Probably the best jack of all trades brush anybody can buy. Does everything well: bowl lather, face lather, triple milled soaps, creams and everything in between. Doesn't travel well (takes too long to dry). If you like the old fashioned aesthetics, if you like to face lather, it is probably the best brush you can buy for the price, and is way better than all but the most expensive badgers. But.....there is the chipping paint issue. See my before (when new) and after photo's. The after photo is about after ten years when I stripped what was left of the paint, and re-finished it. It is still my favorite brush. You can get the same knot with an acrylic handle. Model 830 I believe? If you are willing to spend double, look at the Semogue Owner's Club natural boar, cherry handle but it is a bigger knot.

Extremely dense once broken in and tips have split.

Lots of backbone for a good scrub. Not quite as much as say an Omega Pro 49 but way more than any synthetic or badger.

Tips are as soft as the softest silver tip badger once broken in, yet still keeps its backbone.
How do they do that?

Excellent. Splays well. Not too big, not too small. Cuts into hard soaps, but still lathers croaps and even creams perfectly. I don't think that there is any soap that this brush couldn't handle. Releases lather nicely once broken in. If you like a hot lather, does not retain water or heat as well as a badger.

Best in the business. Fits the hand nicely, is wooden so the handle floats up while you are soaking it, and has the all important groove in the middle to hang onto the edge of a soap tub if you face lather.

Outstanding performance to cost ratio.

Bristles are as good as you are going to get in a boar brush-better than most. 90% tops and treated to break in quickly and not have an animal smell. Workmanship is excellent. Except........the green paint on the upper part of the handle at the knot will eventually chip, then peel if you soak the brush-which you have to. May happen in the first year, may happen in the tenth year but it will happen. Then you have to decide how or if to deal with it. Does not effect the useability of the brush at all. Does effect the way it looks.

Ok, nothing to write home about.