New year, same me. I’m back at it again with the men’s shaving product reviews. Today I’m taking a look at the Omega 10048 boar bristle shaving brush. This brush can also go by the names “Pro 48” or “Forty Eight 48”. This is one of two Omega brushes I’ve been using for the past six months or so. (Don’t worry, I’ll be getting to a review on the other on this year too!) Omega is one of the first names in Italian shaving brushes. A quick look at the plethora of shaving products that come from the boot-shaped country will tell you that the Italians know a thing or two about shaving gear. Maybe someday I’ll run a post on the best countries for shaving supplies…
Proraso tube added for scale.
The first thing that anyone should notice, including me, about the Omega 10048 is the size. This is a large shaving brush! Measurements have this listed at 133mm tall with a knot of 28mm and a loft of 70mm. For the uninitiated, the knot measurement is the width of the bristles where they meet the handle and the loft measurement is the height of the bristles from the handle. These measurements make this brush quite sizeable. The only issue I have with a brush this large is that I have a bit of trouble fitting it into my razor and brush stand (maybe I need a new one…). Of course, the benefit of a brush this size is the copious amount of water and lather it can hold. I have never had an issue running out of lather mid-shave when using this brush.
Construction
This is an extremely well-made shaving brush. Despite the plastic handle (which I won’t gripe about too much because of the fantastic value), I have seen minimal, if any, shedding over the break-in period. Speaking of the break-in, that was a surprisingly easy process considering the size and density of the bristles. Unlike my Semogue Owner’s Club, the break-in for this brush was short and sweet. The Omega is still a little scratchy, but that’s to be expected from a boar brush. And I find it to be good for exfoliating my skin.
Use
This brush is so easy to load. I found that it performed a bit better with soaps than creams. The stiffer bristles pick up tons of soap from just about any puck. I think it is important to point out that, considering the size, I usually do have to add more water than with some other brushes. Obviously, more brush and more soap in said brush requires more water.
As I mentioned previously, the price usually associated with the Omega 10048 makes this brush a steal. It’s a boar brush that will perform out of the box for newbie shavers, but will also perform for seasoned veterans of traditional wet shaving. I highly recommend this brush, and suggest that is should be a mainstay in every wet shaver’s den.
