesn’t shed a ton just here and there and gives me a good lather and size. i use it in a barbershop and so far so good after a couple of months.it does smell at first but i let it soak in some barbercide, rinsed and then coated with hair conditioner with a strong scent overnight, and the problems resolved

Not enough bristle compare with other Omega products

Nice size handle. Seems quality. I really like it.I ordered a smaller brush and returned it and love this one much better.