First of all, let’s address the shipping turnover... I ordered this brush on a Thursday and it arrived Saturday, MI to TX. Lightning fast. Secondly, the price... yes, it’s high for a boar. But this boar, is unlike any or I’ve encounter before. From previous Semogue experience, I decided to give his guy several lathers and a solid hour of soaking in water before taking it to my face. I think that small initial break in did the trick because this brush is excellent out of the box. The boar scritch is there but it’s not as pronounced as with an Omega. The bristles are a joy to use and have good enough backbone to please anyone. Best results will come from using a low amount of pressure when lathering as these knots do like to soak up lather deep down towards the base. That small amount of pressure will keep the lather at the tips let it build and survive into further passes. The handle is a beautifully made, solid chunk of resin with nice weight. This brush is tops for me I think(I am partial to boar bristle though). It’s less of a work horse than my Omega but it’s definitely more luxurious.