Well, I have had a chance to try them out.
First, the long-awaited (for me at least) Omega 6214.
See first post for pictures. It's got good density and I wasn't expecting that. It's got some backbone, a bit more than I would expect at 55mm loft with a 22mm knot. It's not floppy and hasn't shed a single hair after 4 lathers and 2 shaves. It's very well made and the handle has a good weight to it. Nothing about this budget Silvertip feels budget-grade. The handle is nicely made and has good depth to the colors and pattern in the acrylic that the stock pictures do not really pick up so I will take some with my phone (takes an okay picture-Samsung Galaxy Nexus). It absorbs a ton of water like most Silvertips and also absorbs a ton of soap. Leaning slightly toward the denser side of Silvertip brushes that I have tried it will use a bit more soap than say a Boar or a "lesser" grade of badger.
But this thing is a lather monster. It is a bit on the large side for face lathering, but I gave it a go and it worked well as expected. It can get a bit sloppy at times but that isn't due to anything other than size. It lathered everything from cheap-o Williams and VDH Deluxe soap to RazoRock Artisan Chianti Lavender to Taylor of Old Bond St. Eton College cream. I don't have any triple-milled hard soaps to try it on so I can't say there, but I don't think it would be a problem if you just increased your loading times.
The tips are very soft and there is zero scritch in my example. The Silvertip badger feels of good quality in this brush. At $68 it isn't dirt cheap but it isn't unreasonable for what you get. On a value scale I would give this brush a 9/10 which is pretty great. It rates so highly for me because I am not sure there is much that could be better at this price point. I do believe this brush will hold enough lather for a 4 pass shave if it's loaded with enough soap. However, I am a 1 pass shaver 90% of the time with a little touching up after that. I have done a 2 pass with it and find it to be almost too much brush unless used for at least 2 passes. Larger badger brushes like these can be a bit of a soap/cream hog. I have found to get a good lather I need to use enough cream for probably 3 passes or the brush won't give any up to my face. But, it's pure luxury and a great value which is not commonplace anymore.
Overall I would give this guy a 9/10. It's a bit big for people like me who only need 1-2 passes, but otherwise it's one heck of a deal. Bottom line is that it works great, represents superb value and craftsmanship, has very soft, good quality Silvertip badger and will make just about anyone happy.
Next up is the Semogue 830 Boar Bristle Brush.
This brush is complicated. It was $24 and has a very nice clear acrylic handle with a red piece near the top that the bottom of the knot hides in. It is well made and well-packed. It shed about 7-8 hairs initially and I have only used it for lathering practice (I just now realized how much of a nerd I am) and to break it in. What's confusing then? The tips are very scritchy at this point and the brush has too much backbone. It has softened up a bit with the 4-5 lathers I have done with it, but it's not broken in yet so I can't really say too much about it's use. It is, however, a lathering MACHINE. I don't care what badger brush you use, I will whip up enough lather for a 3-4 pass shave in 15 seconds with RazoRock Artisan shave soap or my C.O. Bigelow Cream (rebranded Proraso) and you can't stop me. It easily out lathers my Omega 6214 Silvertip on my harder soaps and my creams. It's just fantastic to see even my Williams cheap soap or VDH soap get pounded by this Boar.
It has gotten softer and better at lathering with each lather. I am told doing a couple of wet/dry cycles will help speed up the process so I may try those. A wet/dry cycle involves doing up a big lather, letting it sit from anywhere to a couple of hours to overnight, rinsing it completely, then blow drying it on a low heat setting. From what I have read on another forum, some people may do this everyday for 2-3 to 4 weeks to even 2 months and the brush will be fantastically soft. I don't plan on doing it more than 3-4 times and just plan on breaking it in by lathering it once a day for a couple weeks then using it.
Unlike Silvertip Badger, this 90% Premium grade Boar Bristle (according to Semogue-no real unofficial grading system for Boar) does not hold a ton of water. It does hold some water and may hold more when broken in, but for now it's no a chamois like Silvertip or even "lesser" grades of Badger. One will need to adjust his/her lathering process to make up for this so a bit of practice may be needed if you have never owned a boar brush before.
But, Semogue Boars are supposed to be King of the Castle as Boar Brushes go and this one looks to be representing the norm for Semogue fans. It is very well made and I have even been a bit rough on it while lathering which is one benefit of boar as they take a beating better than most soft Badger brushes. I really think this is going to be a match made is shaven (I tell jokes). One last note: mine stunk pretty badly. Or not so badly if you like that dirty, wild pig musk. In fact it smelled enough that my dog got ahold of the package while I was out and tried to eat it. The brush wasn't in the plastic box so it wasn't damaged, don't worry. A good bath with Pert Plus w/ conditioner did the trick after washing it thoroughly and letting it sit for a couple hours in warm shampoo in my lather bowl. I think it's good practice to clean them well before using them and this was a good example. The water was pretty brown/dirty when I dumped it out and it took all of the smell with it.
Semogue 830 gets a good number/10. Why? Haven't used it like I said. But so far: Lathering machine, needs to soften up a lot and I think it will as it has already begun to, easy on the wallet ($24), a well made, pretty handle, the boar is dyed to look like badger which IMO looks nice, comes with a nice funky, dirty pig smell that does go away, and feels good in the hand. Also, this brush is easier to read the right amount of lather that I am making and releases it on my face easily. I feel like my Silvertip hogs a bit of lather and I need to use a bit more cream/soap than with the Semogue 830. I use about 3/4 the amount of cream/soap with the Semogue compared to the Omega Silvertip. Like the Omega Silvertip, this brush may be just a bit big for face lathering for me but it's less floppy. Both are good all around in a bowl or face or palm techniques.
But, then there is my old, trusty Omega 11047 aka Mighty Midget Boar/Badger mix. It's small, and I realize now how much more comfortable a larger brush is for my hand, especially in extended usage. It's not so tiny that it hurts or anything but it does get lather on the handle too easily which my other 2 brushes do not.
However, I have still used it since I have gotten my other 2 brushes. Why? It's broken in nicely and isn't scratchy, but does have a good scrubby feel that I enjoy. It stands up my longer whiskers easily, not that my Silvertip and Semogue don't FYI. But this brush works well for me in that I am used to it. I can effortlessly conjure up almost exactly the right amount of lather no matter the technique I am using. This brush excels in face lathering more so due to it's size and backbone. You can lather this in a bowl but you will make a mess of slippery lather on the handle if you aren't careful. At $13 I would still buy this brush as it represents the best value of all 3 brushes, but size is a factor for many so YMMV.
The other 2 brushes are superb and I feel I have a good variety with the super soft and luxurious Omega 6214 Silvertip Badger, the cheaper and more durable Lather King Semogue 830, and the scrubby pocket-rocket Omega 11047 Might Midget. I don't know that another brush is in my future for a pretty long time. I don't want to collect a bunch of shaving stuff I only use once a month just to use it. I like to have back ups, enough supply to last awhile, and good quality gear and I think I have achieved this.
Thank you for reading this absurdly long, poorly constructed wall of text that's about something you may never own nor even care to own. I just wanted to put this out there to tell new wet shavers or those on a budget about 3 very good, very different brushes to look into. My one last note is that while these are on the cheaper end (at least 2 out of 3 if not all 3) of very high quality brushes, each of these is a do-it-all kind of brush. Each is fine for bowl lathering with the midget being a bit too small, but still very capable. Each is great for face lathering. All will lather harder soaps, softer soaps, creams and magic potions. And I genuinely feel that after having done a ton of research about these brushes that they are a safe bet to those who want to try something new without breaking the bank.
I will try and add pictures later if I have time.
Yes, there is marked difference.
